The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1894-05-16
HOUSEKEEPING IN CHINA.
CHINESE SERVANTS, MALE AND
FEMALE, AND HOW THEY WORK.

Their Ways Are Peculiar, But, After
All, They Make Ideal Servants
One Woman's Experience.
T 7 oUsEKEEPING in China, or
NJ rather in Hong Kong, differs
materially from housekeep-
ing in Japan. A multiplicity
of servants must be employed in the
one as in the other country, but the
great difference consists in the fact
that in Hong Kong nothing can be
bought for the house save through the
compradore. A compradore, generally
speaking, in places of business is the
cashier in this case he is the middle
man, and it is useless to rebel against
his rule nothing can be done without
him.
'Master" himself occasionally grows
weary of the compradore's yoke, and
declares he will market for himself;
il would be worse than useless for the
mistress to do so, for the Celestials
have no sort of respect for their own
or other women folk, says the Pail
Mall Gazette.
To market "master" goes he finds
the shops full of meats and vegetables,
but not penny worth can he buy.
No amount of expostulation svails
him; thousand and one polite but
diaphanous excuses are given him
why the goods cannot be sold, and he
is perforce obliged to have recourse
to the compradores again. One COM
pradore usually serves several families,
and as a rule serves them we'll.
The "boy" is at the head of the
servants, as in Japan, and is paid
about the same wages-$10 per month.
In most households he hires the re-
mainder of the servants. After him
come the cook, the house coolie, and
one or two small boys, ''larn pidgins"
who serve as apprentices, without pay;
then there is a scullion in the kitchen
and the market coolie--if the family
live at the Peak.
Usually an amah is kept who waits
upon her mistress and does the house
hold mending; her pay averages from
ten to twelve dollars. If there are
children one or more nurses are en-
ployed, according to the number. At
least four chair coolies are kept, at
from six to seven dollars a month; if
the household is large one, and of
the line of the tram, double number
must be employed.
Some ladies keep Chinese tailor
the year round, instead of an amah.
He costs no more, and he can make
dresses and many of the linen and
cotton clothes of the men folk, wnicl
is great advantage in that cline
where so many changes are necessary
Some families who are very particu
lar keep a "washman," others send al
} of the linen out of the house to b'
done this costs but little compared
to London or New York prices. TIL
ordinary laundry work done in Honl
l Kong is very poor shirts and collar
I are passably laundried, but othel
: things are badly done compared will
the work of the Chinese out of China
Chinese servants are peculiar, ant
one must spend some time in learning
their ways and habits, for they imitat
many things without trouble, and, a
l rule, do exactly as they are told
still they will persist in doing SOM
things in their own way. They cal
never be persuaded to do a thint
| which they do not wish to; they will
always take refuge in the laconi
l answer, "no savey," which means the.
do not understand; and, having once
said they do not understand, nothing
: will ever make them confess they do
l As in all Eastern countries, the line
: of caste are strongly drawn, and th'
{ European women-all white womel
: are called Europeans-who asks one o
: her servants to perform bit of wor
n not belonging to him soon discover
a this fact. "This no blong m
o pidgin" is a refusal as unalterable a
the laws of the Medes and ,rsians.
An amah will refuse to carry even
small parcel for block, and lose he
? place rather than do it, The chat
s coolies will carry "chits" and parcels
=. but it is beneath the dignity of bo
a or an amah to do SO.
), AS race the Chinese have no r(
II spect for women in general, and an III
n mitigated contempt for any one !
n particular who chooses to wait upo
It herself. They much more admire
/. woman who lies on the veranda al
,. day reading novels and occasionall
J, calls, "Boy, bring me my handkei
is chief, or, "Boy, pick up my book,
& than they have for one who does thes
q things for herself.
= A boy who has lived in a bachelor
r house dislikes very much to go to liy
IS where the household is controlled b
Is woman, and in many cases an old an
10 devoted servant will take his leave
1t the master brings home wife. The
,e cannot stand to be looked after in th
'f careful way which so many wome
n think necessary, and it is my opinio
J that they will take advantage of VIC
h man twice as often as of man.