Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-08-11
TRAITS OF FRENCH SERVANTS.
In Many Respects They Differ From
ENGLISH mud AIaericaxa ..HSlx,

In Many Respects They Differ From
English and American Help"
Servants in France are much more hu-
man than those across the channel They
are more independent, too at least in out
ward seeming, They are capable of "an-
swering back likewise of vindictiveness
know of certain Partisan lady who
had the unhappy thought to go below
stairs on her return from opera or ball,
with the object of secret inspection of the
premises. The servants soon knew it; with
the result that madam's beautiful dresses
were spoiled, in consequence of the doors
and doorways being ingeniously creased.
The story was told me by the wife of one
OF the men servants
1t is to be remembered that the best
French servants do not take service with
foreigners from the simple fact that they
have small chance of securing a place in a
good French family afterward. French
women think the English very bad house
keepers. They do not take into considera-
ton that the English have their children
about them, that they usually have large
families, that friends who drop in are
pressed to stay to luncheon or dinner and
the master of the house feels at liberty to
invite a man friend to any meal without
warning.
Wages in Franch are lower than in Eng
land, the tips" given are small, the guests
few. No establishment is kept up during
the absence of the family, as it would be
in England, nor do the French take a
small army of domestics with them when
they go to the seashore.
A French woman gets twice the work
out of her servants that an English woman
does, and the work is better. One reason
for this is that the day does not begin with
that most disagreeable of meals, an Eng
lish or American breakfast. Madame
takes her coffee in her room. Coffee and
a roll are all monsieur and the children de-
mand. Let us say that this modest repast
is served at about half past s. This leaves
the cook, save for the making of the coffee,
her entire morning for the arranging and
preparing of her second breakfast or lunch
con and the dinner.
Madame goes about in, grieve to say, a
'peignoir," and instructs her staff; or if
but one or two servants are kept she dusts
all ornaments, and having set the ma
chinery in working order leaves it to work
by itself. Once dressed for the day she
does not descend from her dias of ''grande
dame" We often hear French servants
accused of dishonesty. did not, however,
find them thievish. If they do steal, you
may be sure that they will take something
worth taking.
There is a good deal of esprit de corps
about them. They have small interests of
their own and are not gossips. 1t is I'M
wise in France to do your own marketing;
your cook will do it better than you. She
gets certain percentage from the market
women, but she buys things cheaper than
you can; therefore you are not really out
Of pocket and are saved trouble.
Coachmen and footmen are frequently
imported from England and receive high
wages. All other wages may be placed
somewhat lower than in England, but you
will get better cook at hundred dollars
a year in France than you could anywhere
in Great Britain. The French housemaid
does not work as hard as the English house
maid does. In the first place, the ''froteur''
comes every week or every two weeks to
polish the floors and stairs; in the next, she
does not have baths in each room to fill
empty and keep clean, as our French
friends do not deem morning tub abso
lutely necessary.
The duties of housekeeper. butler and
cook are about the same as in England as
are those of the lady's maid.-Cor Kate
Fields Washington.