Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-03-10
.1.vOTHBR "GOOD WORD FOR
THE IRISH GIRLS"

Nothing in your columns has given me
moro satisfaction than the frank and friend
ly word uttered in behalf of the great COM
pany of Irish toilers in our midst, for
whose vindication "good word'' is so sell
dom spoken. There are other families,
who have had like fortunate experience
with their hired help, would they but add
their testimony. They are families, in
(which the fact is recognized, that servants
have rights that employers are bound to
respect.
I have been a housekeeper twenty years
Seventeen of the twenty, have had one
and the same Irish girl in my family. To
us she long ago outgrew the "Irish," and
became "our Ann She it is who has
helped rear our children, some of them
now grown to manhood. She has assisted
in making their bread and butter, in cook
ing their food, in experimenting their
sports and their childish tasks. And more
than once has she surreptiously taken to
their chamber 'just piece" when for
misdemeanor they had been sent supper
less to bed. And as the sons begin to talk
of going out from home, to join in the bat
been manifested, by the quiet but express
sive, "Time enough yet" true Catholic,
"because she was brought up So" she is
neither zealot, bigot, nor a superstitious
enthusiast, but a conscientious "doer of
the word"
Ours is not an isolated case. Three or
four other girls in this immediate neigh
borhood have remained in their respective
situations quite as long. This is not be-
cause these girls are so altogether su-
perior to the great army of girls that have
been hurrying to this country during the
last twenty years. Coming to their life
work of toll without any experience in our
methods, or knowledge of our customs, Of
ten ign norant of the names of our most
common utensils, they stand in perishing
need of the kindest consideration, gentle
treatment and judcious teaching.
Housek eepers who take such person,
perhaps in n few days after she has reached
this strange land, introduce her to the new
routine of household toll, and themselves
retire from all share, care or oversight of
their work, must expect disastrous collis-
ions, inconvenient detentions, breakage
and waste secreted or denied, and perhaps
slovenly and untidy habits INDUCED in.
Servants must be possessed of far
greater executive ability than many mis-
tresses, and be more conscientious in the
discharge of obligations, if such an arrange
ment works well.
If the wife and mother fails to look close
| ly after the interests of her household-if
| she can, from love of pleasure or ease, in
| dolently neglect the welfare of those who
are so near to her, how can she expect the
| stranger in her kitchen to be more faithful
| to them, whom they serve for the pay?
One prolific source of difficulty and sep
| aration between mistress and maid is the
fact that housekeepers give servants, often
| good servants, no opportunity for original
| ity or individuality. Every woman "has
| her way" to do this and that thing and in
sists that each new girl shall conform to
| her particular mode. Now, If the desired
| end is attained, and the thing in hand has
been neatly, expeditiously and economical
| ly done, it is little less than unreasonable
| to find fault with non-essential details
merely because ~ don't do so." Unjust
requirements, thoughtless Interruptions,
and delay of work in hand, frequent do
mand for tritling services in another de-
partment, impertinence on the part of chill
| dren, and insolence from older members,
all go to make up the hard experience OF
| the sojourner in the kitchen. There will
be less cause of complaint Of careless and
indifferent domestics, when employers take
a moro unsefish interest in the physical
intellectual and moral well being of those
persons whom they employ. II. MI.
CANAsToLA, n. Y.
WOmdn's Journal