The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-09-14

large, but when it came to being called
away twenty times day to hold the
baby, or to run up stairs for Willie's top.
or to look for Guys books, or find his
cap, or to do any of forty other things
that they might more easily have done
for themselves, it was too much alto
gether. l wish you could have seen my
bed The tick must have served seven
generations, for it let the straw out every
time touched it. There was couple
of ragged sheets, with a quilt to match
them, and hair pillow that was 80 fiat
it always reminded me of pancake, and
many night had to get up and put
the Stats in, for they we're always falling
out. If ever have hired girls, they
shall af least have decent beds to sleep
in"
"WelI, I never, Nancy! I thought
Mrs. Briggs was one of the very incest of
women"
"Oh yes, in company she is so sweet
and so good. She made great ado
about Mr.. More driving q lame horse,
but for two weeks was so lame could
hardly walk, yet she had no sympathy
for me. 1t was run up stairs for this,
and go down cellar for that, and draw
the baby up and down the walk until he
goes to Sleep until would be ready to
rop."
did you tell her how lame you were?"
"Oh, yes, and she said, You are not
used to work, I suppose: You will get
over it, 1 presume, if you work out
long. I guess you had better go down
to Mrs. Potter's now, and see if she has
any more chickens for us. You will
have about time before tea But, said
1, 1T is so warm now, had l not better
wait until after tea? It will be so much
cooler, then
"'No, shall want to walk out myself
then, and you will have to stay with the
children, she said sharply. Iheard her
telling Mrs. Glass that she never lis
tened to hired girls complaints. She
wanted them to do the work or leave,
and as did not propose to work that
way all summer 1 left. There has been
much said of late about domestic SER
vice being easier and more healthful
than sewing, but service at Mr.. Brlgs'
would break down the best of us in less
than three months. The idea of being
obliged to wash on Monday, sick or well,
Just as if the world might come to an
end if the clothes were not ironed and
folded ct a certain time. You may
preach house work hard as you please,
but if Mrs. Briggs is sample of mis-
tresses shall have to sew for my living;
although I knew that l could do her
work very we'll if she would let me use
some reason about it, and not keep me
waiting on the children half the time.
Mr. Briggs said was the most economi-
cal girl he had had for long time, and
he was sorry to have me go away. Now
she is having q dreadful tim with girl
Just from old Ireland 1t serves her
right too, for she will not appreciate good
help when she has it. She will not get q
girl from this place, either, while we can
earn enough to keep us in calico dresses
and sunbonnets by sewing. Why, just
think of living month after month in a
house where no one cares whether you
are sick or we'll, happy or miserable. as
long as you do their work. 1t is enough
to drive any one insane. The faithful
ness of the old time servants is favorite
theme with mistresses, but guess there
is as much difference in mistresses as
maids. They make a great cutlery about
the ignorance of hired girls, and their
WdStciulucSS, Out WIZ 10 willing W PoJ
for good girls, and, what is much more,
use them we'll when they get them?
There are dozen girls here who would
rather do house work than to sew or go
into the factory. Their parents are
respectable people, and the girls have
been to school and church and Sabbath
school, year after year. Their mothers
have trained them in housekeeping, and
habits of economy. They are quite as
well bred as half the women who keep
hired girls, and if mistresses would treat
them kindly, and have little sympathy
for their trials, and make their work easy
as they could, iust as if they had to
do it themselves, you know fancy they
would be as faithful to their duties as the
old time servitor; but they will not work
where they are treated like outcasts, or
creatures without sensibility or souls,
and so the field is left for ignorant, super
stitious girls, who are often from the
very lowest class of people. They will
yet learn that it is not we'll to trust their
cooking and their children to the tender
mercies of these irresponsible girls, and
be willing to be less exacting and more
Christisnlike toward their own country
women"