The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-08
MAIDS IN GAY BLOUSES.
The New Fad for Oriental Girls as
Servants.
They Must Be Guarded From the High
binders-Richly CARRIED Damsels With
Almond Eyes to Serve O'Clock Tea.

binders-Richly CARRIED Damsels With
Almond Eyes to Serve O'Clock Tea.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
To be ultra fashionable now a housewife
must have a Chinese or Japanese maid
sevant 1t used to be merely an Individual
fancy, but now it has assumed the pro
portions of a fad, and the Japanese or
Chinese boy" will not do any longer to
put the household in the fashion-a wo-
man servant from the Orient is required
The thing started in New York, but
within the last six months it has been
eagerly taken up over on our side of the
continent. Now Chinese and japanese
girls are in demand, and the missions are
not able to supply the people who call
upon them.
The mission, in fact, require references
before they will allow their girls to go
out. There is too much trouble rescuing
them to have them slip back again, as
they are quite likely to do if they are not
watched It will not do to give them the
liberties that other serving maids have
for they are like wax in the hands of de-
SA64AAAlS PCcp4U anu lCiAVOL / h0lANAdo 81
far as character is concerned.
The chief reason for the popularity of
the Oriental maid is in her picturesque
possibilities. If she wears her native dress
she is about as attractive as a 81, 500 vase
or a rare piece of bric-a-brac. Visitors
like to look at her, and consequently the
prettier and more graceful the girl the
higher wages she can command Good
looks, which are drawback to a servant
in the eyes of most women, bring a pre-
MUM when the good looks are of the ORR
entail pattern. Long, narrow eyes, thin,
black brows and a clear complexion are
the things desired. An Oriental girls
hair is always shiny and well arranged,
and everything about her is invariably
neat.
Generally part of the duties OF an orr
entail servant is attendance at the door.
This is where the spectacular feature
counts. After the ring of the electric bell
has died away there is a patterng of
slippered feet or the clack of little Jap
anese wooden stills, and the door swings
back revealing a small, brilliant figure
with a card tray concealed in the depths
! of her sleeve or kimono. 1t is all very
| fetching.
Another function that the maiden from
over the seas is expected to perform is
| serving o'clock tea. 1t is peculiarly ap-
| propriate and lends an aroma to the beY-
! erage. 1t never seems the same after
| ward, when a Gretchen, with face like
! a platter, or Hibernian carries the tray.
| The door of Mrs. Crowns house at
| Powell and Sacramento streets is always
! opened by a Japanese maid. Her name is
| Chicah, and though she has been in the
! service only eight months, she speaks En-
| gliSh with ease and understands every
! thing. pretty girl is Chicah, only she
| wears American clothes which detracts
| I.r- Ivvt
comfort, for the kimonos are very narrow
and difficult to walk in, Chicah has
! bright eyes, like blackberries clear yell
| low complexion and ruddy cheeks She
was born in japan and has the very best
disposition in the world. When the Chi
nese cook and the American servant girl
! quarrel sometimes her eyes become as
round as nature will permit. Chicah
never quarrels, and her mistress says she
! is a mosaic.
In the same house is a young Chinese
girl, Foo Ching, who serves as a lady's
| maid and takes care of an invalid. She
and Chicah live in perfect harmony care
| fully avoiding all International discus
sions for in temper Foon Ching rivals
the placid Chicah. She smiles constantly.
also, though her smile is not so rotund
as Chicah's. She is an ideal nurse, and,
by instinct, an excellent lady's maid
| Foon Ching also wears American dress,
as a measure for protection, for Chinese
| girls are too valuable TO go unprotected
on the street with perfect equanimity.
| American clothes and Nineteenth century
modes of wearing the hair disguise them
| somewhat and make them look like Jap
auese girls, which they consider com
! piment, as well as a safe guard.
All the ladies who have oriental maid
| servants are enthusiastic over their obedi-
ence and docllty. They have the great
lesson Of obedience at an early age and
| the japanese girls i'm particular, are we'll
brought up. Rapid in learning and quick
about ideas, the japanese make model
servants.
In Alameda a family at the East End
has a very charming Chinese girl whose
name is Sow. This title brought up too
| many farm yard visions TO suit the mis-
| tress Of the house, so they rechristencd
| her Emma In tho morning while at
work Emma usually wears American
clothes. When she goes abroad In com
| pany with some one and i'm the afternoon
| at home she dons Chinese robes OF breadth
and gorgeousncss. one OF her fayorite
| gowns Is pink brocaded blouse and
! trousers Of lemon yellow She has O
| stock of Chinese jcwelry and is able 20
| dress her hair In the latest butterfly bows
/ Thus attired and thus heieweled she held
/ the card tray at tho entrance TO Mrs.
| Shattucks home on Central avenue on tho
! occasion Of an afternoon tea given bv
that lady not long ago. IN IS safe to say
that there was not one OF tho 200 guests
who dld not comment on tho pretty chic
ncsc Eirl Boz gay garments
Sow who made such pleasing imurea.
sion 90 the tea. has had "a stormy career
She has been soId several times. Tor she Is
pretty, as oriental rrctincsa goes. THsn
enc wac Nanappea hy an American lady