The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-25

pantries, attends to the candles or
lamps and sometimes makes the beds,
or assists the housemaid if necessary. At
bed time she talks up her night tray
a tray with the whisky decanter syphon
of seltzer, a pitcher of water and some
tumblers. This she deposits on the mas
ter's bedside table. Then she makes the
beds ready for the retiring. 1t is a say
ing among housemaids when the tum-
blers are discovered unused of a morn
ing, Keep, clear, masters tumbleTs were
dry" in tone of warning sufficient for
the wary.
From the time she gets out of bed till
she retires she is never seen without her
cap and apron, else she goes out for her
own pleasure. She IS the artist of the ser
want world. She can rub white spots from
the mahogany breakfast table with mix
ture of vinegar and sweet oil and heap of
elbow grease, or chill champagne to per
lection She it Is who turns lady'S maid
when necessary. She can shampoo ones
hair to that most delightful point of fulfil
ness, or give one an ice pack like a train
ed nurse. And always with some hornely
panacea for every ache or pain. She is a
walking household companion, indeed, for
all domestic needs.
House servants have no specified day
out When their work is done their time
is their own They must only say to their
mistress that they wish to go out. If
she is entertaining unexpectedly that day
the leave Is postponed. maid never
leaves any work undone for an outing,
nor expects a holiday on general princi-
pies.
Laundry work for the family is usually
done away from the pen, unless larger
force of servants is kept, when there is a
laundress for this work. Otherwise wo-
men living at their own homes do most
of this work They wash out of doors.
and have a large white fiat stone known
as the bleach stone. After washing and
rubbing the clothes well by hand, they
put them, well soaped upon this stone,
and either use jet, as they call the hose,
or dash water from buckets over the
clothes. The clothes are actually washed
twice, and rinsed three times before they
are wrung out by hand, and hung upon
the wire line or small trees about the
yard. When these clothes are bone dry,
they are starched. This can be done, as
there is never need of haste.
cleaner wash was never known,
thanks to the slow, thorough process,
and the fresh air and sunshine allotted
to them. These washerwonen do up laces
exquisitely, and delight in fussy garments.
They are expert ironers. They use starch
more freely than our women, especially in
the linens and are more generous bluers,
but their clothes are beautifully sweet
smelling. No atmosphere of ham and
eggs and clay pipes is returned with the
family wash. A torn garment is dis
grace and iron rust or slack ironing are
things never mentioned.
The wages for servants vary according
to the size of the family and the amount
of work required. In family of three,
where three servants are kept, a waitress
is paid usually from to 9 shillings a week
50 to 1925. The housemaid's wages
would be shllings, and the cook would
receive 10 shillings. When a butler Is en-
ployed he receives about IA shillings
The income is nearly doubled by tips.
It is a time honored custom with guests
to tip the house servants Usually not
less if some special service has been rem
dered. So
There is very little changing about
among maids a service in one family
of five or six years being the rule. BY
law notice of two weeks is required. The
maids take great pride in their references,
and keep the written certificates of their
character 10 their dying day, even though
they marry or leave service. The laun-
dresses charge about shillings a dozen.
A most elaborate gown will be 2 s}lillings
In speaking of pens / mean the home
steads just out of the city proper Like
our Southern plantations, they include
a variety of different sized buildings The
dwelling house, including all of the living
rooms, is usually square, with wide We
randas. The kitchen Is detached from
the main house, except for the short COW
cred porch, or walk which leads into the
back pantry, or perhaps a hallway In the
back pantry is the meat safe, and safe
for vegetables for immediate use. The ice
vault is always five or six feet from the
floor. A crane is used and the ice is
raised by pulley suspended from the cell
ing and lowered into the vault The safes
are what we term cupboards with wire
screening at the sides and door.
The servants quarters are built under
separate roofs, sometimes I'm cottage style
or two-story structures When there Is a
bungalow near the entrance to the grounds
1t is occupied by the butler and family.
1t is, IN fact the lodge, and if two-storied
the gardener has the lower floor. The
bath house is near the main house, ana.
has a large marble tub which is kept
snow white; the floors are cemented. Hot
and cold water is -piped in the bath house
of the modernized pen. Sometimes It is
fetched in buckets. The wash house or
laundry is on the far side of the kitchen
It is also supplied with running water
and has soapstone tubs. Besides these
buildings are the spring house, wood house
and the usual complement of a plantation
After the days work is over the negroes
come up from the fields, and the girls "sit
around and go over the days gossip. II
the least pretext offers dreams are the
subject Of conversation, and all sorts Of
meanings attributed TO Them for Jamaica
negroes are highly superstitious. To dream
Of being turned into fishes means trouble