The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-20
THE ENGLISH HOUSEMAID,
JUST WOW SHE'S THE FASHION IN
SWELL ESTABLISHMEEIa

has been involved to an extent that seems In.
comprehensive to Americans. who are az.
customed TO regard English servants as the
best In the world They are employed here bv
the families who pay most for domestic ser.
vice. and their com pensation is generally hghe,
than that paid to any~ot other netionalttes
In New York and Newport English servants
look after the establishments OF the wealthy
and the tendency TO employ them has 40 ia.
creased that they are looked upon as necessary
to the smartness OF household. Buffers
grooms and Wallets. as well as coachmen. have
been for some years practically taken only
from among the Englishmen available. al
though q few Frenchmen were occasionally
employed. II there happened to DO Irishmea
among these domestics, they found 1t expe-
dent to conceal all traces Of their origin and mp.
pear es nearly English as possible. Now this
preference for English servants has extended
to the women as well. and the wants OF tho
wealthy are tended by English parlor maids.
cham bermaids, and even ladies maids. Eng
lIsh women have displaced the formerly popu-
lar French chiefly because they are tho style.
for nobody pretends that they equal in deftness
and resource the women who are trained for
their work in Paris. One woman at Newport
last year was envied because her maid possessed
accomplishments which few can boast She
was q Frenchwoman who had passed her later
life in London. spoke English with a oockney
accent. and had acquired at some stage
OF her expatriation the name OF "Perkins"
Such a combination OF virtues was rare
enough to make that mode In demand, and
her value was never fully realized until II was
known that she refused all offers OF higher
wages and remained faithful to her first Ameri-
can mistress. without the international 40
embellishments OF this woman. the English
maids like the servants OF that country, are
fha 10 tn Ia pnntr I'D
They have never taken place as the rivals OF
tho domestics In modest houses that subsist
on an equipment Of two or three. Possibly for
that reason. the impression still survives hero
that the English servants are the m lost ca pable.
respectful and desirable that exist anywhere
to-day. They would probably be quite as m UGH
criticised as those OF other nationalitiea Wero
they placed on the same footing with them.
But here they are employed only In the small
armies that are neceesary for the great
establishments. and knowledge OF their
qualities Ia not widespread. In their
own home. the revolt against them Is
vigorous. and ia directed chiefly against the
kind to be found In houses that employ only
one or two. The latest form taken By this up
rising against domestic tyranny is an effort to
import q number Of Chinese. who shall be
trained to do the work which It is 30 dirfcut
to have attended to now. The head OF this
movement is soliciting the eo-operation OF
borers to England. teach them the routine Of
household work and T employ them in the place
describes as civil, honest sober. reliable" ser
scheme has not yet reached stage which
makes It possible to Judge OF Its ultimate sue
Sh IN tSs
Der employed now In New York could be COUNT
ed on the, fingers. In the West they are en-
IN
from the East who happen to employ Thorn
bachelor quarters in Western city with t SOW
eral other friends, who had gone from New
ness had 2 Chinese cook who seemed a Jewel
at first; Especially to their liking was pastry
h To Sd 9cen m"e
dent to the bachelor honsekeeper the peculiat-
as Of his s@ 70 The H. smr %e The
applying water to the dry clothes he is about to
iron. Confidence In the cook declined 30 from
refuge In hotel with Caucasian servants. All
Chinese cooks may not be IKE this: and their
orally quite distinctive.
One OF the compensations that comes to the
average woman for not being very great 10 the
privilege OF buying her own clothes She may
"shop" II she cares TO. It 10 a fact that the
great women who are expected to be dressed
wholly disappointing in that particular because
they rarely choose their own clothes. 1t 10 q
matter TO which they have at FIRST not the time
to attend. Later they lose the inclination.
Maids or companions usually have charge OF
this task. As q substitute. shopkeepers send
their goods for inspection. No woman was
ever able to keep In touch with the styles from
such an acquaintance with Thorn. They may
shop" at homo from what is q selection Of
tho best things In an establishment. but every
woman knows that Is poor substitute for Soc
ing all there is Queen Victoria Ats herself out
In some such yicarious way. Bhe has her
wants communicated to all tho large shops
at which she Is in the habit Of making pur-
chases; special messengers arc sent to
her with goods that are supposed
to meet with her wishes; the orders
for these articles are left at the shops by cou-
riers who arc retained for this particular pur-
pose. not only by the Queen but by other royal
personages as we'll Goods are usually carried
to the residence Of Her Majesty by members OF
the Arm to which she gives the order. He is
received by q footman. who passes him through
a succession OF aunkies until he reaches one OF
the ladies in waiting. To her he confdes the
details OF price and other matters Then he
tax es a scat in an anteroom TO await the royal
pleasure. This Is communicated to him after
ward by the lady In waiting. who settles all the
final questions OF the order. The condition on
which Queen Victoria deals with any frm 10
that the strlctest secrecy be observed as to what
she buys Any violation Of this ends her deal
in gs with house. The Princess Of Wales has
to do her shopping In the same way. and is said
to be the most exactng member OF the royal
family as to the way In which garments are
made, although she could scarcely DO called q
well dressed woman In the strict sense OF the
word. Some modistes have attributed her de-
mands in this respect to the fact that she used
TO make her own gowns in girlhood. This ex-
perience is commonly supposed to make women
particular, It is interesting to know that the
| same n, prices are. charged TO royalty
pay. Other women in positions that REQUIRE
them to be dressed In fashion are as rarely
seen in shops. Most of the prlme donnaG
who come TO this country are rarely patrons OF
American establishments under any ciroum.
stances. They give themsel vee for a brief
period to the tailor abroad. who dresse. them.
and that completes their necessary Difference
TO fashion. Their maids and companions do
the rest. Even when circumstances make 10
imperative to appeal to the local dealerA Il 10
done by deputy, An experience OF one fashion,