Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-02

The great servant girl question looms
up as largo and troublesome 10 London
as in New York, says the New York
Times. just as with us, the Treasure
OF a girl" OF to-day becomes in the
eye OF her mistress the impudent
tussy OF to- morrow and is turned
loose to prey upon the next family.
Here, it is true, the servants are en-
ployed by the year; but that is only
another little legal fiction, like the leas-
ing of houses for long terms. To rent
q house for seven, IA or 81 years, as ia
the Gustom here, aud then to employ
servants by tho year, gives q London
establishment an appearances of great
permanoncy. But this ia only on the
surface. To rid himself OF tho house
the tenant auhletH 1t to some one elHe,
and to rid himself OF the servant the
mistress either finds or inyents IA cause,
gives the girl weeks notice or Il
weeks pay and tho contract ends.
1t seems almost homelike to hear the
London ladies bewailing the scarcity Of
good servants and wishing for a trust
worthy girl from the north of Scotland
or the Isle OF Guernsey, Ur some othor
distant place. 1t is always the girl
from great distance who would do the
hast. DO not our housesecpere often,
wish for lone of those fine old negro
aeryants from the South" and thon,'
getting her, fintl that her art does not
go beyond frying bacon and boiling
hyminyY And have you nut oftan,
madam, wished for lone of those we'll
trained English girls, always so prompt
and respectfnlfo 1t is the same the
world over.
1t is tho middle class people naturally
who have most trouble about their
servants here as elsewhere. The family
who can afford to live in palace can
afford the luxury OF butler and leave
the whole servant question to him with
money ut his disposal and the very poor
keep no seryantP, being lucky when
they can keep themselves. The middle
classes here are 80 powerful taking pre-
cadence in all the arts and sciences in
business FINANCES and erury thing requlr.
ing brains that they manage to have
their own way in all things but two
the land tax and the servant girl queH-
tion.
Perhaps it is going too far to call the
dwellings comfortable except some OF the
modern houses in the suburbs which
are so well arranged that the designs
must have come from America. But
the old houses that stand In rows in
the thick part OF town are anything but
comfortable for the tenants and seem to
have been built for the express purpose
of wearing the liven out Of servants.
They are thoroughly supplied with all
the ancient inconveniences The two
servants who are Indispensable in such
n house aru the cook and housemaid
aud the third who is optional ia Q
Il 4,
md be ordered about by everybody or
the premises. II there are only twc
persons in the family they must have
thu two servants, and are likely to have
the three.
The cook is invariably addressed al
"cook' and she might DO in famii!
for years without once hearing bel
name mentioned. She is not supposed
to have ans name but cook. The mex
girl, the maid. has a name; and IL Ii
she who is called the Hlavey, though
never to her face. think it ia O com
mon notion In America that ii is th,
little unwashed girl who blacks bout
and washes dishes in London fauiil,
who ia called the slavey. That, at an,
rate. was always my notion of it; bu
il is not 30. Tho honsemaid is tn
Hlavey. and must say in her behal
that Hhe is we'll named. The littl
girl, too, has a name of her own b.
which she is addressed on those rar
occasions whom she is allowed to ascen,
the basement stairs. But she bears til
marks Of stove backing and shoe black
ing and greasy plates on her dress an
features; aud, being an unattractiy
object, she is kept out OF sight anil be
comes child of the catacombs, a cola
in T.a1Inn fho1a 4,
are called Easements.
London householders, however, ow
a great deal TO the scared looking It'll
girl with red cheeks and the black o
her nose. 1t is through her that the
can display knowledge of Engis
literature OF which they are often proud
Behind her back they almost invariahl
call hor the marchioness; and no
there be more delicatu way of sayin
10 visitor, "Aha! You see kno
Dickens. have even read of Die
Swiyelior !" And how many Die
Swiyelers | have seen in London,
say nothing of the tens OF thousands
murchionesses One day sat down @
delightful old tombstone in ii
churchyard of st. Giles -in.the. Field
and within an hour saw nearly evei
one OF Dickens characters go by.
The slavoy, the houssmaid, is Il
frat OF the servants one sees on enter il
"a London house, unless butler
kent, for she answers the bell. III
leilP The bell and knocker. IL yc
nlease, The man who comes to was
windows or put up shades may ring I'll
bell only, and tine postman may contei
himself with tine lsnncker; but visit
must both knock and ring. to announ
the approach of n person of consequent
mo nero artisan or messenger. Y
are very particular about these di
tinctions 10 London. The visitor fir
gives seriea Of rapid rat tat .tatsn ,
the knocker and then rings the bell,
being encouraged TO the latter by
little brass sign under the bell handl
"f9ing also. y When tho dour opens
is the smiling maid who appears
rosy country girl. with the reddest
red cheeks, little white cap on the t
of her head, white apron, and a SIN
that never FAIRIES. 1t is not to the mast
or mistress that she ia slavs; she ID
slave of the tray. London housekee
ing is succession OF moving trays
We ahall see presently.
Mary was delighted to leave b
nossy home and como to London,
yarious reasons She would SEQ life,
one thing. But, better than that, q
might have a chance OF meeting
fate.
Even the money ia an inducemeut,
not many working girls in the count
can call e16 their own, That is wi
is offered; not Gl6 month. but Ell
yaar-290 n year mr. Az Dnd some pei