Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-08-29
Servant Girls.

; chances are about ten thousand to one that h.
will get himself into trouble. ''Aly dear sal,
the head of an ur town family . few days since
| cannot sec Why you rer5:s: in keeping tina
cook any longer; the coffee is always cod, and
the bctlstcak il always burnt to . crisp; why
don't you send her a%ay and get another
Now this seems 10 be The most reasonable rc
quest imaginable, and IT Is sale to say that If
Ono of the partners OF 4 mercantile cOncern
could bring charges rt So serious nature
against any one in the cmpny of The house thai
his partncr or partners would al once c1G>t -
to the dismissal Of the incompetent employee.
But bless you in matrimonial partnerships
things are very different II the nomiual heat
Of the house hints at the discharge Of servant
upon any prctcnce whatever. there is such q
storm raj !cd about his ears for daring TO inter.
icre in the domestic economy OF the establish
meut that he is only too glad to swallow his
cold coffee and burnt beeistcak and say no mora
about it for the sake Of peace in the family.
With the view Of learning something about
the servant gill problem, a reporter OF The
| North American called yesterday upon the
mistress OF one OF the llGcS! residences Oh
Walnut street. The lady received the scribe
| In her most courteous manner, and in the
course of m hours conversation, important
| lDIOTlllhllOU upou pSip'cAiuS uuSotioh "ho
| cleaned. Of the different naI0nallIes OF ser
want girls, the Danish and Norwegian are to be
preferred. These girls arc generally neat, clean
| y and respectful, although seldom proficient
| when they first arrive in the country. Where
| pains are taken TO teach them, they appreciate
! tho kindness and hold their places longer than
| almost any other nationality. There seems to
| be widespread antpahy against Irish .(a,h
| ollcs, nevertheless there arc lew experienced
housckeepers who prefer them above all hthers
| provided they are what they profess to lie aud
are steady church going girls. The ladY w'th
whom the reporter vas cinqeislDg said that her
friend Mrs A., Of Arch street, who was an es
| perlenccd and carelut hous>kecpcr, lhVa'labY
| employed Catholic glriS, ahd Wou!l liV: 20
other. For her own part she did not believe
| that she would ever nmpry an lll3h glrl aeatr,
the last one that H;c had asked Tor lateh Key
| and Insisted npou ha'lD= one; oi course
refused to aIlo" her to have the Key Said lha
| lady no experienced hnn;rAeorer I9 wI!!iog to
grant such request unI'r any pretenc'; but
during my absence me ilnreri'pent ihiaE s'nl
| for !orksmith and hAd a Key hl!eu |" ths
lock. dd not observer II Tor some t'hi"; aad
when did had 1t oui scnt hrf oil. mere
| are !nany 1am,lcs Where servants rcu:a'n '"r
| long tlmo and there never sacAs 10 Dc Guy
| trouble concern'ng thrin. hiS IL par''; 20 p1
accounted Tor ny the la&t that 'am'l'es become
accustomed to their servants ana lmag!nc thst
| no one can DO the Work IN SO satisfactory man
ncr. Many man praises ln9 way 'ha' mo'h'
cr used to make coffee, ahd honesty pe'cPe3
that no ono else in the world couIA do as well,
when if the truth were knoWn It would be seer
| that "mother's way was very poor way.
For twenty years "Od Aunt Jane had beer
| The cook in highly respected family on Wal
nut street, but she began to get Old and feeble
| and her mistress was Obliged to part With her,
| thinking that she would never get az competent
| g cook to fill her place, but the very rst COOK
| that stepped into Old Aunt James SHOES hat
| no trouble in provcg to her mistress that Aunt
| Janc was poor hand and that Tor at least ten
wears there had been no good cooking done IN
| that Kitchen. 1t is almost universal custom
| - Gomand rrfcrcncas from servants before they
| 49, oJ,,;ttoI into Tho f,mi]v and many an
arc "!lo'''ou ,H.o ;s.Lt ~ ,oli ~ ,ho v,icr
! amusing anecdotc might DC tolu OF INC u'Icr
worthlessness of the so called recommendations
| 10 one instance lady vas pleased with the ap'
| pearanco OF woman "Ho SPP'.'u 'Hi o''u" u,
| ton, but as Shc c0uiu give no relcreHcc iHe
lady refused 70 employ net. Ihep' Win pc
coming gravity, Bridget asned lOr peu Ink ard
| papcr and deliberately wrote a Recommendation
Of herself, signing it with the name oil a lady who
1 i1uoc | Germantown.
,o, ""' unrn ononod and chr cmnlovcd the witty
GgIa mG.o o,,,";,,J y-,h bnr so vor,I vcar.
l1lOcrnlan VINO leiDa'ncu VIII Hc' scY'iH' S.".''
| proving faithful servant hec0mlncnu"I'onSe
arc sometimes given merely Tor the purpose OF
| smoothing over the uoplcasanncss arising from
| 10 dc ,haroo of q servant hlanv mistress Is
~, u's iear of her cook and it does NOT take
~ llot.al I." ot ~ ~ "a :, nnt o;,hnr Thcn
| q tcrmagant looH " ndo II ou' c'v"c' r,,, rsn.
that suprcmely ridiculous cdict goes lortn iron,
the queen of the kettles and pots that, " ulnt
| ~ roip' to hcy uo one bothcrin' in me kich
an > and madame is actually forbidden CT
t.a,o, tn' ~ roor, il her own house. When
uru'I " =; .o,,boJ = "a not Iono hc
this state OF alllirs IS leac1c! u - not ,ops s
lore tue STORM Du.5'S, aou II 10 u'e ,Lo haW
cook must 20. Nlauahc IS more lha" nnJ
afraid Of tho muscular, red laced Woman a;ynn
to modify her wrath rocommc ndat'"n - " al.
In ono instance it Is s!ated' uron n Lac sG been
| thority that cnalnDerma!d "ho ,hroo,onaI
detected in purloining house Iron tnres.oneu ii
TO pose family scand Al if she %nS a
without recommendations ShaIuU 'na aUd noMson
she was in tho power OF tho Sr'sr % a"u III n;th;r
ed The girl Obtained T't ,, a,'3;rn c so"nJoi