Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-04-01
A PROBLEM SOLVED.
TWO CHICAGO WOMEN SETTLE THE
SERVANT GIRL QUESTION.

ocnVANI dihI NaVGoIlON.
a Novel Scheme Which Works Well and
Satisfies Both Employer and EMPLOYED
If. You Can Find the Right Girl Give
the Plan q Trial.
There is at least one woman in Chica.
go who has ssolved the question of house
hold help to her satisfaction, and there
is one girl who feels satisfied with hel
position.
Tho woman in question had tried all
kinds of help, from the raw Swedish OF
Irish article to the clever American, who
knew far too much to be good maid
and she was in despair. She was not ex
actly an invalid, but she was rather deli
cate, and she needed an assistant who
could be depended upon to look after
things during her illness Or in her alb
sence from home. Then, too, she was
much alone. and sometimes she felt the
need of companionship which all child
less housekeepers have experienced. I'M
pertinence, slackness, poor work and
undue familiarity had been the only re-
suits she had obtained i'll her efforts to-
ward elevating the freaks with whom
she labored. Still her faith in her sex
remained triumphant, and she was as
positive as ever that the girl she was
seeking existed Somewhere. just how to
find her she did not know.
"Why don't you begin at the other
end of the problem?" her husband sug-
gested. ''Seems to me that you might
find plenty of nice girls who would be
willing to do the work if you paid them
we'll. enough, and who would be COM
panionable enough, too, if you treated
them nicely
''But I should have to make such a
girl as you speak of one Of the family"
she said obviously.
"Well, why not?" said the husband,
with all mans disregard of conven-
tionality. ga real nice girl, who would
be nice enough for you to take to and
make companion of while am
away, would have sufficient good taste
not to be in the way when I am at home,
and that's what you are afraid Of, /
know"
The wife made 10 answer, but the
following week she inserted an adver-
tisement i'll morning paper and await
ed results. The advertisement read as
follows:
Wanted-A nice companionable young lady
to do general housework (no washing) for
family of two. Must be refined and quiet.
Now, it happened that the very girl
she longed for saw and answered her
advertisements The girl had come to
Chicago more than year before, and
being unframed had taken position
in necktie factory. By dint of constant
work she had reached salary Of $8
week, but she had ruined her health.
To do more than live upon her salary
she found impossible, for good board in
a refined household could not be had for
less than So week. Car fare and
lunches consumed another 81. SO, and to
dress upon the scanty balance would
be impossible SO soon as the wardrobe
which she had brought with her was
worn out. She had no home, no friends,
and nothing to fall back upon. The ad-
vertisement of the woman who wanted
an exceptional household assistant sug-
gested a new though startling idea to
the girl, who had never dreamed of
working in any kitchen save her moth
er's or her own. Still, after little
hesitation she answered the advertise
ment.
Her letter pleased the housekeeper
who had advertised, and after an inter
view they were mutually pleased.
All this happened more than year
ago, and they are still pleased. The girl
has room nearly as good as that Of the
mistress of the house. Many of her en-
ployers' friends are her friends, and
when these friends call upon her she re-
ceives them in the parlor. Her employ
ers never dream of speaking of her to
strangers by her first name. When her
employers are absent from home, she is
at liberty to invite some one to stay with
her, and she often accompanies her en-
ployers to social Or church entertain
ments.
On the other hand, the girl does the
household work as it has never been
done before, with touches Of dainty at
tention which are constant surprises to
her employers. She takes all the cares
Of housekeeping off the shoulders OF her
mistress and does not grudge the time
spent in preparing dainty meals. She
does the work in her own fashion and at
her own time, and she does not insist
upon being with her employers at all
times. Her own room is quito pleasant
enough to spend an evening in now and
then, and she realizes that the most de-
lightful guest is better appreciated for
occasional absences. She sits with them
at meals when they are quite alone, look
ing after the table service, of course,
but when guests are present she prefers
to wait upon them. She prides herself
upon being always neat, and she never
appears in company uninvited, although
frequently assured Of her invariable well
come.
Both employers and employee treat
one another with the courtesy and con-
sideration due from one refined person
to another, and the only cloud upon the
horizon is due to the attentions of GER
tain young friend of the family who is
supposed to bo desirous Of transplanting
the happy girl to home of her OWL
and his Both the girl and her employ
ers think they have solved the problem
of household assistance, and the expert
ment is certainly worth trying by other
troubled housekeepers. Chicago Rec
ord.
He Wanted to BE Prepared.
Johnny-Father, don't you think I
had better drop all my studies at school