Evening star., 1896-10-31

W year with the same
w hands at the helm.
with fewer changes among the servers
than among the served, but this idyl
lie state of things is not general by
! any manner of means. The tons OF
J literature which either in a serious OF
| jccose vein have dealt with the servant
| problem have not come any nearer set
| tling the matter than any other .contro-
versy, and like working out ones own sal
| walton, each household has to treat the sub
ject from its own standpoint. Some people,
| who are ordinarily very successful in max
| ing their power felt in other avenues of
| progress, are quite willing to confess to
their utter incapacity. SO far as the easy
| direction of servants is concerned. Others
again are SO dependent upon their help in
| having every bodily wish anticipated that
| they feel their loss or detection from duty
| as nothing short of a calamity.
| Good servants. like good wines, are their
| own best recommendation, and If they need
| any other, 1t will be quickly supplied. The
| question of honesty and straighforwardness
| OF character is just as great below stairs
| as above, and comparatively there is very
| little to complain of on those scores, where
| masters and mistresses exercise ordinary
| precaution and do not leave temptation in
| their servants path.
| The Maid of All Work.
| The family whose wants are attended tc
| by one, maid of all work, who cooks and
| washes and irons, is not apt to get a high
| grade of talent in either of these lines. I'm
| less the family is very small or the serva Mt
| has unusual qualities of industry and abii-
| ity, this kind of helper Is becoming more
| and more scarce The maid of all work is
| plentiful enough if she is not taxed with
the weekly wash, but for the residents in
| some sections of the city 1t is almost i'm
possible to get along with ona servant.
| With the Increase asked in wages of a dol
| lar or two month very few women
| who can cook decently will hire unless there
| is a house girl kept also.
| The mansions have not only to worry
with one servant. but with half dozen OF
| more not including Wallets and maids. There
| are few Of the old, and it may be truly said
| the respectable servant class, who have
| brought up their sons or daughters in their
| own calling. The servant who has grown
\ gray III the harness finds himself or herself
I replaced by representative of the latest
| fashion. 1t all depends whether madame
| prefers the customs of English or
| French household to obtain a place with
| her. Whatever be her taste, the help car
| ries ont her idea In personal appearance
| and living. There is something repugnant
| to the American idea of equality in living,
| and if servants could fill any other position,
| it is safe to say they would never remain
| in the business
The Awe-InspfrIng Butler.
The average home of wealth in this city
| has at least six servants running Its do
mestic machinery. If a housekeeper is kept
| she Is at the head of the rest. Her purpose
/ in existence Is to make household cares an
| unknown quantity for either her master or
| mistress. She directs the other servants
| and is personally responsible for the con-
| dition of the house and it's furnishings.
| The linen closets and all pertaining thereto
iG
| by no means an idle insignia Of her authori-
| ty.
When there is no housekeeper the butler
| and the cook share sovereignty. No man
| or woman is quite able yet to decide
| which one has precedence. Absolute con-
| troi Of their particular realm, without in
reference. with certain urbanity, backed
| up by show Of dignity when occasion de-
| mands 1t, are the outward and visible
signs of their authority. Buffers are alto-
| gether wonderful persons. Many great
men have acknowledged how mean and
insignificant they felt in the presence of
| their own or their friends butler, and that
| their awe was changed to groveling fear
when these mighty individuals first broke
| But butler, mighty and gorgeous as he
| is, sometimes has duties to perform just
| like other servants. He has care of the
house from the pantry to the front door.
| He keeps the dining room and pantry
| clean. He sets the table and decorates 1t.
| He cleans the silver and is responsible for
| it. He waits on the door. and the longer
| he is with family the better he will know
whom among the visitors his people want
| to see. Where second man is kept he
makes the fires, sweeps the halls and keeps
the front door and sidewalk In nice order.
| In case Of the death, resignation of "disa-
| bility'' of the butler, like the Vice President
of the United States. the latter succeeds
temporarily to the more exalted office.
| With the increase of wages, $40 or $50 at
| least, the butler has perquisites gained by
carrying the trade of the house to certain
| quarters. Just as the coachman is apt
to find large bottles Of old rye in the middle
| of the feed will the butler, whose eye
| Is bright for the main chance find himself
rewarded.
| As to Cooks.
In many places, however, it is the cook
| who does the marketing and shopping
| Most cooks prefer to do the ordering them
| selves because they can then carry out
their own ideas in the menu from day to
| day. French chefs in private houses are
not very numerous here. There may be a
dozen all told In permanent service. The
| Brices. Bonapartes Letters Howlands anc
| most of the ambassadors and a few of the
| foreign ministers are thus provided all the
| year around. President Cleveland keeps a
| chef during the state dinner season, but a
| We man cook presides over the White House
ranges the rest of the time. Perhaps the
| only Chinese cooks In town are those in
| Mrs. Hearst's kitchen. She keeps two, as
| did Senator and Mrs. Stanford when II ey
| lived here.
| Most of the French chefs have an under
| study in the shape of a second cook To
| this individual viii be intrusted the rough
| work of the kitchen, after a certain period
| the preparation and cooking of the yege-
| tables and all the cooking for the help A
| woman cook has no such assistance as a
| general thing. If she is competent to get
| up dinner and entertainment menus she is
| compelled to have helper, who keeps the
| kitchen and its approaches clean and tidy.
| Keeps the range and cooking utensils in
| apple-pie order, and sees that the dish
| towels and the rest of the kitchen linen ara
| white and sweet smelling. The house girl
comes In more direct contact with the fam
| lily than almost any other servant On her
| devolveS the care of the sleeping rooms.
| and where parlor maid Is not kept The
| busting and arrangement of the parIor
| floor. Generally she has the sweeping of
| these parts of the house unless a man
| servant is kept.
She oversees the wash and keeps the he'd
| linen in repair. She waits at table II no
| butler is kept, and among the hundred
| other things required Of her she minds the
baby when 1t is nurses day out She If
| expected to brush and clean madam,s skirt
and shoes and otherwise play Iady's maid
! II that interesting functfonary is not kept
and usually acquits herself credtably OF
| all these manifold duties When she does
| not. her sins of omission and cnumicc;nr