The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-21
A VISITING HoUsEKEEPER.
The Business "a Paying and Pleasant
One for women.

New York, May 19.-Dorothy Higgins Is
the od-fashioned name of a young wo-
man who last summer discovered a new
occupation for women. That is, if the ad-
iectIve new can ever be used connect
ing women with housekeeping. But Miss
Higgins method has many novel fea-
lures, and she speaks of her experience
very pleasantly.
Il came from my home in the West
winter before last 10 study the violin I'M
der a famous New York teacher" she
says. Like many other girls Of limited
means, ! have an unlimited ambition and
some day hope TO become an artist AT
the end of the season, as my funds were
low | must admit / was disheartened
Just at this time | CHANGED to meet, on
the cars, a lady whom / had known dur
ing the winter and she inquired about
my summer plans. For once in my life
l was candid about my poverty, and told
her of my failure to make engagements.
Dear mel! she exclaimed, why don't
some of you girls try to do housekeeping
that way? That is divide your time
around among several houses. If you
would only come in for few hours, or
der the meat direct the servants, and
do all that sort of thing, there would be
no difficulty about getting employment.
l have just been calling on a friend who.
| has a cottage near my own in Newport.
| We are neither of US wealthy women, but
| we have no end of social obligations We
| don't feel that we can afford a house
| keeper and yet we are actually dread
| ing our summer move because we know
how much extra exertion it will require.
| Now, If We could only get some one be-
| tween us who understands how to do
| such things, to take them off our hands,
we would gladly employ them for the
| summer, at least
THAT remark was an inspiration, and
| before l Feft the car had engaged to call
on my friend and seriously discuss the
| matter. To make a long story short, l en-
| gagged to divide my time between four
homes in Newport for the summer, acting
as visiting housekeeper. Now, had good
| business head and considerable knowledge
| about the keeping of a small house; those
| were my stock in trade and l meant to
| succeed
after the moving was over and each
| household settled down and running
| smoothly, l made out regular pro-
| gramme, embracing my duties for every
| day in the week. At a stated time each
| morning l held consultations with the
mistress of each house learned their
| plans for the day, and when possible had
| them give me an idea how they wished
| their ideas carried out. Then l made an
| inspection of the china closets, storerooms,
| cellars, etc, gave out the necessary sup
plies to the cooks, buffers and chamber
maids, took an inventory of things to be
purchased and then went to market
"Of course, l mean did al these things
in each house before going TO market be-
cause one visit had 10 suffice, and you can
easily see how prompt had to be in the
performance Of my other duties to finish
my marketing a the proper time
''The purchasing over, | made my Sec
ond round of inspection. 1t was this visit
the servants dreaded, for I required that
they have their mornings work complet-
cd, and went through each room and clos
ct IN every house. had written out my or
ders for the servants on my first can. Or
may second cali required them to repeai
those orders and tell me how they proposed
to carry them out. This was the time wher
all my tact, good humor and firmness was
| required for all errors and difficulties with
the servants had TO be settled In the man
ner least calculated to interrupt tht
smooth running of the household machin
cry. Once a month l paid all wages ans
outstanding bills, went over and balanced
my accounts, then turned over my books
to my employers for inspection
"Those were my regular duties, but 4
was my irregular duties which gave m
the greatest amount of work, and l mus
admit, sometimes annoyance. Under TIL
head OF irregular duties 1 place the va
rous entertainments given by my EN-
ployers. OF course in four homes, during
, a season at Newport, there were of neces
sity many entertainments each week
sometimes dinners, and not quite so Ere
uuently, a breakfast. All of these requir
ed extra work, to say nothing of the eX
ira amount Of thought about the plans
etc. On all extra occasions l made 1t
point TO be present and personally super
intend and direct the servants.
III was a lot of trouble. perhaps yol
think. but it paid, for / had the satisfac
ton OF knowing that all my plans wer
well carried out and that my employer
had no reason 10 blush for the way il
which everything was conducted. TIL
most substantial proof of their satisfac
I ton with my work came only the othe
day, when they all wrote urging me +
continue with them on their return {
their homes in New York. was real