Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-10-16
SOME SERVANT GIRLS.
WOMAN'S ExPERIENCEIN SOLv-
ING THE PROBLEM.
The Swedish Girl Who Had Learned to
Say Ony "Salt" and "Potatoes"
and Forgot "Potatoes"-
The Best Way Out.

81 can not imagine why people
should take the ground that servants
are scarce or hard TO obtain. or why
they should eternally point to the kitch-
en- as the one field that is lying fal-
low and is ready for energetic cultiva-
tion." said woman to group of
friends.
There is my husbands brother-in-
law, young lawyer. a widower with
one child. He advertised for a house
keeper the other day. He rode quiet
ly downtown that day as usual, ex-
pecting to find two or three comfort
able middle-aged persons awaiting
him. You can imagine his surprise at
finding a stream of women OF all ages,
sizes, compilations, and nationalities
pouring into the building.
: The elevator was full and the upper
hall was choked. Mr.. IS room
was crowded. and his partner had
been obliged TO openthe onesnext door.
LAS he forced his way in Mr. IS
surprise changed rapidly to dismay.
But he is man with a head for emer-
kCnOACSs 11O OllIlOtN uPOll
Then he made little speech to the
gathering. He says he told them he
couldn't deal with such a number, but
IL they would leave their names and
addresses he would write to such of
them as he wished to confer with.
One of the clerks took page after page
of names, in spite of the fact that a
/ crpnA cnnfncr fhnpa
hope for them, turned at once and
went away.
HE found a stack OF letters from
candidates for the place, so many that
he didn't attempt the task of reading
them. They went one and all into
the waste-paper basket and he took
woman who hadn't applied at all.
but who was recommended by me. /
! believe there are always more than
enough servants. but naturally, they
prefer some places TO others.
Il must confess" said a little wom-
an with small, red-headed boy lean
ing against her knee. that while /
have had a great many funny expert
ences with servants have never had
an unpleasant one"
when / first went to housekeeping
had little or no money TO spare and
couldn't have justified TO myself the
extravaganza of a servant except that
Dicky here was in his cradle. / took
q young Swedish girl who could speak
just one word of English; that word
was salt She explained to rue after
ward that on the voyage over she
learned potatoes and salt but was
unlucky enough after landing to for
get potatoes.
I'm consideration of her strong arms
and her pleasant blue eyes. and her
ability to say salt | agreed to pay
her So month. and doubt il for hat
summer any human being was ever
served before with such devotion. She
scrubbed for me and secured for me
until l was afraid she would serve the
house as the cracker said the natural
guardians of a pore leetle baby
down in Florida served the child when
they subjected it TO daily baths, and
washed it clean plumb away
Il was puzzled every day to know
how to make her understand. One
morning wanted a hot oven for bak-
ing, so l opened the door and pointed
and said hot hot, many times.
Minna knew hot and nodded with
emphasis. Pretty soon the smell of
smoke began to come up strong in my
sewing-room Irushed to the kitchen.
There stood Minna puzzled and fright
ened; she had built fire, as she ina
gined had told her, in the 'ofen.'
But Minna's blue eyes were eyes i
came to be very fond OF, and when she
went away to be married she and l
both cried"
They say" said one OF the group.
turning to quiet woman in corner.
that you never have any trouble with
servants"
Il have never kept ono less than
three years and never had one leave
me except to be married"
There was little stir at this an
nouncement and two or three voices
asked together: How do you man
ageP"
II don't manage" said the quiet
woman: things manage themselves.
am very careful about engaging a
servant TO begin with. l take time TO
talk W it'll her and try my best to
Judge If she is the kind of person /
can harmonic with. When once she
has come into my house treat her.
so far as ] know how, exactly as l
should wish to be treated If were
holding an honorable and we'll under
stood position in somebody's house
hold. take it quietly for granted
that her place Is one that is desirable
and to which respect attaches.
Il give her as comfortable room
as there is in the house, and that as a
matter OF course and without trying to
patronize or be kind / quietly en-
courage her TO have her friends visit
her and to have little pride in en-
tertaining them. leave her entirely
free 10 go out when her work Is Done
and l sometimes pinch myself in other
particulars to be able TO pay what
think girl really earns"
But" exclaimed half dozen
voices in a breath, don't they take
Il fell I'D