The Holly chieftain., 1899-08-11
HER SECOND SELF.
NY LADYs "PERSokAL SUBSTITUTE"
is A DOMESTIC LUXURY.
She Is - Paragon of skin In the So
cinl Art-sh. Is Such IA Help TO the
Overvork-d Woman Of Fashion.
Not Young, Not Old, hut just Right.

In the household committed to luxury
these dnys there crop up constantly new
needs and caliincs to he filled by the
proper aspirauts. The trained nurse, the
amanuensis, the kindergarten. the private
rnautua mixer aud evening gown design
er and the maid slilled in the science OF
beauty mixing aud individual comfort,
all separately and together, are grated
on TO the ordinary domestic retinue, and
now comes the personal substitute" to
further smooth the way and relieve the
mistress Of tho least little OF complexity
that might possibly cloud her horizon.
The personal substitute is another and
different order OF being from the secrcta-
ry or companion. AS nearly as possible
she answers t. the mistress second self,
as il were. and delegated duties' are her
special field. Unlike her compecrs lower
in rank. her services come high. and, un-
like them, she must he the sort of person
that could not by sny chance be over
looked or ignored. unless she herself gave
the key to that attitude.
II there is LAWYER or n man OF bust
ness TO be seen about some bothcrsomc
nntter. the personal substitute sees him.
and the mistress rests easy, knowing that
the right thing was said to him in the
right way aud Mt the right time. II Il is
an 'at home day and the mistress Is IA
tgued or in n mood for siestR, or TO he
left free and undisturbed, the personal
substitute sees even the .ntimatcs who
call, pours tea and prcsidcs with the
same cnss and grace that her chief might
hnve done. She can entertain. she has
tnet 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
aud fashionable data.
That's mn awfuly clever woman
you've got. She's good fun as you
are" is said afterward OF this deputy
hostess. and the employer agrees heartily
and compliments the Judgment and sa-
voir faire Of her chief OF staff.
She takes all the worry of my shoul-
ders, no matter in what line it crops up."
IL the testimony. The other day there
was difficult letter to be- composed. I
didn't know what ! wanted to say n.y.
self. and | hnd made one dash at Ii and
got disgusted. Mrs. S. rose to the occa-
sion like daisy or a born interpreter
and sent off something that filed the re-
quirsments all around Now the secreta-
ry. that nice looking girl had last year,
couldn't begin to do anything like that.
although she was well educated. Shed
write out two or three painstakiug drafts
or samples for my inspection. stiff. stilted,
letter writer sounding things not n bit
like me, and that wouldn't answer at all.
! had just as much responsibility about
my correspondence nil the time ms though
she wasn't here. Now. this woman takes
hold of things just as | would, from my
end. as II were. and me getting nlong
famously. Anybody sick, she goes, and
they take II AS a personal compliment
She went to an out OF town wedding. for
me the other day, got the present and all
without my bpthcring. and she put me ON
to the spriEhtlirst answer to a witty note
l got not long ego. ard can do such ready.
graceful things ir emergency. Accent
ance, condolsnct, it's all one with her.
She confcrs with my milliner as well as
can. attends 10 getting all the new things
for the country and altogether outclasscs
snybady | ever had nbout me-
The successful substitute of this sort Ia
not young; nSithcr. for that matter, is
she old. but at that in between age when
woman has fullest grip OF her mental
and physical powers and has come to a
realization OF the benefits OF common
sense. She Is essentially n woman of the
world, the type described as "discipiined"
that Is, schooled in things not learned
In books. but acquired first hand from So
c-nl intercourse. The substitute who rem
ders efficient service is sehoolcd in re-
straint, for instance. and the self poise
that is made up of equal parts OF innate
breeding and correct self valuation If
she is surprised. she does not show il. Ii
she has emotions and sympathetic lean
ings, she cOnceals the evidences Of them
aud does not give way either to SINGER,
resentment or any scene making. com
posure npSetting circumstances. In short
a. IA f.Tst. ftH4.NE Il
fulness OF manner, without which no So
ciety leader could be success nor any
domestic woman be comfortable to live
with for very long. The substitute need
not be as highly ed:cated in the sense OF
scholarly attainment as the governcss or
the copyist and translator or general
helper in literary matters but she has !.
gamut OF accomplishments included ia no
category, and shn sells for good price
the tact and social pan0ply that make
the normal woman of the world a pleas.
nnt person to ClcoHnter and to have
about The Succcssful personal slbSti-
tute gets abundant credit and recognition
where sh" lives. 40 member uf the
household, even the senior and venerable.
would dream of asking her to read aloud
hours at time. as the ordinary compan-
ion is called on to do. and she would not
be solicited to apply cologne water to
the brow in midnight hours should the
mistress be ovcrnervous, or to fetch cush-
ions, wash the poodle or rub rheumatic
shoulders, as the trained nurse would be-
Her position is recognized as unique and
far above the ordinary in personal serv-
Ice. and she gets adequate consideration,
even attention. by sheer right OF personal
ity rather than exerton. The house
keeper recognizes her: the fhcile lady's