The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-10-31


tering and hearing her daughters
speech, said, That's right, my dear;
give madam the souvenir. and under
your name I will put mine." Years
afterward, when the governess taught
the little American girl, she gave her
this precious volume to remind her that
although people might occupy high
places they did not always have the
most love, the most money or the most
power. The ink is faded that was used
to write the name of the gentle princess
and her great mother, and the book is
filled with the names of the great on
this earth, and oh, what lesson it is
to look at them and remember them!
Here's the name of the great banker, a
Rothschild; his wealth could not keep
death from his door. Here's the name
of the great cardinal, whose name is in
the Book of Life for all genera tons to
read just as it is here beside that of
the gentle pope. Here's the name of
poor Carlotta. What tragedy her life
was! And near by is that of Louis Ma
poleon. And then come great writer's,
great artists, witty men, famous wom-
en-, who all gladly gave their auto
graphs to the pretty American child,
who won them by her sweetness and
frankness and who had fallen heir to
the autograph book of the Princess
Alice. Both of them are at rest now,
the American girl and the English
princess, but the book is filled, and the
black and white stands after the
shrines that held these two gentle
hearts have been shattered.
But my gentlewoman is not always
interested in the past. 1t was only re-
Gently she told me of the new way of
marking stockings. you see," said
she, when one has fine silk stockings,
such as lady wears, one wishes to
match them each time, and of course
this is difficult to do. A number isn't
pretty on stocking, but French
marquise has written me that the new
stockings are each marked with a tiny
flower, so that the pansy goes with the
pansy, the rose matches the rose, the
violet seeks its mate, the orchid finds
its companion; indeed every flower that
you can think of is daintily embroid-
cred near the top, each in it's turn, and
so ones stockings are properly match
ed and properly worn. All, my dear,
how true it is that the nouveau richie do
not appreciate the luxuries of life. 1t is
true they have everything, but not
knowing the fineness not realizing all
the time that it took to make the per-
feet glove, to weave the rich cloth or to
create beautiful lace, they abuse it,
whereas we who are ladies care for our
belongings and would count ourselves
vulgar if we did not show our appre-
citation in this way"
1 could but smile as I thought of the
wealthy woman who, the other day,
gave my hairdresser a magnificent
evening dress that she had worn once.
OF course she could sell it, but that
present explained to me the tinge of
vulgarity that there had always been
about this woman. My gentlewoman
would either have given her money, if
that were what she needed, or some
thing better suited to her station in life.
Such a present makes a poor woman
dissatisfied, and it is foolish.
By the bye, speaking of a hairdress-
err, the American woman is learning
that a maid is no longer luxury, but
a necessity. To the woman whose in
come is good, but not extravaganza, the
maid is an economy. She does not de-
mand such wages as she did a few
years ago, for the supply is beginning
to equal the demand; but l am contin-
ually surprised that more American
girls do not become maids. Instead Of
starving on the wages paid them as
shopgrls. they might have easy, COM
Portable lives and positions Of trust A
maid is always respected by the other
servants, can have if she wishes her
meals alone, and it rests with herself
especially If her employer is an ell
Derby lady-whether she is not in real
ity the beloved companion.
The English maid is desirable for the
Englishwoman, but when she comes
to this country she is changed per-
son. She does her duty and is well be-
haved for a while, but six months in
this enlightened country and her quiet
manners become insolent; she can't
dress you without referring to the
duchesses and countesses upon whom
she has waited before. She scorns your
wardrobe, reads your letters and knows
exactly how much money you have in
your pocketbook. If you should OBJ
ject to any of her weaknesses and sum
mon up courage enough to discharge
her. you would better have her trunks
examined before she leaves, and il you
are wise you will tell your husband all
about her, for the chances are, if she
thinks you have a secret from him,
she will attempt the Matchmaking
scheme Immediately after she has left.
The French maid usually stays Just
long enough to become acquainted with
American habits, and then she leaves
in hurry, either to marry some chef
and open a small restaurant or to be-
come a hairdresser. The Irish and
Scotch maids are usually honest, usu-
ally impertinent and usually ignorant,
but they are as faithful as dogs, so
that because of this virtue you forgive
them the rest. ~ 2.
There are women in New York who
do not dare discharge their maids, who
live in deadly terror as to what is to
be done next, who have been foolish
enough to let them find out something,
it may be a very little something, that
they do not want either mother or hus-
band to know, and so the maid levies
tribute, gets frocks that have seen. but
one wearing, has her wages paid in adj
vance and is worse than any skeleton
at a feast, because she is with you near
ly all the time. Not long ago at a very
smart luncheon, served by gorgeous
butler and three footmen, a woman
said, speaking of a notorious paper.