The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-28
NEW FAcToR IN DOMESTIC hrxURr


The personal Substitute" u Paragon of
Skill In the Social Art.
In the household committed to luxury these
days there crop up constantly new needs and
callinRs to be filed by the proper aspirants.
The trained nurse. the amanuensis. the kinder
gartner. private mantua maker and evening"
gown designer. and the maid skilled in the
science Of beauty-makinG and Individual COM
fort. oil separately and together. are grated
onto the ordinary domestic retinue. and now
comes the Personal Substitute" to further
smooth the way and relieve the mistress of the
least title OF completely that might possibly
cloud her horizon. The Personal Substitute is
another and different order Of being from the
secretary or companion. As nearly as possible.
she answers to the mistress's second self. MS it
were. and delegated duties" are her special
field. Unlike her compeers lower in rank. her
services come high. and, unlike them. she must
be the sort OF person that could not by any
chance be overlooked or ignored. unless she
herself gave the key to that attitude.
III there is q lawyer or a man OF business to
be seen about some bothcrsome matter the
Personal Substitute secs him, and the mistress
rests easy. knowing that the right thing was
said to him in the right way and at the right
time. II it is an lat home day and the mis-
tress is fatigucd or In a mood for n siesta. or to
w ~ liNt ulh uilNl w NIht 4 WI 'pul'-
stitute sees even the intimates who call. pours
tea and presides with the same ease and grace
that her chief might have done. She can en-
tcrtain. she has tact and adaptability and the
sense not to rub people the wrong way. or to
talk metaphysics or on dry-as-dust subjects to
people interested in mere surface matters and
fashionable data.
That's an awfully clever woman you've got.
She's as good fun as YOU aie.' is said afterward
| ~ 3 y * IL ~, t.h @.t. as arl tho aa- lac.
heartily and compliments the judgment and
savoir-faire Of her chief Of staff.
"Sho takes all the worry of my shoulders. no
matter In what line 1t crops up is the testi-
mony. The other day there was q difficult
letter to be composed. l didn't know what l
wanted to say myself. and | had made one dash
at it and got disguised. Mrs. S. rose to the
occasion like a daisy or n born interpreter. and
sent off something that filed the requirements
all round. Now the secretary. that nice look
ing girl l had last year. couldn't begin to do
anything like that. although she was well
educated. Shed write out two or three pains
taking drafts or samples for my inspection.
stiff -stilted. letter-writcr sounding things. not
a bit like me, and that wouldn't answer at all.
! had Just as much responsibility about my cor.
respondence all the time MS though she wasn't
here. Now this woman takes hold of things
! Just as | would, from my end as it were. and me
getting along famously. Anybody sick. she
goes and they take 1t as u personal com pliment.
She went to an out-of-town wedding for me
the other day. got the present and all without
my bothering. and she put me on to the
sprightllest answer to q witty motto / got not
long ago. and can do such ready graceful
things In emergency. Acceptance. coincidence,
it's all one with her. She confers with my mil
liner as well as ! can. attends to getting all the
new things for the country and altogether
outclasses anybody ! ever had about me
The successful Substitute of this sort is not
at, that in-betwc"n age when a woman has
fullest grip Of her mental and physical powers
and has come TO a realization Of the benefits Of
the world the type described as discipiined'
books but acquired, first hand from social in
tercourse.. The Substitute who renders ell
stance. and the self polse that is made up OF
equal parts OF i9natS breeding and correct
not show { It. II She s"Y has Is e S%F t and S%9 s "Tas
pathetic ,%leaninGs she ,%conceals tho evil
depces Of them, ana does not give way
scene-making, composure-upscttinG circum:
stances, In short. she practices repose and
which no society leader could be a success. nor
any, domestic woman be comfortable to live
be as highly educated in the sense of scholarly
attainment as the Goyerness or the copyist and
but she has a gamut of ACCOMPLISHMENTS in;
cluded, in no category, and she sells Tor a good
price tne tuct ana SOclal punoply tnat make the
normal woman Of the world a pleasant person
to encounter and to have about: The success
full Personal Substitute gets abundant credit
and recognition whore she lives. No member
ofthe household. even the senior and venerable,
would dream Of asking her to read aloud
hours at a time. as the ordinary companion Is
called on to do. and she would not be solicited TO
apply cologne water TO the, brow in midnight
to fetch cushions. wash tho poodle, or rub rheu-
matie, shoulders, "a the trained nurse would
be. Her position is recognized as unique and
far above the ordinary in personal service. and
she gets adequate consideration. even attcn-
ton, by sheer right Of personality, rather than
e%xertion. The housckceper recognizes her.
the tacile lady's maid, accomplished in her
own line. Is eager to win her good opinion. and
the master OF the family looks upon her as one
Of themselves-h godsend and benefaction in
the way Of warding of disagreeables and in
vomiting pleasant WAYS Of nverting awkward.