The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-01-14
Select Storg.
OUR PARLORMAID.
CHAPTER 1
Erom Chambers Journal.

CHAPTER l.
am the wife of medical man in Lon
don, who, / am thankful to say, possesses
an excellent practice Our house is in
Noting Hill but | need not particularize
the exact locality, as it has nothing to do
with my story. We employ three servants
indoors-ccok, housemaid, and parlor-
maid. As we have no children we do not
require nurse. And I am sure, from my
own experience, when | hear people de-
clare that there are very few good servants
to be had now, and that doing their duty
is generally the very last thing they think
of, I sympathize and agree with them
from the bottom Of my heart. | am con-
vinced there are few such faithful, attached
domestics to be had now as there used to
be in my grandmother's days. | am a
1nost indulgent mistress, and yet have
not been able to get servants to stay with
me. If, by great good fortune, have
found one to suit me she was sure either
to quarrel with the others, or take offense
at some trivial matter, or discover that
the situation was not good enough, and
that she ought to "better herself; and
them all the wearisome round of registry
offices, advertisements, correspondence, and
interviews have had to be gone through
again.
At the time of which | write, however,
| was fortunate enough to have tolerable
cook, and housemaid who seemed all
that was desirable; but l could not meet
with parlormaid. My last was stately
middle-aged woman, with manners fit for
a palace, who had come to me with re-
commendation from alady of title. But,
alas soon discovered that she drank.
Finally, she returned one Sunday evening
hopelessly intoxicated, and my heart died
within me at the prospect of having to
hunt for another l advertised again, and
had several applications. One was from
young woman who had been living for
three years at country vicarage in Sur
rey. She referred me to her late master,
the Rev. Wentworth Allardyce, who was
then at Folkestone, where he was staying
on account of his health. l wrote to him
at the address given, which was fashion
able hotel, and received reply giving
Eliza Willis such high character for hon
esty, sobriety, and conscientiousness that
engaged her at once.
A more prepossessing girl l never saw.
Imagine a Madonna face, framed in
4 smooth soft brown hair, pensive hazel
Heyes, a sweet smile, neat, trim figure,
most winningly deferential manners, and
you have the portrait of Eliza Willis She
was thoroughly competent servant, who
seldom needed directions, and never had
20 be told thing twice; fact which
spoke volumes for her efficiency, as any
old housekeeper could certify. So domes-
tic peace at last seemed to settle down
upon us, and for time lived in para
disc. From morning till night Eliza la
bored to save me trouble and annoyance.
If | forget anything no disaster ensued,
for her admirable memory supplied the
deficiency. If l had headache she
would smooth my pillow and bring me tea
with the dexterity Of professional nurse
superadded to the tenderness of personal
friend. She could sew better than any
girl ever knew, and was invaluable to
me in repairing the household linen and in
executing any little alteration in my ward
robe. Her skill in waiting at table and
her politeness to all visitors delighted
everybody who came to the house. She
performed all these various functions, too,
with such sweetness that that alone was a
high recommendation. No one ever saw
Eliza ruffled or out of temper. Neither
hurry nor delay made her cross. She was
so willing and obliging that she never OBJ
jected to doing anything required of her.
She was also honest to degree-absurdly
honest | used to say. One night, for in
Stance, very late, when | was sitting up
for Charlie, she came down wrapped in a
shawl hours after she had gone to bed to
say that she recollected she had given me
change penny short on returning from
an errand that day, and she could not
sleep for thinking about it. She assured me
SO fervently as she handed me the coin
that she had never wronged anybody of a
halfpeuny in her whole life that from that
moment would have trusted her with
untold gold.
She had been with us about two months