The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-03-03
The Serving Maid.

A most important character in the
composition of most novels is the serv-
ing maid She is the master of dialect,
whether Yankee, Dutch, or Hiberian,
her witticisms, unconscious or deep laid,
her faithfulnees to the children in their
mischief, or the heads of the house in
their trouble, and her usefulness in her
station, make her position one to be en-
We'd. Nor is the picture of this benifi-
cent being necessarily an exaggeration.
Real life until lately furnished the
basis for them. Every one can recall
some visit to a house, either in city or
| country, where Bridget or Mary Jane oc-
cupied place Of honor. She was cook
or maid of all work. She had been IN the
family for generation. She was capt.
talist in small way, had a snug sum
laid up against rainy day, about which
she had frequent consultations with her
master, She was comfortably housed,
on Sundays went to morning service
more gorgeously arrayed than the Queen
of Sheba, had time for reading or mild
gossip with her fellows, could shelter
her nieces or her nieces' children and in
fact was mighty power for good.to her
whole neighborhood.
Changed is the thing in most house
holds to-day. A new ''girP' every week
or two untidy, slatternly, wastful, false,
lying, thieving, determined to do the
least work for the highest wages, break
ing dishes recklessly, feeding her poor
relations surreptitiously, taking advan-
tage of domestic crises to seek green
fields and pastures new, and causing
weary housewives to wish they had never
been born. The picture is dark and
doleful, but none the less true. Why
should capable American girls who could
earn good wages, be treated decently,
live respectfully and be worth something,
choose to stand all day in heated stores
or slave in mills, when, by looking reali-
ties square in the face-for instance be-
coming cooks or second girls in respecta-
BILE familes-they might be more useful
to the world, live happier lives and run
much less chance of shipwreck.
One or two girls who sincerely desired
to do this could scarcely turn the tide in
favor of this much-neglected occupation.
but if several hundred should unite to
bring it about places would be found for
every one; for no other walk in life is so
glaringly underflled, or filled with such
disreputable characters. Would not this
be worth trying? Decent families would
welcome such change, and the influx
of good blood would soon raise servant
girlism to responsibility. Until recently
Philadelphia had supply, such as it
was, of serving maids imported from
Ireland London, Germany or elsewhere;
the market may be said to have been
glutted. At the present time there is an
absolute dearth of girls of any kind, and
the housekeeper may tear her hair in vain
hope of relief The West, the North,
the South may be well supplied, but not
Philadelphia. 1t would seem, therefore,
a favorable opportunity to institute such
a project as here suggested, and there
are enough good families in this city to
welcome with open arms a thousand
serving maids, who would find comforta-
BILE quarters, good wages, and kind treat
ment Thus the whole status of the
city would be changed for the better and
a most trying question would be satisfac
| torily settled.-Phildtlelphid Times.