Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-10
OUR PARLOR-MAlD.


NOT narticularize che exact locality. as
Il has nothing to do with my story.
We employ three servants indoors
cook. house maid, and parlor-maid.
AS We have no children, we do not re-
ouirs nurse. And l am sure, from
my own experience, when / hear peo-
pie declare that there are very few
good servants TO DO had now, and
that doing their duty is gene
rally the very last thing they
think Of, l sympathize and agree
with them from the bottom Of my
heart. I am convinced there are few
such faithful, attached domestics to be
had now as there used to be in my
grandmother's days. ! am most in
dulgent mistress, and yet l have not
been able to get servants to stay with
me. II by great good fortune | have
found one to suit me she was sure either
to quarrel with the others, or take Of
fence at some trivial matter, or discover
that the situation was not good enough
and that she ought to "better her.
self; and then all the wearisome
round of registry Offices, advertise
ments, correspondence, and interviews
have had to be gone through again.
At the time Of which I write, how
ever, was fortunate enough to have q
tolerabls cook and housemaid who
seemed ell that was desirable; but /
could not meet with parlor-maid. My
last was . stately, middle-aged woman,
with manners fit for palace, who had
como to me with recommendation from
. lady of title. But, alas /! I soon dis
covered that she drank. Finally, she
returned one Sunday evening hope
lessly 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 . young woman who had been
living for three years al q country
vicarage in Surrey. She referred me
to her late master, the Rev. Went
worth Allardyce, who was then at
Folkestone, where be was staying on
account of his health. I wrote to him
at the address given, which was a
fashionable hotel, and received reply
giving Eliza Willis such high charac-
ter for honesty, sobriety, and conscien-
tiousncss that engaged her at once.
A more prepossessing girl l never
saw. Imagine Madonna face, framed
in smooth, soft brown hair, peusive hs-
eel eyes, q sweet smile, neat, trim
figure, most winniDgly deferential man
ners, and you have the portrait of Eliza
Willis. She was thoroughly compe-
tent servant, who seldom needed direc-
tions, and never had to be told thing
twice; fsct which spoke volumes for
her efficiency, as any old housekeeper
could certify. So domestic peace at
last seemed to settle down upon us, and
for time lived in paradise. From
morning till night Eliza labored to save
me trouble and annoyance. If L
forgot anything no disaster en-
sued, for her admirable memory sup
piled the deficiency. If l had head
ache she would smooth my pillow and
bring me tea with the dexterity Of a
professional nurse superadded to the
tenderness Of 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 a
high recommendation. No one ever saw
Eliza rufiled or out Of temper. Neither
hurry nor delay made her cross. She
was so willing and obliging that she
never objected to doing anything re-
CURED of her. She was also honest to
= degree-absurdly honest used to
say. One night, for instance, very
late, when l was sitting up for Char
lie. she came down wrapped in shawl
hours after she had gone to bed to say
that she recollected she he'd given me
change q penny short on returning
from an errand that day, and she could
not sleep for thinking about it. She
assured me so fervently as she handed
me the coin that she had never wronged
anybody Of 3 halfpenny in her whole
life that from that moment l would
have trusted her with untold gold.
She had been with us about two
months when that very unpleasant ex.
perience that few mistresses escape, oil
finding things mysteriously disappear
or lessen in quantity, became mine. Al
first I scarcely noticed it, but by and
by l had no choice but to admit very
unwillingly that there must be thiei
in the house. / don't know q more
miserable sensation than that produced
by such knowledge. The articles miss
ed we're al little trifling things, such as
m inexpert thief would take, under
the impression that their very insig'
nificance rendered it safe to. steal
them. I missed note-paper and en-
yelopes, reels Of cotton and silk from
my work-basket, ribbons from my
drawers, and similar odds and ends
Some change received from the milk
man and temporarily deposited on thu
dresser In the kitchen was never &C
counted for. But the climax was th'
loss Of valuable sapphire ring, which
being in hurry one day, ] had placed
in . drawer of my dressing-table.
turned the key in the drawer, bu
omitted to take it out, and when, al
hour aiter, ] came up stairs to put it OF
the ring had disappeared.
Iconld hesitate no longer. My hus
band vas away, and l had none bu
my own counsel to rely upon, and as j
was almost certain that the thief mus
be one Of the servants, l decided Il
call them separately into my bedroom
and interrogate them, and il they per
sisted IN denying all knowledge Of thu
rig I should then make them turn ou
their boxes before me. l first sum
moned the cook, whom knew
to be honest and cid not fol
one moment suspect. l was no,
surprised to hear her emphatically
! deny that she had ever touched my
things. went up stairs with her and