The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-02-15
George Eliot on Servants.

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Servants are rich in intuitions. They
hare a vast number of certainties which
are deep by reason of their groundless-
ness. The postman brings a letter for
Maria; she was sure he ~wauld-she
dion't know from whoa it would 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 up
the blind and saw the wind blowing the
leaves about, she seemed to see the
postman coming with the letter in his
hand. You make a great mistake If you
suggest certain conditions which might
have given rise to the expectation. She
rejects such low-minded analysis Of her
certainty. No, there was no reason
why she should exepct a letter this
morning, more than any other; but so It
was-and it was the same once before
when the dishcover fell and got bruised;
she had said at breakfast something
would happen that day, she knew.
But as to your certainties, for which
you allege arguments, the. same Maria
considers them offensive unless sthey
are to be overcome BIZ her assertion,
ifyou will not believe fSat a looking
kt8Gc ID CkOuQI NA0 BkOtty ia oUktU Q4
daily diligent rubbing, or that the steel
Of all your variously Procured stoves
happens to be OF u peculiar q quality
that it will not "taxs" a polish, she
thinks she has a right to feel offended.
Ii, however, she happens to be in q good
humor, she will prehaps observe, apro-
pos Of the steel that ct n place where
she lived there was o bright fender with
q sharp edge and the nurse let the child
fall on it and cut herself; and when she
has told you all the circumstances at
tendant on this event, the name Of tho
doctor who was called In and what be-
said, she will feel that she hes read
iusted her position as q polisher Of
stoves.
On the whole servants are little dis.
posed to think that the opinion of gene
tlefolks can have any practical value for
them. Our remedies, our methods, our
explanations, are like the drapery and
tailoring We pay so much for; they corr
respond to the supposed scale Of our in~
come; but servants: for their part get
their stuif5 and their views from otheg
quarters. The cure for q gentleman's
toothache Ia not likely to suit Sally's mo-
lar so we'll as the cure recommended by
the grocer's boy cn the authority of his
first cousin, who went about with q blue
handkerchief round his head for weeks
aid weeks. And for the probabilities
concerning the dryness Of the coming
summer or the guilt of the man last taxi
en- up for murder, the person to be con-
suited with the most Difference is the
laundress who serves very good famil-
lies. and whose husband is in the carry
ing line,
The moral Of all this Is that wise mas
ters and mistresses will not argue with
their servants, and not give them rea-
sons, will not consult them. Al mild yet
firm authority, which vigorously de-
mands that certain things be done with
ont urging motives or entering into Ok
plantations, is both preferred by the SER
wants themselves. and is the b6st ean
Of educating them into any improve
ment of their methods and habits
Authority and tradition are the chief,
almost the only safe guides Of the unin~
~structed-are the chief means of develr
oping the crude mind. whether childish
or adult. Reason about everything with
your child you make him q MONASTERY
without reverence, without affections
Reason about things With your servants
consult Thorn, give them the suffrage
and you produce no other effect In them
than a sense of anarchy in the house, q
suspicion Of irresoIuteness in you. the
most opposed to that spirit of order and
pramptitude which can alone enable
them to fill their places well, and make
their lives respectable.