Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-19
THE SERVANTS SIDE.
An Entertaining and Instruct
i've Half Hour With a
Party of Girls.
FAULTS OF MISTRESSES.
Places Where the Help Comes to
Dinner After the Poodles.
DISTINCTIONS In BILLS OF FARE.
freedom in the Evening is the Burning
Question Of the Day.
OLD CLOTHES in LIEU OF SALARY
DISTINCTIONS IN BILLS OF FARE.
freedom in the Evening Is the Burning
Question of the Day.
Old CLOTHES in LIEU OF SALARY

economic theorists, O few illustrations bear
ing on the subject may possess . practica
value, 1t may, perhaps, be as we'll to say
at once that no facts will be stated in thil
connection, save such as have come undel
the writer's own personal observation.
One ought not reasonably to expect Al
unfedged angel to enact the role of {
Bridget for the modest compensation of 5:
to s. week. There is no special dispense
tion of Providence which will exempt the
maid from the moods, sulks, aches and blue:
to which her mistress is occasionally sub
jected From dispassionate point of view
it would seem natural to expect more Of
Belf-control and calm endurance from the
educated and intelligent woman than from
her ignorant and nndisciplined domestic.
In many cases facts will not bear out such
an assumption. The mistress regards af-
prerogative and e1acts unvaryIng amiability
from her maid of all work.
Servants Not Supposed to Have Nerves.
This too, despite the fact that the former
can command her own time, while the latter
must bake and boil, and wash and iron, no
matter how suffocating the weather may be,
how her head may ache or her nerves throb.
Nerves, however, are a most superfuous
luxury for servant They are popularity sup
posed to be the special possession of the
rich. As the physical anatomy of rich and
poor is the same, it is hard to understand
why NERVES" cannot belong to the arbiter
of the kitchen as we'll as to the presiding
genius of the drawing room.
One thing should always be borne in
mind, namely, that both mistress and maid
are alike women, endowed with similar
aims and hopes and natures and affections
The servant is not an automaton. She NAV
have a lower grasp of the meaning and
purposes of life, but her horizon embraces
within its limits much the same objects
that are contained within the broader sweep
of her mistress mental vision. Bridget IL
a shrewd observer She is a critic and Q
judge She sees the prosaic side of life,
and has profound contempt for many q
woman who stands high in the social world.
If Bridget so elected she could carry frcm
one place to another many a choice morsel
OF domestic wrsngling, of private scandal,
of unguessed selfishuess and of shrewish
temper. AS rule, however, some unwrit-
ten code of honor seals her lips, and she
Keeps inviolate numerous secrets with which
she might amaze a startled public.
One Subject Bridget Discusses.
On one subject, however, she is verbose.
When questioned by another servant con-
cerning place which she has recently left
Bridget does not hesitate to spsak forcibly
and to the treatment which sShe resolved
personally. Further than this she does not
go, but on this one topic she wakes elo-
quent
Recently at little gathering of working
girls chanced to overhear the mistress dis
cussed from her maids standpoint In the
group we're some eight or ten servants Two
of them were desirous of securing places
and were making eager inquiries about GER
tain women who were known to be without
help. In short, the girls were seeing if their
would-be mistresses could furnish suitable
recommendations reversal of the
usual status of affairs Yet, be 1t known,
this is by no means an unusual proceeding
A sort of Freemasonry exists among all
servants, in consequence of which they
advise, warn, dissuade and admonish each
other with regard to all places. But let
them speak for themselves, and remember
that this is no fancy sketch at all, but a bit
OF servant talk to which the writer deliber-
ately listened.
Not as Good as the Dogs.
Mary was out of place and Mrs Smith,
to engage her. Bridget listened nervously
to the statement of the case, and then her
words burst forth in q torrent: 81 would
sooner starve than go back to her. Sure,
she gave me IS week and there was a sec.
ond girl and q wssherwoman, too, but for
all that. and though there were only two in
the family, wouldn't 60 back again for
no amount of money! never dared eat auy
meat or potatoes until her dogs had been
4oI. I
ter, too! l had to eat after them and to
cook for the nasty little things and to wash
them as if they were babies. And 1 never
dared to be out after o'clock in the even
ing, though gracious me, she would be out
until 3 and in the morning! And 1 didn't
dare have company, either. What did she
think 1 could do all evening, anyway? I
can't read and she knows it. I've
heard her complain often enough
of being lonely when her husband
was away and no one chanced to CALL and
goodness knows she had her books and
. magazines and music and fancy work. And
that was her house, too, and of course she
would feel more interest in it than would.
But she expected me to be in every evening
OF my life and never see my friends. !
stood it nearly q year, for hate to change
places, but tell you I'd have gone crazy
sure if I'd stayed week longer"
Must Have Their Evenings.
A very animated discussion followed
Bridgets harangue, and 1t was most OBJ
rious that the "evening" was q sore topic
with the girls Help chanced to be very
scarce in the city and there were evidently
certain women who would find 1t extremely
difficult to get girls because of their stand
on this very question.
Apparently the girls did not wish to be
unreasonable. At least they SO asserted re-
peatedly. They were willing to remain at
home whenever there was any real emer-
gency demanding their presence When no
such case arose, however, they felt that
they were entitled to some liberty after-a
hard days work
''0ur minister gave me ticket once to q
Y. NJ. c. A. lecture" announced Bridget,
land Mrs Smith wouldn't let me 60 That
was just little too much. She said
Oughtn't to be on the streets alone at night
As if an honest girl couldn't take care of
herself at that hourp'
"How about Mrs Brown" questioned
Mary, ''she hasn't got girl, either"
81 don't believe you'd like her at ALL"
volunteered another of the group. "You
dussn't eat in the dining room, and YOU
can't use the same dishes that the family
does She keeps cheaper ones for the girl.
Then, too, she'll buy cheap meat and cheap
butter for you, and you won't dare touch
what the family has. know ali about her.
I've tried it there. used to have hard
work getting square meal sometimes"
Awomnn They All Liked.
"1 wish Mrs. A. wanted q firl," was
Msry's next remark. It was evident that