The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1898-07-02
Copyright, 1851


can perfectly sympathize with the
young girl who before she was a wife
expressed her disgust at the women
who continually talked about their
servants, but after her marriage. when
she was in the midst of a discussion
of this never ending subject and re-
minded by friend of her former re-
marks, said, II wonder that they talk
about anything else" The business
man engaging a clerk pays him for
certain work and expects him to be
capable of doing that work. He needs
competent bookkeeper. Numbers APP
pear to apply for the situation. Each
tells of his experience, his ability, and
offers his references. The business man
engages that one who seems to be most
competent, most healthy and about
whom the best words are said by
former employer, who gives a reasona-
BILE excuse for having dismissed him
from his employ. That man expects
that in a few days his bookkeeper will
have learned the special methods of the
establishment and be a competent
workman. He knows that he would not
dare to pose as a first class bookkeeper
unless he was one He understands
that a business man does not write a
reference for an employee unless it is
deserved, ana the employer would
think the world was coming to an end
if, at the end of the first day, the man
engaged to keep the books announced
that he did not know very much about
them, but that he was very good at
putting corks in cologne bottles.
But that is the sort of treatment that
comes to the mistress of a house. She
Is anxious for a first class cook. The
COOK appears either in answer to an
advertisements from an employment
agency or through some friend. She
presents her recommendation. 1t is
written evidently by a lady and ac-
cordinS to it this woman has all the
virtues and is perfectly competent
cook. Her first dinner is an absolute
failure. The meat is cooked to death,
while Watery potatoes greasy vegeta-
bles and heavy pastry constitute the
menu. The mistress signs. After din
ner she has little talk with her new
employee, only to discover that where
She lived before she did not do the
cooking, Just helped around the
house but she wanted to be cook
and Mrs. Montmorenci Brown was so
kind hearted that she gave me a recon-
mend as one" My friend, what right
has Mrs. Montmorenci Brown to tell an
absolute untruth on paper? Yet this
untruth is not the worst that has come
to YOU or to me, brought by some one
desiring to literally live with us.
A well known woman who would
hoI hnr lad Gov, chn aCt,n
cially conspicuous in church work, at
being told that she was a sinner COM
mitted a crime of the deepest dye,
which she excused on the ground of
feeling sorry for the girl" To a wait
ress who had been caught stealing
money she gave a recommendation for
honesty From the next household which
this girl entered she stole more than
money. She took magnificent silver,
wonderful jewels, fine pieces of bric-a
brac, and handed them over to her
sweetheart to pawn, while she dsap-
peared When the detectives looked up
her references, which her mistress
should have done, they discovered that
this lady, knowing her to be a thief
had yet allowed her to go into other
homes as an honest girl. AS a woman
to a woman, as q houSekeeper to a
housekeeper, have the strength of mind
to give nothing but an honest recon-
mendation to the servant who leaves
you or whom you discharge. And new
err fail to date your reference, for a
girl who may be honest today may be
a thief next year. while she who may
have been sweet and pure and good
while with you may be depraved in six
months time.
Each of us, as we enter the little place
that means home, whether it be a tiny
house or a small fiat in some great city,
is overlooking with hope about the wo-
man who, while we employ her, will
yet help make the house a home. Each
of us means to be good to her, and each
of us wants to make her happy. How
does she meet this desire on the part
of the mistress? The average servant
regards the average mistress as her
natural enemy. Kindness she consid-
ers as nothing more than her right.
Sympathy she suspects, and gratitude
is something unknown to her. oh, 1
know there have been faithful servants
and there are good servants, but once
in awhile the mistress has a right to
speak, especially now, when the papers
and journals are overlooking with arti-
cles from the side of the employees!
You and /. who engage one girl, ar
range for her a comfortable bedroom.
There is chest in it which contains
sufficient number of sheets, pillow
cases and towels especially dedicated to
this room. You allow your maid time
enough to put her room in order, and
you beg of her when she gets up to
throw the bedclothes off the bed, open
the window and let the fresh air in.