The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-12-27
MAID AND MAN SERVANT.
The Growing Fashion OF Bringing
Attendants Back from Europe.
New York SUM-

The Growing Fashion OF Bringing
Attendants Back from Europe.
New York SUM-
No less than seventeen names on the
published list of saloon passengers of
the steamer Oregon, which arrived a.
few days ago, were followed by the
words 'tand maid, " or and man serv-
ant One or two OF the passengers
were accompanied by couriers as well as.
other servants, and of two we'll known
New York ladies, one was accompanied
by two maids and the name of the other
was followed by the words courier, man
servant, and maid. The rehct of
the hard working Philadelphia manu-
facturer of shoe blacking, who went
home from his factory in an office-eoat
three years ago and died of oYerwork
before nightfall, was accompanied on
her way over by three servants And
yet the writer was informed by the
agent of the steamship line of this city
that this was rather poor steamer for
servants.
1t appears that while very few out
going steamers carry personal attend
ants for the saloon passengers, the in
NOl4t11S OACS Q4O 1AfdlIlO1y luHCCbSu
with them, and sometimes in very large
numbers. An American can go to Eu-
rope without any difficulty alone, but
after he has acquired the ac-
cent and the culture which travel
is supposed to stamp him with
he finds it impossible to come back
again without personal attendant
Women manage their maids better in
public than men manage the men serv-
ants or Yalets. An American usually
acts as though he were overcome by the
presence of his servant. When he first
goes to dinner on board the steamer the
man stands behind his chair, if he has
good sea legs and is in no danger from
seasickness. He is in eyerybody's way,
is of no particular use to his master,
and usually proves bore to everybody
before the voyage is over. On
this side, If he is bright
and intelligent man, he doesn't
stay in service long, as the oppor-
tunities for his advancement in social
way are practically unlimited. He is
constantly out of place, and has no rec
ognized position even among the serv-
ants. There is, indeed, the same trouble
with ladies' maids. In England the
woman who holds the post of personal
attendant to the lady of the house is
considered very much above the other
domesties in position, and when she
comes over here and finds that she must
wash her own clothes, make her own
bed, and sit in the kitchen when her
mistress has nothing for her to do, she
relieves her mind, leaves her position,
and adyertises for place as a gov
erness.
French maids are considered more
valuable, though they usually demand
their evenings after o'clock, appropri.
ate the 'sold dresses of their mistresses
while the garments are still new, and
are seldom long in attendance upon one
mistress. In family Of gir..s, particu.
larly il two or three of them are in so.
ciety, one or more maids are considered
absolutely indispensable. There is nc
one of the servants who can be spared
from duty to assist the young ladies' fol
q drive or for an evening entertainment
and so the maid takes her place as {
matter of course.
i Why anybody who can speak the
language should-want courier in Amer
ica is incomprehensible, for there art
certainly no such difficulties to encounter
here as meet the tourist in Europe. I
is observed that very many women ar,
now accompanied by their maids wher
they go shopping. It is an innovation
in America, too, for the maids to wall
behind their mistresses, but the spec
taele of an oYerdressed woman struttin!
about the big dry goods shops and fol
lowed by respectful maid with be-
arms full of parcels is by no mean
rare