The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1877-11-29
English DOmesticS.

Olive Logan writes some gossip from
London about English servant girls an
their ways, which may be interestin!
to suffering housekeepers on this side o
the water. Ladies in England, she says
have found that when the work in thei
houses is such that assistance must bt
had, it is better to keep IAN "under-ser
want" for the cook Ga position even less
exalted than the "scullery-maid" in this
complex system of domestic gradations.
than to have q charwoman come occa
sonally. We have no special name Tor
the "charwoman" in America, unless ii
be tho generic term, ga woman" or, TO
be Victor Hugoish, the woman who
cleans, Char pronounced chair is simp-
ly the old fashioned word still popular
in New England, chore, aud the charwo-
man is merely the woman who does
chores. English ladies say she does
other and moro Objectionable things.
She drinks, for instance, and finds it nee
essary to bring basket with her, which,
they think, would be found to be more
weighty leaving Off the matter were
tested than it is when she arrives. An
other favorite plan for tightening labor,
even with families who are in moderate
circumstances, is to keep Buttons" a
useful little urchin, who is forced TO
make himself respectable in appearance
by wearing livery provided for him,
the distinguishing feature of which is its
lavishness in the way OF buttons. This
boy is expected to do anything and
every thing-to clean boots, fetch coal,
run errands, open the door, assist in
waiting at the table, rub up knives and
silver; in short. to be at the beck and
call of everybody in the house for each
and every duty. He may be called a
sort of light brigade or sharp shooter
on the outposts between the heavy cay
airy in the kitchen in the shape of cook,
and the solid infantry which moves with
regular step through the households set
round OF duties. And whenever the
wheels of a household in England are
found to creak, additional help in the
shape of underservants is engaged, the
matter of the efficiency of the upper
servants being of course first satisfactory
Iy settled. Here is the very kernel of
the nut Of the question this 1t is which
makes Gall the difference" between the
management of a house say in New
York and "a similar one in London. A
family without children, occupying a
brown-stone front in New York, will
consider that two servants should DO all
the work of the household, and do 1t
well. | am not speaking Of people who
live on the "swell" avenues and keep
carriages or give frequent balls and par
ties; L mean unpretending people who
own or rent nice three or four-story |
house, and want TO live with ontire COM
fort and freedom from rows or disputes
with servants, and expect to be well
waited on. They engage cook and
chambermaid-the chambermaid TO act
also as waitress, both to act as laun-
dresses. High wages are given, and
when the work is done satisfactorily
more money is offered as bride, or else
here are disagreeable scenes, ending
with the lady saying holly, "Well, if
you can't do my work, III find some one
Else who can" But she is mistaken.
She will never find two women who can
,ook, wash, iron, clean, dust, wait at ia
Die, and do the work generally of
hree or four-story house rs is should be
lone. In a household of that impor.
ance in England, there would DO hired,
It the least, cook and under-servant,
and buttons, and all the laun.
Try work put out.