St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-12-27
Treatment of Servants.

Treat your servants with confidence
and consideration, and do not suspect
them of doing wrong. They must be
trusted more or less by the whole
household, and trust, in most cases, be-
gets il sense of responsibility. Require
careful performance of their duties,
strict obedience to your orders, tidiness
and cleanliness in their persons, le-
spectful manners and willing service,
and make them understand how much
their good conduct adds to the comfort
of the whole household. They must
have time to do their washing and keep
their clothes i'll order, or they cannot
be clean and tidy. Treat them with
kindness, but never with familiarity.
Don't ask unnecessary questions. If
they are sad and moody, take no further
notice of it, than to suggest (if prac-
ticable), that the usual holiday hours
should he taken on that day, rather
tnan on the one appropriated to them.
Without wholesome intervals of amuse-
ment, uninterrupted work becomes i'll
tolerable. If they are ill, take the best
care of them. Allow them to see their
friends i'll the evening, not in the day
time, for it interrupts work. If you
deny them the privilege of companion-
ship, you establish an unnatural con-
dition, which is a premium for deceit
and worse than deceit. Servants will
have friends, even lovers. Do not
compel them to hide in areas, or to
make appointments, but let everything
be honest and abOveboard. There are
and must he differences in the modes of
pleasure and enjoyment, and in the
qualification of wants and wishes, but
there is IL common womanhOod. Let
us remember this gratefully and feel
how much it is in the power of every
mistress of IL household to elevate those
she employs.
The habit of breaking up households
every SIX or eight months, when fami-
lies go to the country, is much against
the improvement of servants and their
desire to do their duty. Too many
servants is Il greater evil than too few,
They had better be fully employed
than not have enough to do.
Let your servants look for your pres
ence as an aid and assistance toward
seeing their work more clearly. Never
lose your temper with servant. If
she cannot he reasonably dealt with,
dismiss her. But, with proper precau-
ton, you are not likely to engage such
a person.
Appoint a time for the holiday OF
each servant, and, if possible, do not
allow arrangements to interfere with
this appropriated time. If necessary
to defer it, have no question about it.
| have never known an instance of un
willing assent. "Good mistresses make
good servants" is an old adage and
usually true. Servants are influenced
by example. If they see that youI
conduct is governed by principle they
will respect you. If they see that youl
temper is well regulated, and that you
desire to do your duty to them, while
you expect steady performance OF
their duty to you, their respect will be
mingled with affection, and a desire to
deserve your favor.
A good and faithful servant may be
one of the best friends of Il family. In
sickness, her services are sometimes in
valuable. | have known, personally
three instances of devotion in servants
rarely equaled by friend or relation out
of the immediate family From "Hints
to Young Housekeepers, in Scribner 10,
,JUnu0rm