The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-27
get places because they couldn't leave their

/ membranes.
Number six brought an interpreter. Tit
interpreter was a fat, untldy and jolly
young German woman, who looked as Il
she had been snatched from q mardi graz
procession. She wore wide, haring hat o.
cheap felt flaming with primary colors, the
tendency of her heels was obique in the
extreme, her ensemble was chaotic and
| Heterogeneous, with dress skirt Of one color,
waist Of second, and jacket, which wouldn [
button, of q third. her hands were large
and her face wore a lazy, good-natured ex.
preston. With her was a small, pale girl
whose face and hair were all Of color and
who looked wild and shy. This was Minna,
| who spoke no English, but who could, so
the interpreter SAID, understand any re-
marks that might address TO her in that
| language. A little experiment established
| the fact that Minna was daZsd equally Dy
my English and German, and the antics OF
small boy who accompanied the party ana
informed me that ''this is the way 10
dance" with appropriate illustrations,
broke silence that was becoming PAINFUL
Minna had lived some years with German
| family, was paid Sl7 month and guaran-
teed expert in German cookery. She would
take Sl5 if her linguistic deficiencies cou4d
be borne with.
Number seven was the servant girl Oh the
newspapers, a bona fide but solitary specl-
men. She was broad-shouldered, and her
nose and chin expressed pugnacity. her
hair was heavy aud dark, and it needed
only glance to tell me that she possessed
more-well, call it resolution of character
than |. l had latterly neglected to trenble,
but in this awful presence l breathed
prayer that l might not be found worthy
to be her employer 1 was not. On the con-
trary, l was treated with thinly yelled
scorn. The ogre-I hope l am doing an
able woman no Djustice-informed me that
she was a good plain cook" In an evil
moment asked her to define plain cookery.
As spoke l felt her eyes fix the I.selves on
NINE
Don't We know what is plain cookin' 2"
/ responded meekly that l did not know
just where to draw the line.
"Plain cookin' is meats an vegetables and
bread; | give satisfaction in them, but
never make no pastry, nor no puddens, nor
fixin's of any kind. Maybe l could If
tried, but l amt never been asked to. No
girl that goes out to general hoGsework ever
expects to. TaIn't any part of her bust
ness.n
The ogre expected from $14 to ST. for
her plain cooking, according to the size of
the family; but my ignorance had sunk me
50 low in her esteem that she did not insist
on being engaged.
AOA0 was a ANO4 WSBAdhs wv chO AlN
not come to Mahomet, but Mahomet went
to the mountain. 1t was clear at the top
of it that she lived, up six flights Of the
darkest stairs that ever mortal climbed.
The tenement house covered its entire lot,
and the one which backed up against it did
the same. The staircase, therefore, was
unlighted, save by malodorous kerosene
lamps though it was midday, Slatternly
figures peeped out of the doorways, and it
was only a spirit of adventure, not I'M
mixed with something like terror, which
led me to persevere In dingy but to my
surprise, perfectly neat room under the sky,
found young countrywoman of Ibsen,
whose white teeth and fascinating name,
she was called Otilla. were sufficient re-
ward for the climb. She spoke a piquant
broken English which would have made
the fortune of a dialect story writer
Otilla could bake and doubtless she could
brew.
Otilla could broil steak.
She could roast fowl.
She could make soups.
She knew how to take care Of hardwood
floors.
Why was not Otilla the coming woman?
Because a housewife who knew good thing
when she saw it looked up the fascinating
Norse's reference in the brownstone front
which she had formerly graced with her
presence and hurried back to secure her be-
fore | arrived. She is doubtless distilling
at this hour a flavor of Scandinavian
SIC worth per month, in the
housewives kitchen.
For several days 1 had au interesting
mail. There were seven employment agen-
cies which kept on hand first-class servants
OF all nationalltes, also colored, and which
noticing my advertisement begged leave to
acquaint me with their facilities for sup
plying the same. Most of them appeared
TO act also as agents of the steamship lines.
There was one newspaper of which l re-
ceived a marked copy, from which could
observe that 1t was trying to build up a
small ad" page, and accordingly inserted
''wants" free. There were women in the
country who would, if l thought they could
suit me, come to town and call. There was
a young woman in town who wanted
chance to fill a vacancy temporarily
until she could earn enough to buy a
gown, which she would appear we'll enough
TO take a place which had been promised
her behind the glove counter of a dry goods
store, and who, when permitted to do some
scrubbing and securing, came before break
fast and was followed at short intervals by
her mother and small brother, who also ate
heartily, sent out TO buy pickles with money
advanced them and partook frequently of
tOd dtlu plCklSS JuTOukuOuJ lU6 QhYs Inc
young woman knew nothing of securing,
and imported her mother to show her how.
The mother knew less apparently, and they
left behind them an uncleaned establish
ment and a depleted larder This slack
twisted shop girl had couture that was
radiant with lovelocks, and apparel brilliant
as a peacock somewhat bedrabbled. No a
professed servant approached me who was
not plainly her superior.
This narrative is written down unvar-
nished. Sufficient time has not ELAPSED for
the Applicant n Of any retouching fluid. In
spite of the failure Of the domestic Com
mons and House of Lords to elect a kitchen
sovereign, the impression which received
of her royal highness, Bridget, was not on
the whole unfavorable. She was well
hammered. She appeared to answer with
some candor as to what she could or could
not do. l could not blame the yellow.
haired Gretchen who left her last place be-
cause she had to sleep In the front basement
and was not provided with any comfortable
room, nor could help observing that the
woman who changes servants monthly pos
seSSes very commonly some char
acteristic which would make il
TO the servants advantage to leave.
Questions which were put to me as tc
whether | required girl to leave her door
always open, whether she would have tt
sleep with another woman, whether / would
allow her sister to call on her, gave mesome
insight into the servants point of view. Nv
girls appeared to be what domestic service
had made them, good material enough but
unframed. And until we women treat do