St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-02-01
Selected Stnru.
0uR NEW SERVANT.

Ill Wai'S
Though we were but lately married,
we had already had considerable ex-
perience with servants, and the new
conner was to take the place Of one
who smashed things, but had too
much delicacy to mention it. AS the
china was also delicate, we had to
choose between her and it.
you need not look so skeptical,"
said my wife, "for thisis really an ex-
tremely superior servant. She has
the most glowing characters from
four former mistresses. She has only
been a servant for a year, yet they
all speak of her as a gem"
But they don't seem to have kept
her long" | pointed out.
mo; ! had 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 a marvel"
The new servant arrived in the
evening. | am not a man who takes
much part in the domestic manage
ment OF the house, and she began her
work without an interview with me.
| noticed her first at family wor-
ship, when herladylike manner 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:
as she not quite distinguished
looking?"
Having thought out the grammat-
ical form of reply, as suggested by
the Students Manual, answered, in
the same language,
YES, her elegant OF carry
ing away the tray fascinates me-"
Then the servant said in a sweet,
musical voice, Pardon me, but per-
haps | ought to say that speak
French"
My wife looked at me, and looked
at my wife. | whistled softly, and
that was a language the new servant
seemed to understand too. AS soon
as she had retired, well, she is a SUI
perior girl" l said, and my wife nod
ded, but without enthusiasm.
For my own part | must say | was
rather glad to see the FRENCH Ian
guage put a stop to in our family.
There could be no doubt that cur
new servant was all that her former
mistresses 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 doorto open
1t. and she never entertained her male
cousins in the kitchen.
My wife reads agood many novels,
which it was my custom to get for
her from a library. She has a leau-
ing towards learning and an inclina-
ton to the frivolous, which struggle
for the mastery over her, she tells me
to get a queer assortment of books
for her. Herbert Spencer and Miss
Florence Matryat are her two favor
lite authors.
i What novels will | get for you to-
day" | asked her, soon after the
new servant came. She sighed for
reply.
Il don't think III read any more
novels" she added in a detected voice.
Waste OF timer" | asked.
She sighed again.
1T is that servant" she said.
why, what has she been doing?
| thought she was such a good ser
want that you would have more time
for reading now than ever?"
Oh, she is a model servant; but |
don't like her to see me reading nov
els"
You didn't used to be so particu-
lar. Are you afraid to set her a bad
eXample?"
II wish | could! No, | don't mean
that, but | am ashamed to read
light books in her presence. | see her
raising 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"
"Oh, does she not? When l went
into the kitchen yesterday evening, |
found her reading Huxley. The day
before | noticed a copy of Walter,
Savage Lander on the dresser, and
thought it was yours. began to
say to her that she must not take
away your books from the library
with out permission, and what DO
you think her answer was?"
"No doubt she said that the cat
brought it,"
"Ah, she is not like other servants.
She said it was her own copy, and
that she would not have thought of
taking yours in any case, because it
is an incomplete edition."
What on earth could have induced
the girl to buy a copy of Landor?"
She told me she liked to read him
because he wrote such asuperb style.
AS stylists,' she said, 'Landor and
DeQuincey are my two favorite u
thors.'"
What a superior servant"
Yes, but she did not surprise me.
Books are her chief subject of CONVEX
Sation. She told me the other night
that, in her opinion, Froude did not
understand Carlyle"
'lexpect she puts on alrs!'