The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-11
SERVANTS IN ENGLAND.
Trained to Be Content, They Are Spoiled
When They Come to America.

When They Come to America
Olive Logan. IN New York Mail and Express.
Next to ivy covered ruins the American
travelling in England admires those efficient
servants by whose trained labor English
home is kept mp to the highest level Of domestic
science. Always on the lookout for the best
article in every department, the American
| eagerly imports English servants into the
United States, only to ind in the generality of
cases that his venture he's not been crowned
with success, and that the foreign servant is
quite IS faulty, in many il not all rsspects as il
the home-rsarsd competitor.
The English servant. like everything else
English, is an accretion of many centuries.
The common saying in England is, that is takes
three generations TO make q gentleman. But
the truth is, that the gentleman. like the poet,
| is born, not made; while the English servant
cones not of three generations only. but Of
long line Of ancestors in ssrvitude. These serv-
ants also receive individual training to fit them
selves for the work they engage to perform Or
CARNATIONS for the tuition Of duties neeesssry in
house and home work are exceedingly pumer-
Gus in England. and every humble cottage il
| the scene OF daily drill of children by mother
ambitious TO see her offspring Installed as per
manent. IL humble, members of the household
of wel-to-do people.
English domestic servants have . certain So
cial status which 10 . matter or envy among
themselves. Readers Of Tbackeray are ac-
quaint.d with the consequential humor of Jeems
Yellowplnsh; bu: Americans find il difficult to
understand how any unexpectedly q tail,
heavy, fne-looking man, as these servants
usually are--csn be proud of occupying the posi-
ton of a servant. IL 10 all q matter of low the
community In which one lives regard these
things In England the upper.servant, male or
female, has n higher social rank than that Of .
| male or female artisan. The life Of servants Ia
wealthy families is an exceedingly comfortable
| one in which almost all the pleasures OF wealth
are enjoyed without any Of its carkipg cares.
However. thoy may be looked down upon by
| their employers. the servants of the families OF
| title are the potentatss or their Own social
world. The butler or valet of duke meets
with the came social Difference in the world OF
| servants does his master In the exalted
| sphere in which he individually moves.
Why is it that these excellent English serv-
| ants not equally satisfactory when trans
| planted TO American soil3 The reasons are va
| rious. In the first place he she longer
feels the sense of humbleness which 10 cult.
waited 90 assiduously by the upper classes In
| England. IN the minds OF those who serve them
There Is religious acceptance OF servitude in
| England. From evsre pulpit, every Sunday. all
| over the land 10 preached the injunction to
| 'obey your pastors and your masters to en-
dure in q spirit of devout content the position 10
| life $50 which it has pleased God to call you"
Congreve says. Mature to each allots his
proper sphere" Thus religion. custom and
| poetry are all agreed that he or she who is once
| q servant should continue all through life.
| The respect for master" or mistress" 10 IT,
grained in the character of the British servant.
| No matter how worthless, morally, such
an individual may be, his right
| to HE servants respect and honor is
| never questioned, at any rate by the servants
| themselves Those who have travelled in the
| South aud visited the little island whore
| live the descendants Of the mutiueers OF the
Bounty, tell Us that. bad was the ships officer
| who led these people originally from the right
path, changed as IS the mental condition OF the
! children Of the men and women he wronRed,
nevertheless his name - always mentioned
| with respect-never without the prefix 'Mr"
| Such their English intuitions he was a
| gentleman; they. born to the position Of servi-
tudo.
In America, of course, nous avons change tout
| celia. On arriving in the United States what
| does the English servant heart Why, admoui-
| tions in every way opposed to those he has
| hitherto had preached to him. Instead Of feel
ing that it is the right thing to be satisfied with
bis position of ssrvitude be learns that such Q
ssntmsnti is considered opposed to all true prog
cess in this country Abraham Lincoln was .
rail-splitter. Andrew johnson was q taller. Up!
Up! Strive! Cultivate the demon Of unrest
and discomfort! Get on!" He sees, perhaps.
that his own employer is bat an unsducated
man like himself. The only difference between
them is what is made by money, and that there
is q chance OF any vigorous man acquiring by
energy or luck In this wonderful country. So
why should he pass his time being servants
Especially as the mere title Servant" ia about
the only one which carries stigma with it ins
America.
With women servants IL 10 just the same. The
nice primo girl who was quite perfect" in Eng
land, soon becomes "demoralizsd' by certain
| American influences. A leader CT New York
ciety is pointed out to her as a girl who WAS
chsmbermeid at a hotel when her rich husband
married her. Think of that now. Ii may be her
luck to repeat the experience, who knowsl The
cheap story papers full of romances OF mill
hands marrying mill overs. and barsfooted
farmers daughters capturing the hearts of rail-
ROAD kings. Naturally such a girl no longer has
any heart for her work. She becomes lstless
and her employ or impatient A rupture is the
inevitable consequences, and the verdict goes
forth from jury or matroos, English maids
are no better than any other servants in Amer
lea"
English servants who have lived with Ameri-
cans find IL difficult to get places again with En-
elish families. Naturally these latter dread the
more free ard easy ways into which such serv-
ants have fallen, and prefer to hire persons who
have not been brought under democratic iptiu-
ences. The impression prevails. even among
Americans themselves, that Americans do not
know how to treat servants, being at cnce too
lax aud too exacting with them There 10
great deal OF truth in that. Not within the linn
its of a book much less q single article, would
it be possible to explain the many forms in
which English hauehtiness and pride OF position
manifssts itself toward its servitors, and sue
ceeds in maintaining its power when wealth is
gone and even social disaster has supervsned.
Great affection often exists between employers
aud their servants in England, Just as it former.
IL did between masters aud slaves in the South;
and exactly as in this latter no loss Of dig
nifty ia sustained by the employers In the es-
TEEN Of the servant De their sentiments of affec
ton never so profound.
Like every other condition 10 the English
economy, the law OF muster and servant we'll
defined. Nowadays the relation of master and
servant in England IL that of two persons who
make voluntary contract, which either can
break at will; with the usual consequence that
the party IN the wrong is liable 10 pay damages
for the breach. The servant undertakes to have
competent skill for the duties is bound TO
due diligence. TO conduct himself respectfully
and 10 obey all lawful orders of his master dur
ing the engagement, If within the scope of par
ticular services for which he was engaged. A
coachman is not bound to do the duties Of a cook
or vice versa. Every servant is bound to take
due care of his masters property. and 10 liable
to action at the suit Of his master for gross
negligence. aud also for fraud and misfeassnce
The grounds on which servant NAV be lawfully
| DISCHARGED are willful disobedience, gross
immortality, habitusl neglect and incompe-
tence. Domestic servants are engaged gener-
ally by the mouth, and the engagement may be
terminated at any time by giving q mouths