Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-28

Ion-bon boxes and the mistake was not
discovered until a few minutes before din
ncr. when the waiter reported II 10
Madame Bollict. Instantly there arose
such commOtiOn below stairs, and par
ticularly in the region of the department
where table-decorations are kept, that all
fed In dismay. Madame BOlliets maid
was fortunately gifted with nimble fingers,
however, and no lives were lost. for she
quickly transformed an ordinary box into
one of the desired kind.
SERVANTS ALL SPEAK FRENCH.
IN hiring servants Madame Bolliet is
particularly generous. Her orders are
To get only the best and pay them liber-
ally. All the Vanderbilt servants are OBJ
tanned from the congregation of dear
little French church on Thirtieth street,
the pastor Of which is personally response
Bile To the directress for the honesty Of
those he recommends.
Madame Bolliet hires them and turns
them over to the head of their separate
departments. and they are taken on a
months trial If they do well they are
given pay for their months work. and
are promised twice as much in future as
long as they care to stay.
The wages range from $50 a month
upwards, and the average is about so
ana "A fine room. as well as good food and
a parlor in common with the other SER
wants.
Like the Rockefeller servants, they have
a separate building TO sleep In and come
on duty at certain hours and have the
rest of the day to themselves.
The time the Vanderbilt servants re-
manned in the employ of the family can
only be described as indefinite" None
Of h.i
many were born In the servants quarter,
and have grown up quietly hidden away In
the servants apartments and are now
employed on a salary.
Mrs. Vanderbilt allows her servants to
remain with her after marriage. and If
they have children the children, too, can
remain provided that they are quiet and
well-behaVed. There are usually two or
three little ones In various stages of child
hood i'm the. servants quarters and they
become great pets.
The directress while fierce If anything
goes wrong, is very soft-hearted ana
knows all the troubles of the maids, and
is taken fully into their confidence. If a
good worker who has been long In the
employ OF the house wishes to marry the
directress allows the maid to bring the
man she loves 10 see her; and If there
is a vacancy in the buffers pantry, or in
the stable, or In the gardens, the maid
has the promise of "A position for her
young man. And so there are many
happy young married people within those
Fifth-avenue walls. And all are saving
little money against the time when work
may not be so. well paid or when there
may be q change In management, for.
OF course, things cannot go on forever IN
a beatiflc state
of 10 they
placed In a part of the house quite Sc
cluded from noise and all attendance is
given them. Their wages go on; and II
upon recovery they are weak and unable
TO work as before. the directress suggests
that they be sent to the Newport house
to stay few days with the care-taker.
And Mrs. Vanderbilt invariably replies,
Certainly"
The language OF the house Is French.
There are several Swedish servants, few
Germans, and a few Irish. but the ma
jority are Madame Bolliet's countrywo-
men, and do not speak English. All are
able to understand French, and the queer
spectacle OF an Irish helper assisting an
assistant cook who speaks only French is
often seen. The cook issues his orders
I'm French, and the Irish helper obeys
unerrngiy. never getting the vegetables
n dish. no matter how queer and strange
the name.
MADAME HAS HER CARRIAGE AND
MAID.
Madame Bolliet who might be as ele-
CANT as she pleases. dresses quietly. and
gives much Of her money to the poor
A short time ago there was an urgent
appeal made to her to take charge OF a
French mission for girls. and Madame
actually wanted to accept 1t. thinking 1t
TO be her duty. A little talk with Mrs.
Vanderbilt showed her that 1t might be
for the good of the mission IL she were
to remain in the Vanderbilt house; and.
incidentally. Mrs Frederick raised her
salary 500 per year
Madame's maid. Madame's carriage.
Madame's private table and Madames
suite OF rooms are all institutions OF the
household. and as well appointed as are
less elegant. As for guests Madame can
have as many as she pleases. and the
mistress would know nothing Of them did
she not happen to pass them with
Madame in the carriage on the way to do
shopping for household supplies
Madame Is q nice-looking woman, and
wero she not no awfuily In earnest and
so serious In expression she might be
pretty. She il shrewd, and saves many
times her own wages for Mrs. Wander
bilt. for, although much Ii bought.
nothing IL ever charged up which has not
actually been used by the family and the
household.
II IL barely possible that there are
other households In which nothing goes
aglcy from morning until night. and In
which accidents never occur TO mar COM
fort: but II IL reasonably certain that
there are not half a dozen homes in the
worid--royalty counted-in-in which the
mistress Ii kept jealously from knowing
anything OF the accidents which the pro-
verb says must occur In the best OF we'll
regulated families.