, 1873-12-06

Tho UOmcsttc-acrvnfat Question.
tro" he Golden Age.
No ono OF tllo many questions rotating to thu
domshtla economy Of American households IL
more porroxfug than tint OF tho Haryants, ,--autl
1t In as Inevitable M 1t Ia embarrassing.
Every liousokoopor knows tItat tho poncs and
comfort Of llor family ID almost onti:o]y dcpnn-
dent OIL ttiu condition OF lter Kitchen II tllo
lower stratum OF tho domestic world ls III ptato
Of co'vulsion and earthquake, thls uplcayat
alfectB tho wllolo household, ami throwa 1t into
miserable confusion.
But throughout tho country. and particularly
IN tho family districts of Now England, Il, o
question has not boon how boBk to Hcollro calm
md quiet In tho Kitchen 1t Inns boen rntlor
how to socuro any auson thoro at all. 1t iB al
most Impossible to obtain any domestic service
III those ,leghborlooss, and many n wifo of 4
well-to-do farmer or thriving merchant in that
aoctlon III broken down premat,irolY In Aonlth
Antl spirits from sheer hard work; work from
which lor husband would Claly hayc rolluvot
her. lad 1t been possible to i.re my ONO to holp
her II. llor weary aud u!'rasuring household
tashB. But notthor loyo nor money will induce
ANY women-servants TO nharo her labors.
Tho Irish nro gregarious, and throng 10 tho
citlos, whore thoy can indulge tilois Boctal iu-
stinc!s by frequent ysitinys Of their friends aud
their religious forvors by frequent church,
goingB. Nogroos hayo boon tried, since tho war,
but found wanting, ami tho importation of
6we;oB, Which wus at QUO ti,no quite cxlo,a-
sivcly Attempted IN Now England by CON-
pnny, has not boon 30 successful in ts results
to bc regarded with any gront favor. AS to
used to he known ~ ''nelps," Il uamo Which was
appropriate. in spite ct tho fun which our
Dltish cousins mato OF ua for Bpoaling OF tholn
III this n-Europcau fasllon;-tney have parsed
out Of existence, and tho appcllaton las diol
out with tno,n.
j., lu tho days Of our great-grandmother
helps wero numerous. and ovon In our grand
mothura' limo tloy wero still frequent iu Amer-
can Iosacs. Taoy were not servants. IL tho
tocllnical sonso Of tllat void tI!oy zero goncra-
ly thu suporAbundaEt daughter OF neignboriug
fam.y, who not bcttiS ncodcl III their own
homes. canso at tile request Ut \ neighbour, WHO
had no S,rls, to aid tAu oYetburdeuad wifo u her
donentio tutlcU.
Togc:aor the nistrcss Of this house and hcr
noigLborly assinsant baked, washed. swept, Or
ncwed; they ato at tho sanle tahlo, went to tia
aame church, vlstcu the same parties, aud were
really on social equality; tneso holps often
wont ro assist in The aousowork aud IL tley rs-
naatned single thoy fioqnontly lived till old ago
III tiieke honlcH, in all whose interests they
shared III completely Us IT they ha1 boen really,
anu not merely adopted naebcra Of tho family.
But Ill tlleso days, tao New England girls who
llnve their own why tu mako il, tAe world To not
outer domestic service they 70 to facturies or
toIch school, Or crowd to The CT ic3 to servo Us
alop gl:'s. OF to loaru drossmaklug or milltuory.
Iloy prefer nnything to hous, work.
III spite OF lilo pictures which Mrs. Whitney.
altss Alcott, and AlrE. Dlaz ilaso recently given
III thcir boots Of bright young Now England
glrls WHO, wAlo porree1ly coalpelont to oulcrtaiu
lady's guests, arc yot contont to eorvo AZ wait.
TJf1tA
kltchcna, aud whllo would gladly bniiove that
thoso pleasant portraits vera true L must reuc.
tantly confess taat foar, il they aro drawn from
tile lifo. sucl instances nro few aud fur botwocn.
They aro tho worry idaal Of hand-inaido.ia they
have sonse enough to bc co'npanonablo, quicIi-
ucss mud tact enough neyer to intrulo, srll-ro-
nlccs enough 10 keep thoir place, and mover fool
hun1!iatca by It's fcw deygoea irfuriority in the
thoir nistross' l;iuduess, aud to return lor il
gonnlne affection md devotion to her interests
in fact, one sucl servant IN household wouli
bottor deserve Afr. Martin Farqunar Tupper's
description. ~ wol-spring Of happiness, y than
Mrs Whitney, MlAs Alcott aud Airs. Daz rep
roseut Now England rs Tie habitat Of tliH most
desirable class II servants mud yet, OF Into. the
D9aton papers have been full Of fottors froa,
m.stroBsos who complain Of their servants il,
very much tho same way that 1nistreHacs do TO
other parts Of our country; and tho servants
bayo reto1tod in lottors, evidently gonulno, with
tt~rx ,,1..f,. ~ &f,z
10 ,1l;a 1issot eulupsa.nso VI 'no't ullssloss9s.
I'M n,on;o sxn, " 10 t @ .nas
~ rn1o,a .,;a.tne "en ~ ~ u. ~ oo
~, oro,, -, III ~ Mo au sG,sas e1-
40 ,sa' y osun ~ w. .e; nusun ~ ~ Now Lnsiana
,s f,r as 3n stio noaco Ie - cnncsraan roy
hosto aatitud nf nstrcss 40 on ,t sns
~ nn.a ti,;S ~ ti,;a, ana w.; ~ ~"
W ~ ;s,saa rnis seaso u .uSa - lno problem.
r mIn - tan ~ as, n, ~ ~ ~ To- as mac
tue servant IL resolved to do just as little she
s,a ss'i IL az r;a; Ne.g H.. ptaeo'
~ w aau snas ~ 10y w 10 oe
'no ~ ssat. y, n - ~ a1aot WV AAtcon.
;1,o ',. 10 ~ ~ any te'eI M ~ uo
tnea.t a n'a.'a'I @ ~ nns. noSn wlta TO netser
Eau9"1ou @ anu p0t u lno aouso-
Hoaa,Iino ~, lsas ns.st'css s's.,'
wy Amerlcaa glfls gonetallY marry young anu
,n y. ulter 'shoia1ce a. o.! nonheEeephs uut!os;
~ ~ sena 'a;a .en1 ~ Mnata ;ney 5to tAaoa
Tua.o tu 70 o.i ~ 20 VIII stMuleb "Aen
rs lucy uies @ 'eco ~ 7enooa no"In. !1eir teaoa
s,n n.s ..,un ~ Psepate .1eir lossonb ~
@ ons ~ s,,a,. ~ nau1'ton ~ tnls,