The Portland daily press., 1871-05-13
SELECTED STORY.
BRING A SERVANT.
A STORY OF TO-DAY.


"That is the way 10 40 IL, saiu' IA ole
girl doesn't suit try another"
"But, my dear, Jane was Soou girl Ill
most respects"
"That is what you say of them all. l tell
YOU, and have told you repeatedly, that it is
lust as easy to get those who are right alto
pether You are too gentle mistress, and
YOUR servants impose upon you. If | had
charge OF the house they would have to toe
the mark. | am tired of seeing you so over
Swallowed with household affairs. Even new
there are wrinkles settling in your forehead,
as if you were -iorty,iive instead oil twenty
seven.
All! the wrinkles date far back of James
forgetfulness. / am not sure but they have
been prodlced by the frequency of my visits
to intelligence offices. 1 thought the last
time went to one, my hair would turn white
before / got away.
"Why don't you follow up some of those
girls who advertise in the Union? My moth
er used to, and was very successful"
III have scores of times. got Della from
an advertisement-the one who sat down on
the baby, thinking he was a ragbag-and Al.
ice, who stole all my towels; and Julia, who
would take her beaux into the parlor everS
time we were out in the evening; and don't
know how many more. l have come to the
conclusion that, when servant is neat and
honest, 1t is best to overlook trifling short.
comings If my husband was just a little
more patient, think 1 could manage very
well. am worn out with servant hunting"
SERVANT hunting! l should think it would
be pleasure. l can't imagine anything SO
very dreadful about it,"
Suppose you try il? 1 really do not feel
well enough to make the effort; would rath-
er do my own work for a month";"
My wife did not usually speak with so much
earnestness, and it surprised me. Besides,
oil n Ina lyndr Ia and n Ia.
model of husbands.
1t was pleasant morning. had enough
to do; but then L might as well be hindered a
half an hour to oblige my wife as to waste so
much time smoking after lunch.
Will, darling. Lie down and rest yolr-
sell, orread the papers. Take no more thought
about the matter, and now good morning. .
Kissed her, and went on my way. bought
an Evening Express at a stand on the corner.
1lanelng ON the lists ef"Situations Wanted"
! smiled at the absurd idea of putting up wils
incompetent servants when such an array
was In the field l selected two numbers,
which thought would suit. They each con
tanned three figures, and, of course were some
distance away across the avenues. 1t was not
an inviting looking neighboyhoods and thu.
puiiding INTO which entered wae far from
prepossessng, knocked at tbc, first door on
re first noor. a fat reds Iced woman left
the wash-tub and opeap' #
'Did a girl advert 80 ~. ,,.,o for nlaca
this mornings" DC HUN
"Nol as LIZ ,,,h o ;,s in tho hack
room" io"' oN' w NV
D ocked at the next door. 1t was opened
ps a little girl of nine or ten, bareiooted and
ragged, and her mouth full of baked potato
Four other children, of various sizes, came run
ing to look at me.
sis your mother In ?" inquired.
mo"
SIS there girl here who wants placer
"No."
"Do you know whether there is one in the
building?"
"Maybe it is up stairsw screamed crone
from bed in the corner of the room, as tool
out the Express, to see if l had not mistaken
the number.
l assembled a narrow staircase and passed
along dark, gloomy corridor. l knocked al
a door, and repeated my inquiries to yellow
sick looking woman with babe in her arms
She knew nothing of such advertisement, but
it might be in The next room. AT the mex
room they thought that perhaps it was u
stairs. SO l was handed along from one t,
another until | reached the fifth floor. Their
/ gained the extraordinary Information tina
it was probably in the back yard. Reachin:
the ground floor in salty, L proceeded 10 the
rear, where there was a three-story house OF
the same lot, with space OF only about ten
feet between. An old man sat on the pave
ment smoking.
SLOW many families are there in the build.
ing?" l asked.
He cogitated moment before he replied =
M"Twelve, SIR"
1t was true! The hall ran through the cen
ter OF the building making four rooms Oh eacl
floor, and each floor contained family. One
shoemaker had a wife and seven children
visited every room before L found the ont
advertised from. 1t was The most respectable
one of the lot and the occupant was a young
tidy, well-dressed woman. My spirits rose like
foam and went down as quickly. The girl
herself not had come yet
wheeled very abruptly and hurried to the
sidewalk. Ugly words rose to my lips, but
did not speak them. l wondered if Effie had
ever visited such an abode. Taking out tn,
Express again | read -
mo. l3S West--slreet-a young girl wht
understands her buainess, and is neat and
Obliging"
1t was only two blocks off. This time I was
fortunate enough to hit the right room at the
nrst knock. The girl opened the door: hel
manner was little forbidding. | fancy she
belonged to the swapping turtle order. Nothing
daunted, however, L explained my business.
How many hes there in your family, sir ?''
she asked, as she surveyed me from head to
loot. dress well, as general rule: bnt If
was windy day. and was in part of The
city where the streets were not watered. Con-
sequenty, the damsel before me conld not
MAKE up her mind on the instant whether
could answer for master ornot. [ gave her
the number she would be expected to serve.
10 there be a carpet on the girls room %
les NOW please inform me if you know
now TO take care of the whole upper mart nj
the mouse and dining-room, and will do it
well ?" WIZ Wv ~
do there be any fires to make?"
"One or two l think"
guess the place woulden't suit me- never
makes fires. Boys always does them where
lives"
1lwas again afioat. / didn't fold and put
my newspaper in my pocket any more. l read
as walked. According to my printed infor-
nation, the most desirable person for me to
visit was smart, capable, willing girl" in
the neghborhoGd of Myrtle avenue. Quite
stretch from the west part of the city, but
went. 7. was five story tenement house
again. gave a dirty boy quarter to run up
stairs and make inquiries for me, and he new
er came back to report Near the third land
ing found the maiden. She was staying with
friend" who was dealer in old clothes,
and was just sorting over cargo. The
smart, capable, willing girl had seen sixty-fve
summers, and her hair was as white as snow
She was sitting with her feet in pail of wat
ter, trying to cure her Germs so she said. | left.
was getting slightly out oftemper when l
reached the sidewalk. A dog harnessed into
small cart obstructed the way, 1 raised my
foot and removed the whole establishment in
to the street. After that felt better Turn
ing to the Express, found Situation WANT
ed" by several In the immediate vicinity, and
rendered unto all the light of my cOuntenance
One girl had just been engaged" A third
seemed qualified for our purpose, but her cou-
sin was dead, and she could not come for a
week. The fourth didn't like our location.
The fifth made very pointed inquiries about
the number of girls we had during the last
year, and then declined engaging where they
changed help so often. The sixth didn't ever
"negoshmate" with a gentleman; "the mad
anne must come herself" The seventh want
ed too many privileges, and had lost her
teeth. The eighth asked my name and
very driIy remarked that "she olly lived
with the first families, The ninth was fair
haired, blue-eye1 German, who was not only
willing, but exceedingly anxious to undertake
anything. She promised to go to my vile in
the course of half an hour, and |, thoroughly
disguised with this world, and particularly
that portion OF it which l had inst explored,
looked at my watch and found it was two
O'Clock in the afternoon.
When | reached home at the usual dinner
hour, Ellie met me, smiling.
60, Dlo tne new girl come ?" | endured,
NO, haven't seen any," |
l did not give vent TO INV nont nv, o,so,;o,
LILY ~ .uo sympathizing husband. and
81 H. san,e ,ot,'n started ON another tour