The record-union., 1894-03-23
HOUSEKEEPING In CHINA.
Chinese Servants Who Make Their
MistreSses Dresses.
The Chinese Have No Respect for
Women and Contempt for Anyone
Who Waits on Herself.

servants must be employed in the enc as
in the other country, but the great differ
ence consists in the fact that in Hong
kong nothing can be bought for the house
save through the compradore. A compra-
dore, generally speaking, in places OF
business is the cashier; in this case he is
the middIeman, and it is useless to rebel
against his rule; nothing can be done
without him. In the eye of the Chinese
he is entitled to his Squeeze" and all
who have anything to sell stand by him
to the bitter end.
MASTER himself occasionally grows
weary of the compradore's yoke, and de-
clares he will market for himself; it
would be worse than useless for the mis-
tress TO do so, 1or the celestials have no
sort of respect for their own or other
Women-folk.
TO market master" goes; he finds the
shops tuil OF meat and vegetables, but not
penny worth can he buy. No amount OF
eXpostulation avails him; thousand and
one polite but diaphanouS excuses are
given him why the goods cannot be sold,
and he is pertorce obliged TO have re-
course To the compradore again. One
cOmpradOre usually serves several fam
lilies, and as rule serves them well.
The boy is at the head OF the servants,
as in Japan, and is paid about the same
wageS-SI0 per month. IN most house
holds he hires the remainder of the serv
ants. After him comes the cook, the
house coolie and one or two smah boys,
"larn pidgins," who serve as apprentices
without pay; then there is a scullion in
the kitchen and the market coolie-if the
family lives at the Peak.
Usually an amah is kept who waits
lor isfr nd ba
bold mending; her pay averages from $40
30 Sl2. Ii there are children one or more
nurses are employed, according to the
Number. At least TOUR chair coolies are
kept, at from So to 81 a month; if the
household is large one and OFT the line
OF the tram. double number must be
employed.
Some ladies keep a Chinese tailor the
year round, instead of an amah. He
cost no more, and he can make dresses
and many OF the linen and cotton clothes
of the men folk, which is great advant-
age in that climate where SO many
changes are necessary. The tailors do
very well tor ordinary dresses if they
have patterns and ideas given them. AS
rule they are not trusted with evening
dresses, those being sent out from
home"
Some families who are very particular
keep ''Washman," others send all the
liden out of the house to be done; this
costs but little compared to London or
New \ ork prices. The ordinary laundry
work done in Hongkong is very poor;
skirts and collars are passably laundered,
but other things are badly done COM
pared with the work done by Chinese out
of China. Chinese servants are peculiar
and one must spend some time IN learn
ing their ways and habits, for while they
initiate many things without trouble, and
as a rule do exactly as they are told, still
they Will persist in doing some things
their own way. They can never be per-
suaded to do a thing they do not wish to;
they will always take refuge in the la
comic answer mo savey," which means
they do not understand; and having once
said they do not understand. nothing will
ever make them confess they do.
As in all Eastern countries, the lines of
caste are strongly drawn, and the Euro
pean woman-all white women are called
Europeans-who asks one OF her servants
to perform a bit OF work not belonging
to him, soon discovers this fact. This
no blong nay pidgin," is refusal as un-
alterable as the laws of the Medes and
Persians.
An amah will refuse to carry even a
small parcel for a block, and lose her
place rather than do it. The chair coolies
will carry 'chits" and parcels. but it is
beneath the dignity of boy or an amah
to do so.
AS race the Chinese have no respect
for women in general, and an unmiti-
gated contempt for any one III particular
who chooses to wait upon herself They
much more admire woman who lies on
the verandah all day reading novels and
occasionally calls, boy, bring my hand
kerchief" or boy, pick up my book"
than they have for one who does these
things for herself.
They are equal to any emergency, be-
ing freely given to borrowing and lend
ing. If unexpected com mpany arrives just
at meal time, they always manage to pro-
vide enough and to serve it well. In
point of fact, though company is seldom
unexpected in Hongkong. servants very
soon come TO understand that visitors
NAV appear at any moment. Until very
lately there was not any sort Of comfort
able hotel accommodations for strangers,
and the citizens were obliged, per force,
to entertain them.
As rule the best servants are those
who were trained in the large Hongs. in
days gone by, when entertaining was
done on a large scale and in princely
style.
A boy who has lived in a bachelors
house dislikes very much to go to live
where the household is controlled by
woman, and in many cases an old and de-
voted servant will take his leave if the
a
stand to be looked after in the careful
way which so many women think neces-
eary and it is my opinion that they Will
take advantage of woman twice as often
as OF Il man.
Some old residents aver that there is
something innately dishonest about the
Chinese, for although all business houses
have a Chinese compradore, even in
Japan-and there are many who have
been found trustworthy for years-still
they declare that when the right time
comes the Celestial will vanish with as
much money as he can get away with. ]
To strangers the 'p'dgin" English is
very confusing. The parodies OF 'Ex-
celsior' and My name is Norval,"
which begin, 1.-The mighty time begin
chop-chop ''My name b'long Norval,"
are simplicity itself. compared to what
one hears in any Chinese English town.
II you chance to call upon a lady who is
out, the BOY tells you Misses 9 no hap"
If thev are busy they Will tell you they
s.hap pidgin,' pidgin being the nearest
they can come to pronounclng the word
"busiaess." If they are at leisure they
will ''hap TIM" The stranger does not
understand that ''bring topside" means
fetch upstairs, or that ''chop-chop' means
hurry, and naturally most ludicrous
blunders occur. One very SOON becomes
accustomed TO the jargon, and begins TO
use it unconsciously.
The Chinaman is neat about his person
in a reverse order from the Japanese; the
latter bathes from one to half a dozen
times a day. but seldom wash their
clothes; the former, If he is good serv-
ant. keeps himself clothed in immaculate
linen, but seldom bathes. The white,
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Emphaticall