The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-20
TINE sERIxvrs, SIDE OF IN
Re.se Resarks .. Bshslf sf che Dsnestss
n MoasehepA werk. ...

THE SUN has received from servants sew
eral complaints to tho effect that their SID
Of the case is largely. II not entirely. ouiittet
In most essays and discussions on tho ser
want question. In order to get the servants
side Of II a reporter las conversed with Z
number Of employment agents and servants
who replied to the almost universal com plant
by house, keepers, and hero II the substance
Of the remarks: ~.
In regard to general housework, there is nc
definite understanding OF the amount Of work
woman may have to do. She Is employed to
work for four In family. and BY the addition ,oi
children and company she IL made to work for
six or eight. She never knows when her work
Is done. She must be the first one zip In the
morning to mako tue fires. and the last one to
20 to bed. because she must lock IN the house.
She must change from one sort OF work to
another. which makes her work at great dis.
advantage. She cannot do her wastfng apd
ironing without interruption. because she
must stop to get meals. or mind chill
dren. or perform other household dutieS.
Then. having been thus Interrupted. her
mistress complains that the washing is
not done until evening or the ironing until
Thursday. She may get every other Sunday
and Thursday afternoon of. but she IL kept so
late that the afternoon IL OF little use. The rest
OF the week she is expected TO give her whole
time. and her duties commonly extend over
fifteen hours day. She is expected to work at,
something else while she watches the cook.
ing. which no professional cook would do. She
will be asked to carry COAL to run up and down
stairs twenty times n day. to attend to the
callers. put on her things and run pyramids.
and thus keep going 10 sort OF tread
mill. with littio to show for her work at
the end OF the day. She is expected to do
all branches of her work. az we'll as experts
who devote all their time to one branch. Be-
cause Of the variety OF her work she reallyis
required to be more competent than girl
who does only cooking. but she gets fur less
wages than an ordinary cook. Her duties re-
aurs her to know the whole range Of house,
keeping. and they should command high pay.
4 he reason why there Is q dearth OF servants
to do general housework Is because the pay In
regarded as totally Inadequate for the amount
Of work required. There are many families
that expect to get girl to work
ut general homework whom the washing
and ironing required are aone worth
great deal more than the whole OF the girls
wages. In some families the amount OF wash
ing put upon girl ia uncoDscionable In sum-
mer especially women and children are
dressed in u profuslon of light goods that
make big washings. with no thought Of the
amount Of work put on the girl. and no effort
to relieve her OF other work. SO as to give her
time to get her washing done. Some women
are absolutely without conscience In the
amount Of work they put upon girl who en-
cages to do general housework, and are quite,
offended II girl kicks ct shovelling snow or
moving furniture. or carrying trunks up stairs.
1t is q common complaint for housekeepers
to say. II work harder than tho girls
do" That may be true. and at the same time
1t may be true also that the cirl may be doing
quite enough work for the wages she. gets.
There is general desire on the part Of, en-
ployers to make one girl do tho work which
ought to be divided among two. Tha mia.
tresses say the girls do not work enough. The
girls say the mlstresses want altogether too
much for their money There appears to DO
no limit to the amount OF work that may be re-
auired Of o girl doing general Homework. The
consequence Is that there is no motive
for the girl to hurry up and get through.
She knows that no matter how hard
she may work che can never finish. House
cleaning. washing sidewalks and front stoops.
polishing utensils. and hundred other things
about house are always rendy for the gsn-
eral Homework girl to do. When . girl en-
Waitress Or waiting maid there ia some limit
tie duties ore practically unlimited and the
~ service required. -.
There good deal # dislike ser
ming up and down etairs; the sleeping. accom-
n are bGensSssy TSs; The mistlsss
small for a bountifu or varied supply OF food.
and the servant lead: a somewhat lonely life.
nre mere Closets. Uncomfortable on account OF
TOO CLOSE pro. nifty to the Kitchen. poorly ven-
Man @ no ss ,Ss
entrance to the rooms from tho IRE escape.
army Of mistresses. who insist upon Keeping
them in Kind Of slavery, with no time TO at
IN r' sven es
tSpk tsf e .hfn asy AZ
CONSTANT b9ssine; fault finding. nafeing. and
deaHt a 'S Tssy worE
1or less wages and longer hours for some
sSn5s taa St tss
oyerbearfng hard-hearted. and unreasonable
ho9sekeeper who expects. perfection, for twelve
wants have feelings az we'll US other people and
they resent undue severity and appreciate good
Of psking 1t pleasant for those they. like and
adeeidsedIy ancSmf 9 ior those whom they
Sn even to h@mor tns Wms Of 70 so o" sss
wants. to overlook little faults. to consult the
the religion. the likes and dis:
ltEes OF good servants. 40 THAT they feel ut
home and are glad to stay year after year.
g yalasbls that they ars iadnssd q various
from places where, good servants are always |
sought In vain. The sensible housekseper
knows enough not to see too hiueli. The |
ho3s ss esn ~. who Is perpetaally spyine out
Ing will always DO In q peek Of trouble.
servants ants hayng Charge 81 children have
authority e parents. andy yet are expected 70
the Glacs q parents ip q measure. to perform
servlcos that would be nr,iuOls. to most |
parents and to do it for wages rather than for
affection, The fact il that such services as |
are required Of nlrses for children can sell !
dom By bought with money alone. and that In
iii droa and interchange afssetion with them.
But, with cross. beeyish. frstful. bad.tem..
! parent pa T cannot endure. what T. the nurse
duty and expects the purse, to PASS uncom- |
Portable days and siecPless nights. Is 1t any |
wonder that nurses 10 such cases resort to |
susrsptlt.ous narcotics: AZ sootl,in.F syrups
regardless Of the health OF the child? Manya /