The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-12-28
George E,,os on servants.

George EiiOt on servants.
Fl ,nl the Pal Mait u lsAtr.
Some eighteen years ago we published
in this journal an article by the late
George Eliot on servants logic, which,
it it had appeared under her name,
would have received much moro notes
thar that which was actu lily accorded
it. Nor did many people know at the
time that the foremo Of female novel
lists was among the contributors to this
journal. The article, although, perhaps.
not in George Ei,ot's best style. is never.
the!ess sufficiently characteristic to in.
,luce US TO reproduce 1t in our columns
to day. After describing the dismav
with which hostess discovers that the
fain load friends plate have beem
served with their beard. on and the
troubles of a dyspeptic Psychologist with
weakness for spinach who has vainlv
endeavored to impress on the cook the
importance Of thoroughly equeezin,
green vegetables. the writer proceeds:
Again, you desire sopp, but desire il
without fat. You are perhaps . genius;
the world Is in need of your nov poem;
or you are evolving inomentous the
DRY, and the evolution of fatty acids
within you is Q serious impeachment.
yonr mental activity IS reduced to the
consciousness that interesting facts in
animal chemistry are going ON within
you; you begin to think yon can serve
mankind only by leaving your body for
dissection. At length you ask your wife.
with hardly suppressed peevishness,
and unusual emphasis on "My DEAR" to
inquire into the making Of the soup.
Your wife. Who is rather frigh ened at
the cook. tells her that Mr.. Qusasv, In
spite Of his orders, discerned fatty pr
ticles in his soup Yesterday. "It's a
for ski,nming and everything-there's
me your cold stock" EXT SALLY. RI.
turning with vessel in one hand and \
spoon In tse other. There ia q white
film OF fat over the surface Of the stock.
''Sce. now, Saliy, there is fat" ala.
mum" says Sally. plunging her spoon III
and turning up the jeliied soup from be.
meath as gardner turns tho soil when
be is diRginy for the roots. the cold fatty
getting underneath in the process
that's nothing; besides take nv SCUM
from under and take the fat off with =
spoon" (The spoon itself il
studded plenteousiy with frag.
ments Of cold fat) "But unless YOU
wash your spoon each time you dip it
there will be fat, and however little MI.
Qneasy suffersirOm 1t. Besi,ies"-(M Mrs.
y. here exerts all her courage)-it be.
longs to good cook to send up her SOUP
free from + t." Sally smiles bitterly.
fla mum, do you think when I WIS at
/ MN ok,nvv, 20 ou.l &l,z,o 500.
all sorts coming to the house, as [ could
Lave give that sa.is,sction-and Scotch
people wanting things you might think
no Christain 'ud touch-and Mr. T0oIey.
the gentleman with the wooden ,ev.
praisiDg my soup. and saying he never
lasted bet or? Buttilers's stO na,:hs will
not stand soup, and that's where It is."
Here Sally shakes her head and signs.
% IL her wont when she il seeing deep.
" into the cause of th,ngs.) And US
I've Sail to jane many aud many's the
time, ii gentle folks constitutions are of
that sort, it's 10 wonder what comes. I
sail 20 only. yesterday, when | vas
draining the rice. AMI the cut eating the
white sauce all tue while, au'l inc MT
1h0wtnG. It's true what speHk-every
word" Here salty sets down the vessel
OF stock empl,ati,:.l'y, and tapping the
t.suSo.uS VI ~ WIN ucI uukeg'cWIhs lOOkb
hard ont Of the window. Mrs. Greasy is
non. pi,l.sed. l, she says more Sally viii
give warning; che draws her dress round
iier crinoline, and rustles up stairs
again.
Servants are rich in intuitions. They
have vast numbers Of certainties which
are dep by r.ason Of their groundiess.
ness. The postman brings letter tot
Maria; she was sure he would, she didn't
knO from whom it wOull come, and il
you were TO knock her down she couldn't
tell you why. but this morning when
she got out of bed, and drew IN the
nlina and saw the wind blowing thu
leaves about. she seemed to see the post
nan coming with the letter in his hand,
YoLmake great mistake X you suggest
certain conditions which might have
given rise to the expectation. She ~.
jects such low. m,nted analysis of her
certainty. No; there was - reason why
she should expect letter this morning
more tn IN any other; but 30 it was
the dist. cover fell and got bruised; she
had said at breakfast something would
happen that day, she knew But as to
your certainties, for which you aiiege
arguments. the same Maria. c. INSIDERS
them offensive unless they are to be
overcome by her assertion. Ifyou will
not believe that lookinx.g.sss is cloudy
and spotty in spite o. daily, diIliverl
rubbing, or that Il steel of ali your va
riousiy procured stoves happens to be oil
so peculiar quality that it will no,
take" polish, che thinks she has q
right to feel offended. II. however, she
happ-ns to be in good humor, she
vii. perhaps observe apropos Of the steel
that at one place where she lived there
was bright fender with sharp edge
and tho nurse let the child fall on it and
cut herself; and when she has given yor
all the circumstances attendant on thi.
event, the name OF the doctor who wa,
called in and what he sad, she will fee
that she has readjuste her position as 9
polisber of stoves.
On the whole, servants are little dis
poeed to think that the opinions Of gen
t!eiolke can have any practical value fol
them. Our remedies, our methods. oul
explanations. are like the drapery and
tailoring we pay SO much for, they cor
respond to the supposed scale of our in
come; but servants, for their part, gel
their stutis and their views from otflel
quarters. The cure for gentleman.
toothache is not likely to suitSally's mo
lar 30 well as the cure recommended b,
the grocers boy on tho authority Of Iii
first cousin, who went apout with blue
handkerchief round his head for weeks
and weeks. And for the probabilities
concerning the dryness of the comip:
summer, or the guilt of the man las
taken for murder, the person to be COZ.
suited with the most Difference is thu
iaundress who .erves very good fami
les, and whose husband is In the car
rying line.