, 1872-10-20

aeE1Aus blI1 ID RuUWu a6 CIeLCl9u- Oue Is 1ouQQ
in all spheres OF dom eBtic aervitude, and if
trained, is valuable wherever placed. The era
of Gretchen's ignorance is rapidly passing away.
She is beginning to understand her business, and
has learned enough Of the language to compre-
hend what is wanted when couched in
simple English. Like her nation, she ia slow,
but when once started on her mission, is reason
ably sure. When deprived Of her wooden shoes,
her essentially German habits Of life and cook
cry, she becomes in measure Americani2ed.
She is about as available help as can be found
Yet people have their prejudices, and there are
not wanting persons, who, impatient Of the
heaviness Of her hearincss, will have none but
the Irish domestic, no matter what her faults
may be.
AMERICAN GIRLS. :.
When the American girl arrives ut years Of
maturity, and is thrown upon her Owl resources,
if her hair does not fall in ringlets, she arranges
q spit-curl upon either cheek-bone and goes to
teaching school. If she has not sufficient edu-
cation for so honorable IN occupation, ehe drifts
to tile city and seeks employment in one Of the
many occupations We have mentioned above.
Her native American spirit of Independence re-
volts ut the idea Of the stoW-pan, the broom, or
the scrubbing-b brush manipulated in the interest
Of another. Occasionally she takes service; in
family" ct whose table she sits. not Us the hired
help, but as an honored guest. In the early dnys
of our social simplicity the proportions OF
American servants to the entire population
was much greater than it is ut pres
ent. Then grndations Of society were little
known, and the serrunts were the companions Of
the family, to whom they we're scarcely inferior
in intelligence and position. But We have
changed Ill that. The American girl is driven
from the family to solitude, and other means Of
support. No American girl Of real worth ae-
cepts the plnce Of servant in city family.
There arc native servants, but they are almost
invariably from low and worthless families, and
have not learned properly the first rudiment Of
housekeeping. They take with them into their
new sphere the elatternly habits Of their child
hood, and their hopeless ignorance OF domestic
duties. They are also possessed Of a vulgar
spirit Of independence, and childish impatienco
that results in frequent trouble. The American
servant girl is rare, and it would
e,oss be f good nhs thng it, if she we're Te1 oa
native domestic, with all the desirable quail f.
cations, would, with her American brightness
and adaptnbility, be invaluable.
LADIES CHRISTIAN UNION.
The Ladies' Christian Union has been doing
good worl, since the fire in supplying good help
to American families. They were first drawn
into it in the way Of charity, their object being
to provide homes for poor women, but the wider
sphere Of usefulness was opened to them, mud
they accepted the situation. They were further
moved to their excellent work by the knowledge
that the intelligence offices are in the habit Of
deecing these poor victims, and not infreauently
sending them to baguios: for occupation, tho
ladies' of the dcrni-n.onde having no
the fire they have found places for
1000 girls. no bonus being asked for the inter-
mediate services rendered. Their rooms are No.
81 Randolph street, in Jackson's Building. Tho
bureau is in charge of Miss Miller, who is assist
ed by MiEs Dyer, O lady Of much experience in
eleemosynary work.
HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS.
The help at hotels consists of dining-room
winters, cooks, pantry-gir1s, laundry-women,
bcll-boys and scrub women. Most of the no.
tells employ colored boys in the dining room. 4
The restaurants generally have black boys for
Ganymedes. and girls for other meuial duties. AL
have white cooks most Of whom are Germans
With here and there Il real Frenchman. The
Of black boys, for tho places are desirable, and
when the walters ara once III them they are glad
to stay. The duties Of waiter at the restaurants
are more arduous, and, therefore, changes are
more frequent. The Intervention Of the 1ntelli-
gence Office is only asked BY hotels and restau-:
rants when they want scrubbing girls. or pantry
girls. A really excellent servant rarely seeks q
situation at IN intelligence office, and is rarely
sought for by ahousekeeper at one. The 6her-
man House employs about 60 servants Of all
Gardner House about the same number, and
the other places in proportion. The hotels
and restaurants of the city give employment to
about 600 servants Of the various grades Of
1AUOI 4uS3 uuf 70 W uC llluGR6A A6CICCL1y Qf
some juacious person. Wheh this is done there
is little difficulty in retaining them, or extract
ing from them the maximum Of work.
HOW SERVANTS ARE TREATED.
The servant girl is treated personally with
more or less kindness by the MISTRESS But lit
tic is thought Of her comfort or convenience. She
is sent to the attic or the basement to sleep in
room scantily furnished, and destitute OF fire.
Bridget reeds her prayer-book before retiring,
sitting in bottonless chair, and kneels ut her
floor. The luxury Of 4 bean ia denied her.
The mistress froWnB upon the company Of all
her servants and resents their presence as an
intrusion. She orders the dininS~room to be
closed at Q certain hour, forcing the domestics
into the kitchen. Even in this remote retreat,
fires and lights must be out ut q very early hour,
and there is no retreat but the garrct. The
home feeling is, and must be-, with such man
agoment, stranger to the breast of the sor-
want girl. a characteristic anecdote is told of
the 1ato Mira. Robert Laird Collier. Not long
before her death she WAS showing some friends
through the various rooms Of her pretty resi-
dence. Everything was in perfect order, and
much admired, but there WAS an even elegance
throughout that excited some surprise. "But
where are your. seryants' apartments :"
have just left them," she replied
quietly. 'But these rooms are good enoushfor
any guests: " the lady. said, in some astonisll-
ment" land why should they not bo:" re-
thoughtful regard to the convenience Of others.
and WAS key to her whole character. We see I
no solution for the domestic problem but better
wages, and moro adectionate caro- Of servants, |
and regard for their welfare.
THE WAGES OF HELP
Of various kinds is appended. The sum varies |
slightly from various contingencies which it is
not necessary to specify.
First class hotel and restaurant cooks per week
Fra Glass Jornost;..