The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-04-03
The Servant Girl Trouble
1t Is Always Subject of Discussion Among Married Wo-
men--A Good Servant Rarity.

New York March 26.-I can per-
fectly sympathize with the young girl
who, before she was a wife, expressed
her disgust at the women who contin-
nally talked about their servants, but
after her marriage, when she was IN
the midst of a discussion of this never
ending subject and reminded by a
friend of her former remarks, said Il
wonder that they talk apouI
ANYTHING else" The business man
engaging a clerk. pays him TOT
certain work and expects INN
TO be capable of doing that work
He needs {, competent book keeper.
Numbers appear to apply for the SIT
nation. Each tells of his experience
his ability. and offers his. references
The business man engages that olte
who seems to be most competent, NUS
healthy and about whom the pest "oius
are said by "a former employer, Mno
gives "a reasonable excuse ior VIA ~ lns
dismissed him from his employ 'a ,'i
man expects that in few uass nag
book-keeper will have learned the spee,
;al mathods of the establishment ana
be "a competent workman. lie KNOWS
that he would not dare TO pose as
tirst-class book-keeper unless ne was
one. He understands that u business
man does not write a reference Ior an
amnlove unless it is deserved. and me
emnloyer would think the WORLD WAS
coming an end if. at the end of the
frstday. the man engaged to Keep the
hooks announced that he did not KNOW
very much about them. but that ne was
very good at putting corks III cologne
bottles.
But that is the sort of treatment
that comes TO the mistress of n house.
She is anxious for a tirst-class COOK.
The cook appears, either III answer
to an advertisement, from an employ
mont agency or through some friend.
She presents her recommendation. 1t
is written evidently by a lady, and ac-
cor5;no 10 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 water potatoes, greasy Vege-
tables and heavy pastry constitute the
menu. The mistress signs. After UNI
ner she has a little talk with her new
amnloye. only to discover THAT Wnefe
She lived before she did not do tile
cooking, lust helped around the house,
but she wanted to be cook. ana MIS-.
Montmorenci Brown was so KIND heart-
ed that she gave me n recommend as
one My friend, what right mas MIS-.
Nontmorenci Brown TO tell an aDso-
lirte untruth on paper: Yet TINS I'M
truth is not the worst that has come
70 Won or to me. brought by some one
desiring to literally live with us.
A. well known woman who would ndVe
been Mortified for she was especlally
conspicuous in church work, at Delng
told that she was a sinner commltOeu
n crime of the deepest dye. which she
excused on the ground of feeiihs sor,
nv for the girl" To "A waitress who had
been caught stealing money she gave
q recommendation for honesty. From
the next household which this girl en-
tered 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 disappeared. When
the detectives looked up her references,
which her mistress should have done,
they discovered that this lady, knowing
her to be thief, had yet allowed her
TO go into other homes as an honest
girl As a woman to Il woman, as u
ho,sekeeper to a housekeeper, have the
strength of mind to give nothing but an
honest recommendation to the servant
who leaves you or whom You discharge,
And never fail to date your reference,
for a girl who may be honest to-day
may be a thief next year, While she
who may have been sweet and pure
and good while with you may be de-
prayed in six months time.
Each of us, as we enter the little
place that means home, whether it be
a tiny house or small fiat in some
a., xx-itJ ono
about the woman who. while we employ
her. win vet help make the house a
home. Each OF us means TO be gooa
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. Kind
ness she considers as nothing more
than her right Sympathy she sus-
poets, and gratitude is something UNI
known to her. Oh, / 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
oyer1owing with articles from the
side of the employe! You and /, who en-
gage one girl, arrange for her q COM
Portable bedroom. There is a clest IN
it which contains SunlclelC NUMBER o.
sheets, pillowcases and towels esnecially
dedicated to this room You allow
your maid time enough to put hersroom
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. Perhaps this is done once, per-
haps three times, but after that it is
considered a waste of time by the mis-
tress of the kitchen, and you soon
learn that the linen ON that bed would
never be changed if you did not take
some of your valuable time and III
sist upon it.
You have often thought how miser-
able it must be to eat from am untidy
table, to use soiled dishes or TO have
scraps represent your bill of fare. So In
one of the kitchen cupboards there are
cups, saucers and plates and all the
necessary dishes in plain white ware
and with them some small tablecloths
for the use of Jane and to add to her
comfort. On her arrival you show her
these articles meant to make life
pleasanter for her. and as you explain
,l,a;,. t,ca Won, motion that look half