The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-04-27


'tnfaSiRf gfssif gu Z conditions of wom-
en-. On the front
seats several good sized fortunes were
Three servant girls were
in an out of the way corner. They had
met, the president said, TO discuss the
condition of the working girl. Mrs.
Lincoln, who had servants of her own,
asked the antique question, Why don't
those girls do homework if they re so
badly treated in shops? 1 know several
families, :" she continued, who would
give good wages and good home, and
who can't get good servants. These
girls consider it degrading to do house
work.
The secretary, quiet little woman
who, report said, had once been fac
tory girl herself, intimated that there
was a screw loose in Mrs. Lincoln's
statement, because she had the names OF
so shopgirls who were willing to change
and do homework, but no families
could be, found willing TO take an I'M
trained domestic.
There was whispering in the little
knot of servant girls. Mrs. Presl-
dent" began half frightened voice,
and then the owner went at the heart
of the question in way that would
have done credit to her more cultured
sisters of Sorosis. I've been hired help,
domestic, working out girl and servant
ever since L was IA. 1 don't know how
to do anything else, and I've had no
chance to learn, or l wouldn't be doing
homework. I'd as soon be on Black
u g.. :. f-OIs
that you couldn't leave when you got
ready as prisoner in most peoples
kitchens There's a good deal of nom
sense talked about working out girls
good homes. Of course in the big man.
sions, where a number of servants are
kept and there is plenty of room, por-
ton of the basement is set aside for the
servants dining and sitting room. It's
nicely furnished, and they can have COM
pany there if they like. The sleeping
rooms are usually the worst. l worked
in fashionable house not long ago in
an aristocratic locality. There's costly
bric-a-brac in the reception room. The
dining room is one of the most beauti-
full I've ever seen. There's big bill
lard room in the basement. Up three
flights of stairs is mite of a back hall
bedroom There's large size cot bed
ia it that leaves just room to enter.
There are one chair, a small washstand
and cracked mirror. A strip of mold
ing nailed to the wall over the bed does
duty as wardrobe to hang clothes on.
In this room the two servant girls sleep.
The kitchen was large and had two
wooden chairs and small rocker. That
was enough though. The mistress did
not encourage company. If girl had
young man. she must meet him on
the street. Many mistresses regard the
moral character of their servants with
unnecessary suspicion. They abominate
late hours-for the servant. 1t doesn t
make any difference what time the mis-
tress gets in herself. But if Bridget or
Dinah is out to the theater it's dreadful
and positively must not happen again.
These are specimen home comforts.
People who talk about the servants
homes only know about the parlor floor.
Lots of houses have Queen Anne fronts
and Mary Ann backs. In fact, it al
ways the mistress story that s heard In
print
There's plenty of nonsense about
the wages too. They range from $12
to $50 a month This, with board and
lodging, is much better than what the
factory girl gets as rule. But the
servant works from in the morning
until at night. That is 16 hours
work seven days in the week. 1t is work
that requires skill too. Skilled labor
paid for at the rate of 3 cents an hour
and board and lodgingl When you have
dinner to serve at z, it's $50 when
your work is done. There's no such
thing as an evening out. If you work
in shop, when the door closes behind
you at 6 o'clock. your time is yours
when you do homework, there's not
minute that is practically your own.
Of course in the very big mansions
where a retinue of servants is kept
things are arranged on business meth
DDS There's a head servant, who re-
REEVES the orders for the day. He hires,
discharges, gives the days and evenings
put. He renders an account of every
thing and the bills are settled by checks
once q month. Unless she wishes, the
mistress never comes in contact with
the majority of the servants. About the
only servant that has hard time IN
big house is the lady's maid.
Some mistresses are only thought
less. Others are naturally unsympathet-
ic and doInineering. | once took some
newspapers from the wastebssket, and
while 1 was waiting for something TO
he'll 1 sat down to read. The lady came
81 and began to berate me. She said
sac did not pay me to read newspapers.
have worked in a house for months
and never had a word spoken to me on
any subject but my work. Neither
newspaper nor book was ever offered
ME. / did not ask their friendship, but
81 YVES like living in deaf and dumb
ASYLUM and not knowing the sign Ian
ouape. There is the interruptions class
Of ,nistresses too. They regard wages