The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-01-17
OUR PARLOR-MAID,

with nv story. we employ three servants Indoors
cook, housomaid, and parlormaid. AS we have no
sure, from my own experience, when near people
declare that they very few good servants TO BIO
had now, and that doing their duty Ia generally the
very last thing they think OF, ] sympathize and
agree with them from the bottom OF my heart.
am convinced there are few such faithful, attached
domestics to be had now as there used TO be in my
grandmother's days. l am most indulgent mis-.
tress, and yet have not been able TO get servants
TO stay with me. II, by great good fortune, have
with the others, or take offense al trivial mat
ter, or discover that the situation was not good
enough, and that she ought TO "beter herselfn and
then all the wcarsome round OF registry ofices, adj
vertisements, correspondence, and Interviews have
had TO be gone through again.
At the time OF which write, however, was for
tunate enough to have tolerabe cook, and honse-
maid who seemed all that was desirable; but could
not meet with paror-maid. My last was stately,
middle-aged woman, with manners nj for palace,
who had come to me with recommendation from
lady OF title. But alas, ! soon discovered that she
hopeessly intoxicated and my heart died within
me at the prospect OF having to hunt for another.
advertised again, and had several applications One
was from a young woman who had been living for
three years at country vicaragc In surrey. she
referred me to her late master, Rev. wentworth AL
lardyce, who was then at Folkestone, where he was
staying on account of his health. wrote to him at
the address given, which was q fashionable hotel,
Character for honesty soblety and consccuions
ness, that engaged her at once.
a more prcpossessing girl never saw. Imagine
hair, pensve hazel eyes, sweet smile, neat, trim
figure, most winnngly deferential manners-and
you nave ,he p9r,ia, o, Ella Mills se, Sme @as
directions, and never had to he told thing twice; n
fact which spoke volumes for her efficiency, as any
Old housekeeper could certify. So domestic peace
Mt last seemed TO settle down upon us, and for a
time lived In paradise. From morning till night
ELIZA labored TO- save me trouble and ANNOYANCE. II
forgot anything no disaster ensued, for her ad-
mlrable memory supplied the deficiency. III had a
headache she would smooth my pillow ana bring me
superadded to the tenderness OF a personal friend.
She could sew better than any girl ever knew, and
was Invaluable TO me IN repairing the household
linen and In executing any little alteration In my
wardrobe Her skill in waiting at table and her
politeness to all visitors delighted everybody who
came to the house. She performed all these various
functions too, with such sweetness that that alone
was high recommendation Noone ever saw Eliza
runled or out OF temper. Neither hurry nor delay
made her cross. She was 30 willing and obliging
that she never objected to dong anything required
| of her.
| She was also honest to degree -absurdy honest
used TO say. one night, for instance, very late,
| when was sitting up for Charlie, she came down
wrapped I'M shawl, hours after she had gone 10
he'd, to say that she recollccted she had given me
change penny short on returning from an errand
that day, and she could not sleep for thinking about
It. she assured me SO ieryently, as she handed me
half-penny In her whole life, that from that moment
| | would have trusted her with untold gold.
| She had been with us about two months, when
that very unpleasant experience few mistresses en-
tirely escape OF finding things mysterlously dsap
pear or lessen In quantity, became nine Al iirst
| scarcely noticed II, but by-and-by ! had no choice
| but TO admit very unwingly that there must be q
thief in the house. don't know more miserable
| sensation than that produced by such knowledge
| The articles missed were all little trinng things
| such as an inexpcrt thief would take under the i'm
preston that their very lnsignincance rendered i
safe to steal them. missed nOte-paper and enve
ones, reels OF cotton anu silk from my work basket
| ribbons from my drawers, and similar odds ant
ends. Some change received from the mikman, ant
temporarily deposited on the dresser in the Kitchen
| was never accounted for. But the climax was thu
loss of valuable sapphire ring. which. being In {
hurry one day, had placed In drawer OF my dress
ing-tablc. turned the key in the drawer, hui
omitted TO take 1t out, aud when an hour after
came mp stairs TO put 1t the ring had disappeared
I could hesitate no longer. My husband wa,
away, and had none hu; my own counsel to rel,
upon, aud as 1t was almost certain that the THE
must be one OF the servants decided TO call then
separately into my bedroom and nterrogate them
and'if they persisted in denying all knowledge 9th,
ring should then make them turn out their b0Xe
before me- first summoned the cook, whom
knew to he honest, and did not for one moment sus
pect. was not surprised to hear her emphaticall,
deny that she had ever touched my things. wen
up stairs with her, and stood by while She turuet
out her trunk as matter of form, and when moth
send Jane the housemaid to me- She was stout
hearty country girl. who had come to me with an ex
celent character about six months before. She wa
quick-tempered and at once fired up when / asket
her whether. on her honor, she had any knowledge
of the matter.
else's in my fe!" said Jane. with an emphasis which
seemed most sincere. "And as to yourrng, ma'am
I'd give months wages 10 find II, for can't bca
not honest. But, ma'ain--thongn it's perhaps meal
| to say so, and know you don't encourage ser
wants to tell tales of one another-still feel as
you ought to know that Pm sure one OF us is thief =
| at is not COOK said.
mo, maam; It's Eliza You think all the worlt
of her, maam, but you're deceived in her. As SUR
as my names Emma Jane Collins, you're deceive,
| In her.
