The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-11-17
SERVANTS IN ENGLAND.
MRS. MOSES p. HANDY WRITES ON
AN INTERESTING TOPIC.
The Average English Cook-Her Good sad
Had Poirss-Ths Tolls which Engiish
Servants Ersct-sociai Status Deter
mined by the servantA
Especial Corrcspondencel

An Englishwoman, as rule. when sh
has any accounts TO keep, keeps then
with an eIactness which is. o. ought I
be, an example to the rest OF the world
The questions which an English cook i
search Of a place asks about dripping
broken bits, cold victuals and the like
are apt 10 be Hebrew to the American
indeed, English servants have come +
understand this. and demand persuisite
and privileges from American mistress
rs which they would never think Of ask
ing Of an English one. II you have beer
well coached by your English friends
and stand up for your rights. your ser
wants will have much greater respec
for you than il you give into them. II
you are wise. however, you will not en-
gage an English cook.
Good cooking is not an English talent
though the Briton is firmly persuaded
that OF all nations Of the earth his OWL
is the only one which understands the
first principles OF gastronomy. To a
French OF American palate all English
dishes. excepting curry, which. by the
way. is an importation from India, are
nearly tasteless. and it is safe 10 add salt
to any dish OF meat or vegetables served
you at an English table. The best res
taurants in London. from foreign stand
point. are the Italian; indeed. it was q
great day for the English when the Ital-
-, H. MI 60 ha
French TO cook. came over to open cat
ing houses in London. There are several
such. if you know where to find them.
where you can get a good dinner Ia
carte at an even lower price than you
would pay in America; where. too. the
service is good and the napery clean.
II you do get an English cook. try 10
have "blue ribbon" not q Gordon bleu
that il. but member of the temperance
band, who will drink nothing stronger
tsan tea or ginger ale. The first caution
given you on arriving in London is TO
drink anything rather than water; and
the people, in this respect. carefully
practice what they preach. Every serv-
ant. man or maid. exacts an allowance
OF beer. or its equivalent IN money. and
drunkenness Is the national vice. The
fundamental point TO be ascertained In
the character OF your cook is. is she
sober? Else. some day. when you have
a dinner party on hand, she will absorb
the wine intended for the sauces. and he
found dead drunk on the kitchen floor
while your guests wait In vain for their
dinner.
IL is rather comforting TO find that
after all English servants are good and
bad. Just like ours II, however, you
get a good one. you have treasure; q
well trained English servant is bit Of
perfection. Good or bad, whatever their
virtues or failings, they know their place,
and their respect for you is in exact
ratio as you keep them in it. No Eng
lish mistress ever permits q servant 10
sit down in her presence under any cir
cumstances, and il you care for the good
opinion Of your lodging house keeper
you will never condescend to offer her a
chair.
The chief way In which English ser
wants rob their employers is in the tolls
which they exact from tratesmen. In |
great houses where the upper servants
order the various supplies. they have, or
are supposed TO have, control OF the
patronage OF the household, and in order
10 keep the custom and gain their good |
will, each tradesman gives his especial
patron rebate on the amount Of his
bill. Thus the butcher fees the cook. the
grocer stands in with the steward, the
dealer in hay and corn makes present
10 the coachman. and so on through the
whole establishment. Naturally. the tax
70 paid is added 10 the original amount
IF the bill. and thus in the end comes olf
If the masters pocket.
Ouida's sketch Of the American born
duchess. who, by ordering all supplies in
person and auditing all accounts. saved
Ter noble lord from penury and recouped
us bank account. is scarcely 50 much Of
n eIaggeration as il seems. ard has
'een paralleled in some degree by more
han one prudent woman in late yearA
Wages are considerably smaller with
Is. Ten shilings a week is the price Of
plain cook "a French man cook will
barge c2). from $50 to $40 a year that
I good hOusemaid. and for twenty
billings you may command the services
an accomplished valet One OF the
est walters in Regent street restau
ant told me that he received no wages.
nd was required 10 pay for his meals
,dging being furnished him lac was sx.
ected TO find his compensation in the
ps OF his customers. and in London.
rcept from an American. fourpence is
lilly an average tip.
People change servants much Less
ften than with US, for there is nothing ,
'hich good servant so breads as a
short character, anything under year
eng considered AS prima facie evidence |
sainst the person who has been unable ,
} keep place longer. The servants in
household are O pretty good index To :
10 social status Of the household. and :
" this reason society climbers. who
pound in England. as elsewhere, spare
D pains 10 secure servants who have
we'd with great people. and are charmed I
it'll the reversal Of ladies' maid from }
e Countess of Comeupstairs, or foot c
an who can tell how things are man. :
'ed in the ducal mansion OF Pinnacles. /
~ number Of servants and retainers .
nployed in great families is something y
marvel at-a reminiscence Of the .
udal period.
Wewere talking Of the four rich dukes, .
ID somebody mentioned the exact p
nount Of the income Of the Duke OF u
eStminster. "My" exclaimed an un- d
phisticated American. "wha. ON a.-.I. {
<S ne uu Ms.n a.. .nr s...ss. ~ came :,
Dm family connection u the duke :
d was made with crushing dignay .,
I you had three hundred gardeners :,
pay every month. | fancy yea :,
'uldn't find it any more than you .
eded!" y
Three hundred gardenersr' ejacu- =
ed the American, and then subsidized