Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-06-17

10 make DOMESTIC servants efficient
and attractive five rules must be strictly
observed, viz:
1. Patience.
2. Kindness.
8. System.
4. Never accuse servants unless you
have proof of guilt.
5. Never reprove them when you are
angry or in the presence of others.
First of all comes Patience-with
big P. In dealing with servants a finer
quality of that article is required than
the legendary Patience that sat on a
monument, for in this case you must
smile. not at grief, but at many errors
and often gross carelessness or worse.
was careful in selecting my servant
to get a Young woman, for l thought
she would be more willing to adopt my
WAYS. and in this | was correct. | went
into the kitchen and taught her every
thing from securing the tins to making
cake. then taught her the most APP
proved methods of doing the family
washing. Ny next step was to teach
her to clean the dining-room thoroughly,
polish the silver and glassware and set
the table: now she is an efficient ser
want. I guess some of my readers will
say: ..Oh. I would not take all that
trouble!' 1t tcGs trouble, but | am
amply repaid for it now, not only in the
satisfaction of everyday life, but when
l have company [ have only to tell her
how many to expect and she will have
every thing perfectly arranged.
Housekeepers, as rule, expect too
much of servants. and give them too
little sympathy in failure. Household
work should be systematized. My SER
want knows what hours and days all her
duties come. so everything runs smooth
", and do not make anybody misera-
BILE by it either, as some over-zealOus
housewives do. Ny husband says l
have the best managed house in town,
and that is stimulant enough to keep
it so. Remember this-good mistresses
will have good servants. They have
JOYS and sorrows Just as we have. and
we can svmpathize with them without
losing one iota of our dignity. Interest
them in the family affairs, and they will
prove loyal. My servant thinks what
ever | have is prettier than any thing
possessed by any other person. and is
exceedingly proud of every thing con-
nected with our nome.
As excellent servant as she is now,
when | first hired her she was not strict
" honest. and must relate how | cured
her of the habit of stealing. On one
occasion we had baked chickens for din
ner. One of them being untouched. l
told her to make hash of it for breakfast.
When it came on the table l saw at a
glance that all of it had not been
brought in. but, remembering my fourth
rule, l said nothing After breakfast
went into the kitchen to get a pan, and
selected one on distant shelf. As |
raised it I saw that it covered a smaller
pan almost full of chicken hash. Turn
ing to the servant | asked quietly:
''What are you going to do with this
hash?" She replied: Nothing"
REPLACED the pan and left the kitchen
without another word. All that day [
pondered over the question how | was
to reprove her for the theft. and during
many hours of that night the pros and
cons were still floating through my
brain. By morning l had arranged
kitchen l said very gently, but firmly:
Il wish to speak to you about that hash
you took yesterday. l have known for
me, but [ could never prove it before
this. l am very sorry that this oc-
Cured, for you are too good servant
to allow such a habit to grow on you.
1 wish you always to feel at liberty to
ask me for any thing you may want.
and 1 will give it TO you, but you must
never steal any thing from me again.
She was crying bitterly before [ was
half through, and seemed much hui
inflated. I do not think she was ever
guilty of the offense again.
If housekeepers Will cease to talk so
much about the faults of their servants
to the neighbors and talk more to the
servants about them, and teach them
how to overcome them. there will be
many more good servants and fewer
women looking careworn and aged be-
fore their time.-Mrs. Maud c. Murray,
in Philadelphia Press.