The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-04-05
1t Is Always a Subject of Discussion Among Married "o-
men--A Good Servant a Rarity.

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who he fore she was a wife, expressed
her disgust at the women who conttn-
uaIIy talked about their servants, Ddt
after her marriage, when she was III
the midst of Il discussion OF TINS never
ending SUBJECT and reminded bE =
friend Of her former remarks, sald:
wonder that they talk aoout
ANYTHING else" The business man
engaging a clerk, pays nm LOT
certain work and expects MN
TO be capable of doing that worn
He needs Il competent ~booh-heep%l
Numbers appear to apply fof the ~
uation. Each tells OF ms experience
his ability. and offers his. references
The business man engages that one
who seems TO be most competent, most
haalthv and about whom the best WORDS
ire said bv a former employer, VINO
rives a reasonable Excuse for having
dismissed him from his employ. Inat
man expects that in q few Gays n1S
hook-keeper will have learned the spec
ial methods Of the Establishment anu
be q competent workman. tie KNOWS
that he would not dare to pose as I
tirst-class ~book-keeper unless ne was
one. He understands that q business
man does not write q reference lnf an
employ unless it is deserved, ana uHc
EMPLOYER would think the world was
coming an end if, ut the ehu OIL tne
firstday, the man engagef to keep IHt
books announced that he did not know
very much about them, but that he was
very rood at putting corks IN cologne
bottles.
Rnt that is the sort of treatment
that comes to the mistress OF Il mouse.
She is anxious for a tirst-class cook.
,rn.. o,,J- n r,oapc other IN anSNpI
to an advertisement, from an employ
ment agency or through some friend.
She presents her recommendation. 1t
is written evidently by Il lady. and ac-
cording to it this woman has all the
virtues and is n perfectly competent
cook. Her first dinner is an absolute
failure. The meat is cooked to deatll,
while water potatoes. greasy Nese-
tables and heavy pastry constitute the
menu. The mistress signs. After dan
ncr she has Il little talk with her new
employee, only 10 discover that where
she lived before she did not do ~"
cooking. Just helped around the house,
but she wanted to be 4 cook. and Mrs.
Montmorenci Brown was 50 KIND heart
ed that she gave me 4 recommend as
one My friend. what right has Mrs.
Montmorenci Brown to tel an ALSO
lutte untruth on paper: Yet this I'M
truth is not the worst that has come
10 YOU or to Inc. brought Hy solilc one
desiring to literally live with us.
4 well Known woman who would have
been Mortified. for She was especially
conspicuous in church work, ut being
iolI that she WAS a sinner committees
:, crime of the deepest dye. which she
excused on the ground of feeling sor-
nv for the girl To a waitress who had
been caught stealing money she gave
a recommendation for honesty. ErGm
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 Ter sweetheart 10
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 a thief, had yet allowed her
to go into other homes as III honest
girl. AS Il woman to Il woman, is @
housekeeper to Il -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 d girl who may he 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 a small fiat in some
great city, is overlooking with hope
about the woman who. while we employ
her, will yet help make the house Il
home. Each of us means to be gooo
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 rs her natural enemy. Kind
hess she considers as nothing more
than her right. Sympathy she sus-
poets. and gratitude is something I'M
known to her. Oh, l 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
overfiowing with articles from the
side of the employe! You and |. who en-
gage one girl, arrange for her y com
Portable bedroom. There IS a CHEST Il,
it which contains Il sufficient number Of
sheets, pillowcases and towels esrecialls
dedicated to this room. You allow
your maid time enough to put her room
i'll order, and you beg of her when she
gets up TO throw the bedclOthes off the
bed, open the window and let the fresh
ar 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 IN
SiSt upon it.
You have often thought how miser-
able it must be to eat from an untidy
table, to use so;led dishes or to have
scraps represent you bill of fare. So in
one of the kitchen cupboards there are
cups. saucers and plates and all the
necessary dishes III plain white ware
and with them some small tablecloths
for the use of lane and to add to her
comfort. On her arrival you show her
these articles meant to make life
p~ieasanter for her, and as you explain
the.r use Won notice that Il look. half
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