Smyrna times., 1886-02-10

English servants are trained They
walk one straight path. and to his their
feet become 80 accustomed that they
get bcfogged and confused if they step
aside to make other paths for their feet.
A cook is a cook and Il hOusemaid is
housemaid. A footman is nodded by
his duties into q footman 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 a delect-
able social philosophy, but for Hodge
the farm laborer, and for Bridget the
scullcry- maid, for the hewers of wood
and the drawers qf water the outlook is
less optimistic
The work of English servants never
overlaps. 1t is rigidly defined and
strictly adhered to. 1t is an annoyance
in an English household that this is
true, for often certain work goes undone
for the reason that there is no one whose
place it is to doit. In Germany, France
and this country servants will turn their
hands to almost anything, but not so in
England. 1t is deemed derogatOry to
do another's work, and one gets aecus-
toned to hear, "It 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 n maid-of-all-w is good at
none. English servants as a rule do
well what they undertake to do.
The relation between master and man,
would be TO an American / confess it
always was to me irksome 1t is an
unnatural and forbidding relation. The
servants are held at arms length, and
their servility is universal. "Sir and
"mam are used with every breath,
and the raising of the hand to the head
by the mRn-seryant and the half-accOm-
plshed courtesy Of the maid-seIyant
are so mechanical and IS if done by
machinery that it is offensive. 1t is
very seldom any love is lost between the
family and the servants. In case of a
servant falling i'll, he OF she is almost
instantly sent off to the hospital, return
ing to the family only when able to
return to duty. In France or America
the family would feel under a natural
and humane obligation, as well as con-
strained by sympathy and affection, to
care for servant while sick.
All English servants have som hu.lco
or livery Female servants wear IL II tie
cap, though it be but wee hi, of mus
lin and edgng on the top of the head,
and the men servants dress in the regu-
latiou livery of their rank in the house,
hold 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 family.
The servants seldom, and in most fam
| iheg never Aaye expensive food, such as
game and dessert
1t Is custom observed III all respect
able families to engage servants by the
year and to require character from
their last place" This is not a written
certificate, as III France or Germany
and which is worthless thing, but the
name Of the family last lived with being
given, the person engaging the servant
writes to inquire concerning character
and capabilities In no matter would a
housewife be more scrupHlously con-
scientious thar in replying 70 an inquiry
of this sort. In discharging servant a
months notice IS given, or the wages for
the mGnth is paid. On the other hand,
a servant is required 20 give Q mQlth's
notice before quitting family.