The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-06-16
The Servant Girl Question

1Ae current NUMBER OF the wort
american ReUiea0 has an article by Mr.
Amelia Barr on 1.-THE Servant Girl
Point of View" She says that it
charged that servant girls grow NOR
idle, snowy, impudent, and Independent
year by year. Her belief is that the las
Is true, and that it explains the Others
1t is easier for servants to go from cit
to city in search of places than it wa
once. They read the ''want" columns
and have little difficulty in finding an
other position if they wish to leave TIN
one they have. According to Mrs. Barr
II servants think of nothing but dress
neither do their mistresses. MACHINERY
has made it possible for the latter t.
have lots of dresses, and it has done the
same kind Of service for the former The
girl in the kitchen thinks of lovers, but
80 does the girl in the parlor. But while
| the status Of the servant has improved
| and she is less dependent In so many re-
! spects, the mistress often clings to the
old notions Of the inferiority of servants
and is inclined to look upon what they
do as the "humble labor of an inferior
for superior being" To this incorrect
view Of the relations of the parties the
writer attributes much of the trouble,
and suggests that three things be done
which she believes would revolutionize
the whole conditions of service:
First. The relation should be put up
on an absolute commercial basis; and
made as honorable as mechanical, or
factory, or store service.
Second. Duties and hours should be
clearly defined. There should be no in>
references in personal matters. There
should be no more personal interest ex-
pected or shown than is the rule between
any other employer and employee.
Third. II it were possible to induce
yearly engagements, they should be the
rule; for when people know they have to
put up with each other for twelve
months, they are more inclined to be
patient and forbearing; they learn to
make the best of each others ways; and
bearing becomes liking, and habit
strengthens liking, and so they go on,
and are pretty we'll satisfied.
This is pretty in theory, but not so
easy to carry out. It is not difficult to
put the commercial idea in practice in
large hotel where there are many EN-
ployes, but it is hard in small house
Service in factory does not bring en-
ploye and employer into close personal
relations Service in family inevitably
does 80. The mechanic and superinten-
dent in a factory do not feel an uncon-
trollable yearning to drop work and dis
cuss one another's gowns. Mistress and
maid do, and even if neither cared for
dress they could not live under the same
roof tree for weeks or months without
the element Of personal interest entering
into their relations.
The duties and hours in the shop can
be clearly defined. So they can be in
household with a large staff of servants.
But in the ordinary American house
hold, with its one or two girls-and such
constitute the great majority-it is out
of the question. Rules on the subject
may be laid down Monday, but some
necessity will break them on Tuesday
1t is possible to define hours clearly only
when, as in some cities, the girl lives out
side of the house. When that is the
case she enjoys the same advantages as
the factory girl. Her time is absolutely
her own after she has quit work. But
where that is not the case the mistress
will always feel called ON to interfere in
certain personal matters" She will
object to the girl staying out late or
having late company in the house.
1t is very hard to place uncommercial
work ON commercial basis, especially
when carried on on that small scale
where employer and employe are contin-
ually thrown together, and to some ex-
tent work together There is no reason
to believe that the complaints which
mistresses make about servants = not
merely in the United States, but in Great
Britain and the Continent-would cease
if an attempt were made to put Mrs
Barr's three suggestions into practice
The truth is, those complaints have been
made from the beginning of recorded
time. They are heard more loudly now
because SO many more people employ
and there are 80 many more
grumblers. The 'good old servants"
who did such good work and never were
idle or impudent, lived only in those
''good old times" which never existed.