Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-20
SERVANTS TROUBLES.
A Leaf From the Unfortunate Experience
of Typical Domestic.


of Typical Domestic.
From the New York Sun.
She was a servant. ordinary Sls-a-month
cook in one Of 10000 brown-stone houses that
are alike in uptown New York. She had been in
the habit of congratulating herself upon her
good fortune in having her place in that house.
She worked for a small family. the heads Of
which were kind and easy TO please. She had
nothing to do but the cooking and Washing
She got her money promptly, and the man Of
the house was accustomed to change a portion
Of it into pound or two-pound note every
month, that she might mail English money TO
the mother she kept alive and the brothers and
sisters shewished to have here in this country with
her. She had her Thursday and SUNDAY hours
of freedom, and the upstairs maid who worked
with her was evidently TO her liking, for their
laughter and pleasantries made the kitchen q
gay and lively place. Both women were accus-
toned to rejoice over their friends who worked
in other houses and to boast that they were TO
be envied on every account This was the more
remarkable because both considered themselves
sensitive and difficult TO please.
The cook could not define in her own mind
the reason for a feeling that opposed complete
peace and rest in her mind. She could not
have explained the fact that the overwhelming
held OF woman's industries gave her and all OF
her kind feeling of independence and unre-
stralnt SO strong as to be at least remarkable il
not unnatural All she would have said had
she been questioned on the subject was that "a
girl does not be long out of a place in these
days: There does be too many people wanting
her"
A woman who came over on the same ship
with her TO this country; and on that account
was her cousin, had been delivered of a child,
and the night of the christening came She
got leave 70 attend it. and she STAYED late and
drank great deal She had little time left for
sleep, but she did not fail in her duty. she
was up betimes and at her work albeit she was
sore In brain and fevered and irritable. She
allowed the oatmeal to burn and she said to
the upstairs girl that she sorry she had
burned 1t, but there was no time to remedy the
fault and maybe il would not be noticed She
served the breakfast. and after it was eaten by
the family the mistress came into the kitchen
and said: Maria, the oatmeal was burned this
morning, and as that is all my husband ever
eats he got nothing but cup of coffee
You can get another girl. ma am--one
that'll take your talk. As for me, I'll leave this
minute"
"Why, Maria"
"Oh. goodbye to We. ma'am. Give me nv
money and III be going. | never was talked to
SO and I'll not stand it from any one"
She received her money and took herself off
She went to her cousins, and. after a weeks
rest and jollity, applied for work at an intelli-
gence Office. She then had an ENJOYABLE and
interesting experience in searching for a new
place. She could have had one in half an hour,
but the first woman who needed girl told her
that part of her duty would be TO attend to
the furnace. She had attended to the furnace
In the last place she had, but during her week 5
rest she had heard OF two cooks who did not
have anything to DO with the furnace Their
mistresses called in a man from outside to do
that work. The next place TO which this girl
went was not offensive in respect of the furnace;
III fact. the girl was quite concerned during a
fifteen minutes talk with the woman who
wanted her at not finding any excuse for declin-
ing the place. To the great ease of her mind
she at last remembered that girl friend of
hers. who was in poor health. had induced her
employer to send out to laundry the counter
panes and blankets and very heaviest pieces in
the wash of that house. She therefore said that
unless this was done she feared she would not
be strong enough to fill the place. At the next
house to which she went she had tired of walk
ing about, and she agreed to the terms Of the
woman of the house, accepted the place and
promised to return with her clothing in All hour
Her fatigue prompted this course. At her
cousin = she found an unexpected gathering of
joylal men and women who were bent on having
a good time that evening. One had brought a
concertina and much beer WAS promised. She
therefore felt justified in remaining there ard
did not 60 to her new place.
She meant to go in tine morning. and said to
herself that this would be as well, since the
place would not be likely to be filed in so short
sembled company at her cousins the fact that
the next day was Friday occurred to some one,
and she dismissed the project. 1t would never
do to take place on FRIDAY. As no other girl
would be likely to feel differently in regard to
this well-estRblished superstition the place
would remain untaken. 1t is no part of the
thread of this narrative to tell of the discuu,-
future of the housekeeper when the girl did not
come. Nor is it germane to the story to show
how far that housekeeper travelled on that Fri
day in search of a girl, or how many times she
paid 81 for the service of different intelligence
offices. girls beng few and hard to get
Saturday was stormy and the housekeeper
continued her rounds, advertising in the news
papers as well. but the girl considered the
weather unfit for n woman TO be out in. and 80
kept snug at her cousins On Monday the
storm had passed and she went TO the house at
which she had engaged herself. She had rea-
son to congratulate herself upon what happened
there. She endeayored to make her excuses
to the woman Of the house. and. indeed. had
invented story which she considered interest
ing, but the woman would not hear a word Of
it. On the contrary. she sand 20 the girl: Il DO
not want yon on any day at any price. You
told me Il faseb 1od'
lis it a lie yoa mean?" asked the girl
The woman OF the house simply repeated her
words. and they were quite sufficient in the
wounded girls opinion TO warrant her leaving
the house and thanking her stars that she had
escaped from the domination of SO rude and i'll
natured person. She returned to her cousins
and on the next day walked into a PLACE that
suited her with no more trouble than she need
have had at the outset.
The woman whose oatmeal she burned and
the other hot-tempered housekeeper who
charged her with falsehood were still looking
for a servant and. as the girl would have said
had she known ii, they were getting no more
trouble than was their due.