The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-01-09
SELECTED STORY.
Our New Servant.

NH W nave u ROOu bOlNuhb'
She had said this frequently, and
afterwards chang ed her mind. Though
we were but lately married, we had AZ
ready had considerable experience of
servants, and the newcon er was TO
take the place of one who smashed
things, but had too much delicacy to
mention it. AS the china was also del
icate, we had to choose between her
and it.
"You need not look so skeptical,"
said my wife, I" for this is really an ex-
tremely superior servant She has the
most glowing characters from four for
mer mistresses. She has only been a
servant for year, yet they all speak of
her as a gem"
6 But they don't seem to have kept
her long" pointed out.
"No; l noticed that, and asked them
why it was. Two of them said that she
was really too good for THEM, and the
others only repeated that she was
marvel"
The new servant arrived in the even
ing. am not man who takes much
iart in the domestic managem ent of the
aouse, and she began her work without
an interview with me. l noticed her
first at family worship, when her lady
like manners made me think that she
might be a princess in disguise. She
was removing the supper things, when
my wife said to me in French:
SIS she not quite distinguished
looking?
Having thou ght out the grammatical
form of reply, as suggested by the Stu
dents Manual, / answered, in the same
language,
eyes, her elegant manner of carry
ing away the tray fascinates me-"
Then the servant said in a sweet,
musical voice, Pardon me, but per-
baps / ought to say that l speak
French"
My wife looked at me, and looked
at NY wife. whistled softly, and that
was language the new servant seemed
to understand too. AS soon as she had
retired, " Well, she is superior GIRL
said, and my wife nodded, but with
out nthusiasm.
For my own part must say | was
rather glad TO see the French language
put stop to in our family.
There could be no doubt that our new
servant was all that her former mis-
tresses had called her. She could pile
ON Goals without putting out the fire,
her cooking was as good as her French.
Indeed, one would have said that she
had learned both in the same country.
As soon as the door bell rang she was at
the door to open it, and she never en-
tertained her male cousins in the
kitchen.
My wife reads good many novels,
which it was my custom to get for her
from library. She has a leaning
towards learning and an inclination 10
the frivolous, which struggle for the
mastery over her, and accordingly, she
tells me to get queer assortment of
books for her. Herbert Spencer and
Miss Florence Marryat are her two
favorite authors.
"What novels will get for you to-
d.y?" asked her, soon after the new
servant came. She sighed for reply.
81 don't think I'll read any more
novels" she added in detected voice.
Waste of time?" | asked.
She sighed again.
:" 1t is that servant" she said
"Why, what has she been doing? l
thought she was such good servant
that you would have more time for
reading now than ever?'
ooh, she is a model servant; but /
don't like her to see me reading novels"
"YOu didn't use to be so particular.
Are you afraid to set her bad ex-
ample?"
81 wish could No, don't mean
that, but l am ashamed to read light
books in her presence. l see her rails.
ing her eyebrows in surprise every
time she finds me with three volumes
in my lap"
"She can't know anything about
what is inside the books"
sob, does she not? When l wen
into the kitchen yesterday evening,
found her reading Huxley. The day
before l noticed a copy of Walter
Savage Lander on the dresser, ant
thought it was yours. l began to say
to her that she must not take away
your books from the library withou
my permission, and what do you thinl
her answer WASP"
"No doubt she said that the cat hat
brought it,"
"Ah, she is not like other servants
She said it was her own copy, and tina
she would not have thought of taking
yours in any case, because it is an in
complete edition"
"What on earth could have induced
the girl to buy copy of Landor?''
"She told me she liked to read hin
because he wrote such superb style
'As stylists,' she said, 'Landor and d.
Quincy are my two favorite authors
"What superior servant"
Eyes, but she did not surprise me
Books are her chief subject of CONVEX
sation. She told me the other nigh
that, in her opinion, Froude did no
understand Carlyle"
al expect she puts on airs?"
mo, quite the contrary, she
always very polite and obliging.
have never the least trouble with hel
What makes me uncomfortable is tn
feeling that in her heart she must de
spise me-"
From the day we had this converse
ton, was asked to bring few novel