Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-11-15

culinary depart
ments, and. incidentally, to do the rest 0,
the work. I happened to mention the
fact that the girl who assists me in my
household work had been with me seven
years. Mercy sskes! 1t was just like ex
ploding a bombshell Two or three OF
them come nigh fainting.
Il don't see how you do it, they
chorused.
"Do what?' said
Why, keep one girl so long said they.
tried TO explain that used her well
and paid her regularly and gave her a
warm, comfortable room. but it seemed
had no advantage over the rest Of them
there. They all did that.
just gave up trying to explain and
listened. 1t was plain to see that the
question was burning one. Mrs. killem
Peppersqueezer said that the first thing to
be done was TO make girl know her
place. As for herself she purposed to be
mistress Of her own house as long as she
lived in it, and if the time ever came
when she couldn' hold tht position there,
she d give up housekeeping and board
For her part she intended that her girls
'houAd hilON tIltiI anu Sldy Ill
them. She didn't hire help for the pur-
pose of waiting on it, and she didn't in
tend to have any girls in her home that
didn't earn their money. The trouble
with the girl, question in her Judgment,
was that people permitted themselves to
be imposed upon altogether too much II
| they d all stand together in the enforce
ment Of a sensible policy, she said, the
whole problem would be solved.
Pretty little Mrs. Amiabella was in
clined to agree with Mrs. Peppersqueezer
She said that lots of good girls were
spoiled by over indulgence. They worked
well for a few months, and then began to
lose their interest They complained that
the work, which they found easy enough
at the start had grown intolerably hard
They really couldn't do the washing-ii
must DE put out, though of course the pay
that was given them upon the basis OF
their doing it should, under no circum-
stances suffer reduction. OF course not !!
The additional expense must come out of
the family purse. But when the note OF
discomfort is once sung, it, apparently,
has no ending The wall about the wash
ing is followed by a demand for after
moons ont, in addition to the evenings
Then come requests to be relieved of one
after another of the accustomed tasks,
until, if she is permitted to have her OWL
way, she is getting full days pay fol
about half day work, and really enjoy
ing what is known us "soft snap"-l
sort of domestic autocrat whose whims
have become the law Of tho house. Blu:
even then she isn't satisfied Her de
mands grow more and more preposterous
Now that she is doing SO much less thar
she originally hired to do, her pay must
be increased She hears that some other
girl of her acquaintance has secured
perfectly lovely place in family of two,
where she gets dollar more week
Practically this girl has little or nothing
TO do CAS- Rcseanna explains it) except
draw her salary. The washing is put out
and she has all her afternoons and eve
nings to herself Could any one expect
girl to be contentcd with household work
when there was open to her ravished eyes
an Eden like that:
Really 1 never saw Mrs Amiabella get
quite so animated, and it was plain to b.
seen that the servant girl question was
teDUcf one WIN ntT, as IL uUuDblpSS WdS
to other members of the circle.
Nancy Hotella said that most people
who vera dependent upon kitchen help
were inclined to become ratified when they
were ever left without it. They flew
about in frantic and hectic haste after
new goddess of the culinary department,
and snapped up the first one that can't
Il. H.
less, with an avidity born of despair
anything being deemed preferable to
chaos In the kitchen, and then Just as
they were beginning to be dimly con-
scious Of their mistake, along would come
a whole bevy of capable girls, who were
eagerly looking for just such a place.
Alas too late! After the utter earthiness
of the new deity was no longer matter
of surmise but an established fact, a
powerful microscope would have failed to
discover a single one of those lost para
CONS All of them had secured places and
all that remained was to bottle up ones
insane Jealousy when their employers
would come to confide in you what
Jewel they had secured.
Betsey Blinkerbee said that she had
had just that experience in her young
married life; but that was all past She
always had good help now. When a girl
left her she tried new one, and kept on
trying until she got one that filled the
bill, which she always succeeded in doing
sooner or later 1t didn't take her long
to size up an incompetent one, and she
never permitted herself TO get nervous
about 1t. She was careful not to try any
who were hunting around for soft jobs
and when she saw that one wasn't going
to fill the bill she lost DO time in letting
her go aud getting another. Before long
an excellent girl was sure to come along,
and then there was peace in the house for
year or two, and household matt RS
resumed the even tenor of their way.
When she was young-and greeq-she
was accustomed to take green girls, and