The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-12-08
English Servants.

English Servants.
Two old classmates meeting in New
York, one inquired of the other about .
mutual friend. What has become of
X? 1 heard he had married rich
wife" Eyes, and the last time saw
him he was keeping negro boarding.
house on the Fifth Avenue" This was
apleasant sarcasm at ks extrava-
gance in having five or six colored SER
wants. In England the intended irony
would have no force. Mr.. Richard
Grant White tells us that in the ..great
houses" which he visited, and he did
not see the greatest establishments,
there are between twenty-five and
thirty servants. These are employed
inside the house, while outside, that is.
in the stables, the gardens and the
grounds, there are nearly as many
more.
One cause for boarding and lodging
such servile corps, is that the rule in
those houses is: "a place for every
servant and every servant in his place"
SO we'll defined is each servants duty,
that he knows just what pertains to his
place, and is very punctilious about do
ing nothing that does not belong to it.
This rule, has, however, its inconve-
niences which have introduced a new
functionary called the ''old man." His
duty is to do whatever it is no other
servants duty to do; that is, everything
and anything ordered.
The service, judging from Mr.. White 8
experience, is simply perfect. When
invited to great house he was told that
carriage would meet him at the sta
ton ON the arrival of a certain train.
He hardly left the train when a very re-
spectable-looking person, not a foot
man. stepped up and said:
Lord - carriage is waiting for
you, SIR"
On arriving at the house he was met
at the door by a dignified person in
black, and asked if he would 60 up to
Lady IS room. She received him
warmly, and offered him tea from a
tiny table at her side.
Mr.. White was shown to his room by
the host. As soon as he had left, a
very tine-mannered person, in dress
coat and a white tie, appeared and
asked him for the keys of his trunk.
He did everything for the guest, except
to wash his face and hands and put on
his clothes. He laid out everything in
q row, opened and laid out his dressing
case, and actually turned his stockings.
When Mr. White returned to his
room for the night, he found his trunk
unracked and his clothes put into the
wardrobe and drawers. Everything
was arranged as if he were going to
stay a month, instead of two days. His
morning dress had been taken away to
be carefully brushed, and if found nee
essary. put in order otherwise. In the
morning the same servant came, opened
the window, drew the bed-curtains, pre-
pared the bath, laid out the things,
turned the stockings and did verything
but battle and dress him.
Large as was the retinue of servants
in this house, they kept out of the way,
except when their services were needed.
MIR. White says he rarely saw servant,
except at dinner and when he dressed
in the morning and in the evening. But
the instant he rung for one he appeared,
A Well Dressed Young Man.
The boy peddler, with twenty-nine
fine suits of clothing, twenty-four over
coats and thirty-three pairs of kid
gloves, has his home in Reading, Pa.
Periodically the boy breaks out in local
advertisements announcing an addition
to his extensive wardrobe, as follows:
Thomas Jefferson Cummings has the
honor to announce that he has just
added another suit to his fall afternoon
wear, and now his fine wardrobe con-
sists of forty fashionable full suits,
twenty-four overcoats," etc. 1t is his
boast that ne can appear on the street
every day in the month and wear a
different full suit of clothing each day,
and allow at least three changes on
Sunday. Cummings is about eighteen
years of age, peddles notions with a
basket on his arm, helps to support a
widowed mother, pays cash for all he
gets, sells close. works hard, and is o
standing candidate for Congress.
On the streets of the city his appear
ance is that of Beau Brummel. His
dress is exceedingly loud, his weakness
running to green kid gloves, corn-col-
ored ribbons, pink eyeglasses and silk
hats of the latest style. In the coun-
try. on business, his appearance is that
of humble, meek and lowly Hebrew,
and his customary salutation to the peo-
pie he calls on is: 'sHave pity on q
poor boy and help him along" The
young man is exceedingly kind, affable
and agreeable, and succeeds in selling
large quantities Of goods at very fair
prices. The farmers have a strong lik-
ing for him: and when they visit Read
ing on business and see the well dressed
young swell sweeping past in broad
cloth, kids and gold headed cane, they
little dream that the young man is
the peddler boy they know 50 well at
home.
His savings are entirely invested in
clothing and articles of adornment. At
times is not seen for weeks. He is then
out on the country highways, coming
money in a small way. He neither
smokes nor drinks, and has no expenses
worth speaking of. Then, suddenly, he
will break out in Reading, set the fash
ions for a week or more, and as sud-
denly afterward disappear. He gener-
ally leaves home on Monday morning.
invariably starting before dawn, in
order that his acquaintances may not
see him in his country make up. He
carries large basket filed with goods,
and he orders his fresh supplies shipped
to various points along his route. On
Saturday night he generally returns,
looking decidedly weather beaten, but
it there is an opera or theater in town
he is generally in the front row of the
parquet by nine O clock, dressed to rival
the most fashionable swell in the land.
He is quite q favorite among CONNER
cial men. who know him as collins,
the boy millionaire It is currently
reported that he is to be married, and