Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1885-07-23
SERVANTS IN ENGLAND.
How They Are DEMONSTRATION Between
Master aud Man--Ths Badge.


Robert Laird Collier in Chicago Newsl
English servants are trained. They
walk one straight path, and to this
their feet become so accustomed that
they get belonged and confused if they
step aside 10 make other paths for their
feet. \ cook is a cook, and housemaid
is a housemaid. A footman is nodded
by his duties into fOotman And
nodded he is. A footman and coach
man he lives and dies The church
catechism must have the credit or the
discredit for this universal automatic
life. English people are taught by their
national religion TO be content in that
station of life whereunto they are
called" For throne and nobility, for
the fellows at the head and on top this
is delectable social philosophy, but
for Hodge the farm laborer, and for
Bridget, the scullery-maid, for the
hewers of wood and the drawers of
water the outlook is less optimistic.
The work Of English servants never
overlaps. 1t is rigidly defined and
strictly adhered to. 1t is an annoy
ance in an English household that
this is true, for often certain work
goes undono for the reason there
is no one whose place il is TO do it,
In Germany, France, and in this cOun-
try servants will turn their hands to al
most anything. but not so in England.
1t is deemed derogatory To do another's
work, and one gets accustomed to hear,
ut is not my work, and the work goes
undone. There are two sides TO this.
We do not put blacksmith to mend
ones watch, and perhaps a maid-of-all-
work is good at none. English servants
as rule do well what they undertake
TO do.
The relation between master and man,
between mistress and maid, would be
to an Americana confess it always was
TO mc-irksome. Ii is an unnatural,
and forbidding relation The servants
are held at arms length, and their
seyility is universal "Sir and man"
are used with every breath, and the rails
ing the hand TO the head by the man
servant and the half.accomplished
courtesy of the maid-servant are so
mechanical and rs if done by machinery
that it is offensive II is very seldom
that there is any love lost between the
family and the servants, any more
than between employers and employees
in England The relation is purely a
commercial one-so much work for so
much pay. In case of servant falling
i'll he or she is almost instantly sent off
TO the hospital, returning 10 the family
only when able TO return to duty. In
France or America the family would
feel under natural and humane obi
cation, as well as restrained by sympa-
pathy and affection, to care for the sery-
ant while sick.
All English servants have some badge
or livery. All female servants wear a
little cap, though il be but wee bit of
muslin and edging, on the top of the
head; and the men servants dress in the
regulation livery of their rank in the
household. Many have their separate
table fare, which Is arranged for day by
day or week by week, and is palmer
and coarser than that used by the fam
lily. The servants seldom, and in most
families never, have expensive food,
such as game and dessert.
II is a custom observed in all respect
able families 10 engage servants by the
year and TO require character from
their last place" This is not a written
certificate, as in France or Germany,
and which is a worthless thing, but the
name Of the family last lived with be-
ing given, the person engaging the sery-
ant writes 10 inquire concerning charac
ter aud capabilities. In no matter
would housewife be more scrupulously
conscientious than in replying TO an in
quiry, In discharging a servant a
months notice is given, or the wages
for the month paid. On the other
hand, servant is required to give. a
months notice before quitting family.