The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-06-01
HAlpS.

The following extract from the Nrw \ ork
correspondents letter to the Washington
Patriot contains some facts not confined 10
the latitude of Gotham:
There is absolutely nothing in New York
SO difficult rs to get good servant girl, and
the complaints against this class of female
fellow citizens and voters in spe) are as
universal as they are deserved. That there
are exceptions we are willing 10 admit, but
they are few and far between. There is d
certain and very numerous class of female
help in New York and vicinity who make
il their business not to suit in any place or
situation uRder any circumstances, but
merely stay there couple Of days, imp
upon the mistress. and draw g full month 9
pay. They make it their special study how
not TO do il, and have q circuml ooution office
among themselves as com plioRtsd and effec-
tuAl as that which Dickens 80 graphically
described. They seem TO think that they
are put here in life especially TO annoy and
domineer 10 small households, burn our
beetsteAks, make soup which ID unfit to be
eaten, serve up the potatoes only half done
and, under the name Of ironing, scorch our
shirt bosoms. Ny advice to all young mar
ried couples Especially In New York is &c
do withou: help as long as they can fol
where ignorance is bliss, il is folly 10 be
wise"
Among the exceptions must FIRST and fore
most rank the German girls, who come tt
this country in search of situations and also
Danish, Swedish and Norwegian girls, girl.
from certain parts of Engla land and Scotland
and one thousandth per cent CT the Irish
uirlE Ill If NH re IA ota ~ rooI 80,
desirable, but IN consequence, diff cult to OBJ
tain. Nor must we forget our native Ameri
can girls but there are so few of these tina
are willing to accept the position of help il
a house, that they are very rarely met with
Somehow or other, they seem to prefer
making q living when circumstances ne
eessltSte it, BY working at the sewing ma
chine, in paper box factories, and the like
although they could command better wages
and would OCCUPY a really superior position
by accepting the position of servants in res
pectable families. 1t is to be regretted tina
such is the case, and that we shall have, fol
the important functions of assistance in oul
households, TO place our main reliance upon
foreigners.
Ia New York the German girls pAr:iou
iarly are in great demand, notwithstanding
the fact that they, when they come here,
cannot speak word of English. When
ever German steamer arrives from Ham
burg or Bremen, the office of Castle Garden
is sure to be crowded with ladies and pen
tIemen Of al conditions, from the fAshiOua
bic lady Of Fifth avenue and the millionaire
of Wall street, to the boarding house mis-
tress and the modest shoemaker from the
German side OF the city, all in search of
German female "help." Mrs. Noodle, who
has charge Of that department. cannot
possibly fill all the orders, nor even Q
1.-THE Of them, and she is continually both
cred and trying 10 do the very best she can
to give all parties satisfaction. Modest
Barbara or Gretchen is a prize that is not
easily secured, and that is in steady ant
ever increasing demand in all the large
cities Of our country. So is also Ak ristine
from Denmark and Gunhilde from Sweden
only as but few can speak the Scandine
Wan languages, whereas comparatively man,
can get along with the German, these or,
not 80 easily placed, although they sffort
excellent and faithful servants to any on,
who will have the patience to teach them
and overlook their shortcomings durinj
their trial, until they get q little bette
acquainted with the country and its habits
which are, of course, all novelties to them