The girls manner was SO earnest that felt dlsa
| greeabiy shocked.
| "Are you quite sure of what you say, Jane? 1. Il
| q serious thing to bring such charge, and neve
| he'd servant more attentive and obliGing thar
Eliza"
81 can't say ever saw her steal anything
ma'am," said my handmaiden, vehemently. "Bu
| I'm sure as possible that she took your ring, ant
nobody else"
We'll, Jane said, anxious to sift the matter al
you say, but, as matter of form, must see you
| box emptied, US have already seen cooks.
Very well, ma'am; Pm sure I've no objections,
SO led the way TO the large attic where all thu
three girls slept. Jane opened her two boxes witt
| the utmost Willingness, and stood beside me with
| smile on her face, as much as to say:
| "You will see what an entirely needless business
| you have undertaken"
lifted up some some collars and cuffs. VIVA
could THIS be? Note-paper and envelopes, with ny
| monogram, L. G. Edith Catherine Lester! Hid
den away among piles of winter clothing was mis-
| which i had not missed as yet-snall knicknacki
out OF the drawng-room, volume of Sir Walter
Scott, pair OF slceve-links of my husbands, two
my best and rolled up in oil
| newspaper n pot OF my strawberry Jam! 7 turned
Indignantly TO look at Jane and denounce her the
| thief she was. when to my utter amazement, i saw
| she was staring at the plumber with an expression
| of such complete and stupeted establishment that
stranger would have supposed she had never seeI
| they came there. At the very bottom of the no,
was a small package of white paper, loosely tet
round with thread. Opening it, saw, to my Joy
"You wicked, wicked grln said as slipped
en- my finger. snow, what have you to say TO
| "If never speak another word ma,am - she re
turned, undauntedly, 81 never saw those things he
| fore. and never put them in my box.'
| "You can hardly expect me to believe that"
said, indignant at her fasehoOd and eIrontery
"Thcy could not get into your box without hands.
ming to cry. 81 don't know who did, unless It's SOM
wicked person who wants to rum me. Oh, maam
on. ma'am, she imp!ored earnestly, "do believe mt
"That is nonsense. Jane" ~ said sternly "Tellin,
a lie Will not make better OF it, Turn out your othe
stoien.D ''N ~ '''' N''' " '''''' ~" nav
There proved to be nothing in it but caps and he
Sunday hat She never ceased to protest amid he
tears that she had never touched my things, until
| was quite exasperated at her hardwood.
Snow, Jane, you had much better confess withou
ie n6 a9y more rel, iasea a lying VIII not do an
~ won't confess to doing what ! never did
| maam,h she answered deiantly.
"Very well, then. ehal call the others and shOv
them these things that they may know who is tn
cuiprit, and then you leave my service at once"
belongings on the i0or, said thai the thief was found
Eliza offered to turn out her box saying that 1t wal
only right that abe should do 80 as well tn
Others OF course there was nothing of mine In II
| but II was much iidier than either of the Others
| with her treasured Bible and prayer-bOsk neal
| wrapped IN tissue-paper and lying on the top.
then told Jane 10 come 10 me In the dining-room
| where most unpleasant scene ensued, for sh
6tontly maintained her innocence. l am rattle
| c0wardly, like great many women, about prose
| cutting dishonest servants. Rather than appear
witness against her would have condOned u grea
| deal, and dldnot like the idea OF sending such
| young girl 10 prison. Her mother knew to he al
broken at James behavior. Sc ! told her that, o
| account of her previous good character aud m
| respect for her mother, had decided not to call Ii
the police, but that she must leave the house I'm
| medately, and need never refer TO me for char
acter, and hoped my being so lenient would Undue
her to repent.
| She listened without the smallest softening that
could see, and turned at the door to say:
| swell, ma'am, | can only say you've been lie
| oeved, Some day you Will know the true from tn
| false.n
She departed. Kind Eliza helped her TO pack he
boxes, fetched cab for her and gave her tract a
parting, with, as COOK afterwards told me, some
| celent advice. l must say this made me admir-
anu respect the parlor-maid more than ever. Their
are not many who Will say kind word to a detecte
thief.
Then came up the disagreeable problem of getiin
fortunately, Eliza came to my relief. She knew
girl she said, distant connection OF her own, VIII
was just leaving a situation at South Kensington.
| wrote To her mistress, who gave her an eXcellen
character, and In u few days she was Installed |
Ollr house. She was not quite prepOssesHing |