The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-09-14
DOMESTIC sERyICE--ONE VIEW.
BY R. d. BLAIDsDELL.


"Well, Mrs. Henry, I intended to stay
if possible, but as 1 am not giantess in
strength, nor an angel in temper, four
weeks tired me out, and l had to come
home"
"Why? Was there much work? There
are only five in the family, and I've often
heard her say that her work was not
hard"
well, hard or not, she takes good
care not to do it herself very long. She
was all tired out just doing it one week
hired her washing and ironing done, too,
and didn't half do the rest of it. She
didn't go to the neighbors for water as I
had to either"
"Why surely they have we'll"
ooh yes, but the children poked peb-
bles in the pump so it would not work,
and had to carry water from down the
street. Mary Rice said the pump was
taken up and fixed as soon as left"
"But why did they not do that at
frst?"
"Well, suppose because no one was
Inconvenience except the hired girl,
and few steps more or less for her was
nothing to them"
"But didn't that oldest boy help you
anyg' ,..,, Co.,,
getting pail of water, or doing anything
else useful. He was not too good, though,
to throw it on Willie or the dog, after /
had brought it"
IT should not think Mrs. Briggs would
let him do so.'
"WelI, she lets them all do pretty
much as they please, Just so they do not
trouble her. She was always sending
them into the kitchen to play, and no
matter how hurried was I would have
to see after them"
"That would have made me awful
nervous"
"Well, Mrs. Henry, if should marry
Q rich man, suppose l might have as
many nerves as any woman land even
Mrs. Briggs would not dispute it), lut
hired girls are not supposed to have any.
Their mother could not endure their
noise on the carpet floors. but she would
send them into the kitchen to race
around, and Jump off the chairs and
tables on to the bare floor, and it was
never supposed to jar on my nerves
whether was sick or we'll. And if they
chose to tease me by putting sticks into
the tea kettle, or any other naughty
tricks, they did so, and if told Mrs.
Briggs about it could see that she did
not believe word of it, and she would
only say, Nancy, I wish you would not
find 80 much fault with the children. 1t
annoys me very much, and then they
would act worse than ever. was so
nervous I did not know what to do when
those boys were in the kitchen. Once l
came near cutting Willie's fingers off.
/ was cutting dried beef and he snatched
Q piece right from under the knife.
Once he pulled q pot of boiling sauce
off the stove, end it was the greatest
wonder in the world he was not
scalded. 1 almost wished he had been
burned little, so that she would have
kept him ont of the kitchen. She said
was very careless to let him touch the
sauce, Just as if could do my work
when he was going from one thing to
another as fast as he could run. If
she had a toothache, or got nervous, the
children must be amused in the kitchen,
and many time my head ached as hard as
hers possibly could, but ! was only the
hired girl, and she was bound to get all
she could out of me. If she had used
me decently I would have stayed all
summer, for 1 could have done the
kitchen work very we'll, but she had no
mercy at all. She would call me from
the wash-tub, or the ironing-board, or
when was hurried with the dinner, to
change Willie's apron, or wash his face,
or perhaps it would be to look in the
weeds for Guys ball, or to pull his vet
boots off AMI get him dry socks. because
he was sure to come in with wet feet if
there was mud puddle to be found. 1t
always made me so mad to have to wait
on that great lazy scamp just IS if he was
. baby, but she didn't seem to think of
teaching any of them to wait upon them
selves"
''But you had time to sit down and
rest afternoons"
mo. hardly had . minute for my
own until they were all in bed. After
dinner must get through with my work
20 that could take care Of Harry if
callers came. or perhaps she would go
calling and would have to take care of
him ell the afternoon. II changed my
dress, thinking that could cit down an
hour or so, she would always think of
something she wanted done, and say /
had better do it right away for fear for
got il, although could often have done
il the next morning Just - we'll. Her
hired girl has to go from morning until
night. Just as if she vas machine, and
You know that is pretty hard for Amsri-
r~.~Ia We kspo5 Al.