The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-18
THE PASSING OF THE BUTLER.
Maids in Neat Costume Replacing Him in Smell
Establishments.

From the New YORK sun.
Some of the best known people in town,
who have for years had their butler and
second man always serve at table, now
have in their places well-dressed waiting
maids, who have most admirably taken the
mems places The mattresses are all
dressed alike in black cashmere gowns, or
sometimes dark blue, made perfectly plain;
white collars and cuffs, a small tie at the
throat large white muslin apron, made
full, with broad bow and ends behind, and
straps over the shoulders, and on their
heads small muslin firilled caps, with black
velvet bow. 1t amounts to sort of uni
form. They are noiseessly shod, and move
about the table in the most systematic and
charming manner. They are light of foot
and most attractive to the eye.
Women who command the position of
first-class mattresses must learn the pro-
fession, for profession it is. They have
first to learn to hold themselves erect to
move quickly and quietly and not to break.
In fact, there are SO many requirements
for the expert waitress to become proficient
in that before being able to hold such a
place the women must go through long
siege of not only hard work, but hard
study. There are classes here in New York
and elsewhere where women go to acquire
good taste and knowledge in the decora-
ton of the dinner table; not only the floral
decoration, but the proper and symmetri-
cal arrangement of the silver ware, glass
and table napkins. This sort of thing has
become an art So it is that as women are
proverblaly gifted with more taste and
discretion in these matters than men, they
a mt in in ba mi
OF course, in many houses the gentleman
of the house prefers a butler and men SER
wants about him at dinner; but when his
wine cellar becomes suddenly depleted, and
there are now and again quarrels between
the men in the pantry servants dining
room. he will take his wife's advice and
do away with the men in his household en-
tirely. A rich man in town, who keeps I'D
very swell establishment, and whose wife
gives the best-appointed dinners imagin-
able, is quoted as saying:
II have had my butler for five years and
the second man one year. 1 know very
little about the domestic arrangements in
my household. / pay the bills and require
that my dinner be well served and my gem
eral welfare looked after while at table by
my men servants. My wife and I dined
out not long since, and on returning home
about II o'clock we found the house in an
uproar. The butler and second man had
evidently had a bottle of wine between
them. They got to. fighting in the buffers
pantry, and the women servants in the
house were frightened to death. l dis
missed both on the spot, and since then
have had our meals served by four of the
best-trained Mattresses I ever saw. Never
again shall l have man in the house, ex-
cept to attend to my furnace"
OF course, the butler will never disappear
entirely. In some families he is an abso-
lutte necessity. But it is we'll known fact
that men servants, for indoor service, will
soon have to take back seat, and pretty
maids, with caps and aprons, will take
their places. Three winters ago large
luncheon party was given uptown by the
wife of one of the most prominent men in
New Yorks business world, who prided
herself upon entertaining in the most ap-
proved manner. Three very pretty wait
resses, with dark blue cashmere gowns
turned down white collars and white cuffs,
aprons and caps, waited on the table, 1t
was luncheon of twenty of the most
fashionable women In town, and great was
their surprise when they found themselves
being waited upon by women. The chang5
was commented upon. after lunch, and the
hostess heartily congratulated on her indie
pendence. She was the first woman who
had dismissed her butler and engaged
maids in his place.
The same rules which applied to the but
Ter now apply to the head waitress. She
governors in her own department. and has
all the other Mattresses under her control.
She is the one who takes the orders from
the lady of the house, who has the keys OF
the wine cellar and serves the wines at