, 1885-05-12
ssRyAs1s M raela4D
How They Are Decentralization r~t~r,
sIa>ter and asAn-Tha Tiasse.

NOV AHff arc AAulncu- ifflAiAun ' ftNrfu
Muster and aiAn-The Iiaase-
fkl--1 Laird Collier in Chicago New
English servants are trained. They
walk one straight path, and to this
their feet become so accustomed that
they get befogged and confused if they
step aside TO make other paths for their
feet A cook is a cook, and 4 housemaid
is a housemaid. A footman is nodded
by his duties into a footlan. And
nodded he is. A footman and coach
man he lives and dies. The church
catechism must have the credit or the
discreiit for this universal automatic
life. English people are taught by their
national religion ITO be content in that
station of lite w%hereunto they are
called" For throne and nobility, for
the fellows at the head and on top this
is n deleetable social philosophy, but
for Hodge the farm laborer, and for
Bridget, the scullery-ma for the
hewers of wood and the drawers of
water the outlook is less optimistic.
The work of English servants never
overlaps. II is rigidiy defined and
strictly adhered TO. 1t is an annoy
ance in an English household that
this is true, for often certain work
goes undone for the reason there
is no one whose place it is to do it.
In Germany, France, and in this Gun
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,
1T Is not my work. and the work goes
undone. There are two sides TO this.
We do not put a blacksmith to mend
ones watch, and perhaps a maid-of-all-
work is good at none. English servants
as a rule do well what they undertake
to do.
The relation between master and man,
between mistress and maid, would be
to an American confess it always was
to ne-irksome. 1t is an unnatural,
and forbidding relation. The servants
are held at arms length, and their
seryility 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 as if done by machinery
that it is offensive. 1t 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 caseof q servant falling
i'll he or she is almost instantly sent off
to the hospital, returning to the family
only when able to return to duty. In
France or America the family would
feel under q 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 it be but 4 wee bit of
muslin and edging, on the top of the
head; and the men servants dress in the
regulation livery OF thoir rank in the
household. Many have their separate
table fare, which is arranged for day by
day Of 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.
1t is a custom observed in all respect
able families to Engage servants by the
year and to require a 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 serv-
ant writes to inquire concerning charac-
ter and capabilities. In no matter
would a housewife he more scrupulously
conscientious than in replying to an in
quiry. In dischareing a servant a
months notice is given, or the wages
for the month paid. On the other
hand, a servant is required to give a
months notice before quitting a family.