The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-09-30
SERVANTS IN INDIA.


The head servant of every house is
called the bearer. Upon him deyolves
the responsibility OF the general man
agement of all th servants except the
cook. His particular duties are to dust
and arrange the furniture and TO attend
the door when callers arrive. When u
lady drives up in her carriage. the
bearer goes TO the carriage door with a
card tray 10 receive her card. lie con-
veys, IL TO ihs mistress, who sends back
the word "Salaam" il she is prepared
70 receive callers. IL she does not car"
TO receive. the servant returns 10 the
carriage and says "Dwarzi bupd.
which is. the door is shut.
The next servant i'm Importance Is the
csok. This important individual Is, be-
cause of caste reasons, "A Mohamniedan:
Hindoos VIII not handle OF cook meat;
Mohammedans WIN, 50 Mohammedans
do tho cooking In European families.
says Vick's Magazine. This servant not
only cooks but buys all the provisions.
IL is necessary to hold this important
parsonage to strict account, for. unless
he IL so held, he will runsup bills that
are astonishing. Here Is the order OF
meals for ore day: At rising o'clock
in the morning-the cook serves in your
room what is known as ''chhota haz-
rec" or the small breakfast: 1t COM
prises tea. two pieces of toast. with
A
10 clock breakfast Is served: this con-
| sists OF a milk dish. then meat course.
| followed by an Indian dish, prepared
| in the inimitable Hindoostanoe Fashion.
| In some OF the favored sections or ln-
dia, where Il IL eeol for a few weeks OF
| the year. coffee il served during the
| cool season At 3 i'm the afternoon
| luncheon is served: this meal consists
/ Of fruit. bread. butter and jam, with
| tea and cold meat Dinner Is served at
| 8 o'clock In the evening. and is formal
| occasion The courses consist of soup.
| a side dish. two or more meat courses.
| pulao another India dish: cake and
| pudding. followed by nuts, fruits, etc,
| after which the ladies withdraw to the
| sitting room and the gentlemen indulge
| i'm conversation. coffee and cigars. To
| close the day tea is served IN the silt
! ting room before retiring.
TO assist I'm serving the meals during
| the day the cook has the assistance or
| two men, or even more. who are called
| khidmadgars. or walters. They wear
flowing garments Of spotiess whiteness:
| Their heads are covered with yards or
| filmy white goods. wound time ana time
! again about like a turban. They never
| speak above whisper while on duty.
and with bare feet they glide noiselessly
| and quickly in and out. serving the dil-
| ferent courses Beside the cook ana
these helpers who wait on the table,
4 there lS anOlneT uuitt uUu Iid'ib III
| dividual who sits on his feet In the
kitchen and washes the dishes He Is
known as the michalchee. or dlsh-
| washer.
All the household servants have not
vet been enumerated. There is the IN
| dispensable bhistce or water carrier. He
| supplies all the bathrooms with water
and waters the shrubs and flowers As
he has TO put all the water from deep
we'll by hand his duties are by no means
| light Then there is the mither. or
sweeper, who sweeps the rooms ana at
tends tn the conservancy of bathrooms.
The mally. or gardener, looks after the
culture Of flowers In the garden and
cares for the lawn. AT every meal he
has the table decorated Handsomely
with flowers Besides these servants
the watchman has duties that are pc
culiar To housekeeping in India, ana
then there is the syce and his assist :
ants whose duties require them To give
| constant attention to their master $
horses and carriages. The ayah, oI
lady's maid. is the only woman servanf
connected with European household
| in India.