Morning journal and courier., 1891-04-11

dinsry patience and. finesse. To follow her in one days duties would assure any one of all that. Her breakfast must be taken while milady is still sleeping, for when she wakens her cup of cocoa must be ready, after which the bath is given and milady's hair and toilet ''done." While the latter is at breakfast her cham Der must be lighted and aired, and the morning dresses arranged. If her lady ship goes for a drive, or ride, she must be again dressed for the same; and while she is absent, the maid, who in most cases is a thorough modiste, must busy her fingers at sewing. It is not customary to give her new cloths to cut, but she must be compe- tent in all repairing, and even in cleaning and reInaking soiled costume. She lunches at the same hour with her mis- tress, but hurriedly, for, if in the city, she must during this time attend to neces
 sary shopping. After lunch-hour her la- dyship is dressed for going out or for re- ceiving at home. Then again comes the round of sewing or mending, getting out
 her ladyship's dinner gown, etc., and as-
 sorting and polishing her jewels for possi-
 ble evening wear. Then her mistress
 must be dressed for dinner; and after her
 own dinner is eaten the evening costume
 complete must be laid out, some fnery re-
 moved and bits of fresh lace added here
 and there; when she is prepared to fold,
 seal and post such letters as her ladyship
 may have written just after dinner; by
 which hour the ordeal of placing her titled
 ward in full evening costume is at hand.
 This passed, the maid may busy herself
 getting costumes for the morrow in order: perhaps steal out for half hour with the bridesmaids coterie; but woe be to her if she is not smiingly in waiting, on her la dyship's return, with the latter's chamber in perfect order for retiring, at which she assists; and then lies down like the faith full animal she is, in @ room next her mis- tress, within call of bell, which is liable to summon her at any hour of the night, or rather, the morning. All lower female servants hold the lady maid in deadly hatred; the while longing for her place as one almost possessing the honors of royal ty itself. The female servants also com prise a head laundress at thirty pounds, and two or three assistants at twelve pounds each per year; an assistant cook, who must be equal in ability to the chef, and who receives twenty pounds; two ad ditional assistant cooks, or kitchen-maid at fourteen pounds; and two scullery maids at twelve pounds.
 The head butler is a sort of generalissi- mo of the male servants of the household. A majestic bearing is fortune to this fel- low. He is the general l-stand-aroundand l look awful of the house; but must have an eye to the welfare of guests and the character and behavior of his interiors. | He is also the head waiter. He attends to | the table and its proper setting and ser \ vice at all times; presiding at the carving | and other mysteries of the sideboard; for | all of which he receives seventy-five pounds per year. The under butler, at | thirtyfv pounds, has entire charge of | the silver. It practically never leaves his | hands or sight: as he not only delivers to, | and receives from, the hands of the but Ter all pieces used, but washes, polishes and sleeps alongside their receptacle-cases | in the pantry. During seasons of unusual [ entertainment he also assists the head but Ter at meals. There is generally also first, | second and third footman. These receive about the same wages as the under butler. l They clean milord's clothing, which a val | ct scorns to do save when his master trav-
 els, assist at meals as walters, wash glass
 and silverware, are regarded as general | help under the buffers: and are, properly | speaking, only footmen when on duty as such with the carriages.
 Among the other male servants is mi
 lords valet, with well-known duties. A
 bright one receives seventy pounds per
 year and will easily manage to secure as | much more. Then there are the head
 cooks, to none of whom are paid one
 fourth the price given by the American
 nouveau-riches to their recently imported | chefs who receive from one hundred and
 twenty-five to one hundred and fifty
 pounds, with perquisites of about fifty
 pounds from the sale of drippings ana fats There is also head coachman, a
 from sixty to eighty pounds, under whom } are a second coachman ut twenty-hv | pounds, a stud groom at twenty pounds , and grooms, stablemen and helpers a
 from ten to twenty pounds each; and on or two 'oddmen" who attend the SCI } vents hall, carry baggage, clean boots an } are a sort of everybodys' men to all below
 stairs.
 The whole number of servants at one C these princely houses is therefore yer , large. I have only enumerated those d rectly serving the household itself, who's
 | members may not number half dozer
 | and in seasons of entertainment will nc average more than two dozen souls.
 :, Among all these house servants there al . | what might be called an upper and a low
 CT house. Precedence is as severe a Nla
 ter and scourge here as with the nobilit f | themselves. The hours for servants mea b are: Breakfast, eight: lunch, eleven; dil r., ner, one; tea, five: and supper from mir to ten. The upper house includes il
 steward, butler, housekeeper, the hes v cook, the valets and the ladies' maid V These usually take all their meals by then "a selves, in either the stewards, or hous
 keepers room, where they occasional
 lounge and do their necessary correspo n dence. The lower house comprises $ 2 other servants, of whom the under butt n or assistant cook takes precedence.
 some houses all the servants dine toget -s CT; the upper servants assembling in | l, housekeeper's room, from which they st it emnly march to the servants dining -ha the lower servants remaining standing u ' til their bettels are seated, the butler n the head of the table. No converssti a. whatever is permitted while the joint m being partaken of. The lugubrious re lence and austerity of this gathering E to inconceivably ludicrous. When the me s. course is finished the upper servants ri ,a The lower servants follow with militia
 alacrity The former, in their proper ,e der of precedence, like automatic pupp' at then march back into the stewards TOO st | where, in the greatest punctillio, puddi ,J | and dessert are served. Meanwhile 1 si- lower servants, relieved of the presence .s- these their seyerest masters, fall to sm IT. talk, cheese and small beer to their heal ry content. Other grotesque forms amu la these folk are noticeable. Guests 8 he wants invariably take the rank of tn la visiting master or mistress. The valet k, lord is seated next the butler, and is
 ten housed and entertained" by the ste be ard The maid of a countess, or duche ' a is ''handed in to dinner" below stairs W NV all the ceremony which her titled mistr he may receive one story higher. But an m dinary servant or footman must acc nd rigorous ''pot-luck" with members of re lower house. Again, the upper serva at- must always be addressed by the lower rt- "Mr.," :" Mrs" or Miss" But amc Ter footmen and house-maids in general IT,
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