The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-24

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dent of birth or marriage, having the
means to employ another who, by thu
Incident of now being dependent, rem
dering the equivalent in service. The
Interests are, of necessity, adverse
Without intelligent forbearance there
cannot be every day harmony. Does il
follow that the servant is always a
| fault and the mistress always right
Who is not familiar with the spectacle
of patient. sensible girl vainly trying
20 please an imperious, whimsical lady
of the house? That there are incompe
| tent servants must not be denied, bu
| that society is the victim OF tyranny or
their part is not admitted. 1t has beer
said with more or less truth that land
ladies make servants. Is it more reason
able that the perversi'y and insubordi
nation of one vino is illterate may not
be overcome by superior intelligence
Does madame always exercise that for
bearance due tc one in an inferior posi-
| ton, or does she sometimes "loose the
| dogs of war" and do the honors OF
madam Virago herself? 1t goes without
saying or proving that kindness conquers
INSTRUMENTATION more effectually than
all other agencies combined.
This is not suggested by the writer OF
this most excellent paper. The charm
of her treatise is that she seems to
have the welfare Of society at heart,
aud to this end makes some valuable
suggestions for relief Substituting
Chinese and Italians is named. also the
cooperative plan OF housekeeping. by
which food is prepared for say ten fami-
lies at one central point, and distributed
to each household by the help ordinarily
employed by one family. Either method
would bring change, which is, prob
ably, all that can be said of it. Shall
poor bridget, or the virtuous, industri-
Gus American girl, be supplanted by the
servile Chlnaman, who even refuses to
allow his carcass to rot in American
soil? or the newly imported Italian. who
may or may not be spy
for the order of Malta? Granting
that the cooperative plan is a
benefaction to the rich, what becomes of
the nine wage carriers who are thus de-
prived the means of Employment!
Does it comport with christian ethics to
turn them adrift to hunt for even less
dignitied service, or even worse?
Primarily considered, has this writer
gone to the bottom of the question?
She assumes that great hardships are
put upon the employer by domestic ser
wants, and learnedly wSnders between
suggesting her two remedies and her
inability to devise any means of relief.
The wonder is that her woman's nature
did not suggest womanly sympathy as
the first means to be exhausted. The
fear Of social equality is the bugbear,
and respectability Is pale with anger at
gre display of every day civilties
would go further toward solution of
the difficulty than any other agency. 1t
is common occurrence for family
servant to hold her position for years in
the country. She cheerfully carries the
heavy burdens of farm life; and why?
She is taken and treated Gas one of the
family" She takes her meals and goes
to church with the family, and her mis-
tress is her daily companion. These
civilties are to her more than wages, and
better than any laborsaving appliance.
One writer says ''the work Of
cooking is the most troublesome and
necessary part of domestic ife." This
betrays an abhorance to a simple duty
yea an accomplishment for any woman.
Is it troublesome" to the wife to pre-
pare tempting repast for husband
who is worn or exhausted from
the toll and anxiety which, in his sphere,
is quite respectable? Will she, from
choice, delegate the service to her ''hor-
rid girl" knowing that its greatest excel
lency is in its being prepared by loving
hands, with especial reference to his
taste? May we ask further, is not down.
right laziness the beginning aud the end
of much of the housewives infelicity?
1t is not claimed that there is no such
thing as perversity on the part Of serv-
ants. On the contrary, they possess the
attributes of human nature, but the
dreary monotony of endless complain
ings through the press, all on the side of
the stronger contestant, prompts plea
for class who have the misfortune to
be poor. Neither will this writer or her
suffering sister ever reform the evil of
which she complains, while she looks
upon the art of cooking as a drudge, and
the servant girl as having native quail
ties of meanness not inherent in all man
kind.