Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-12-27
CUSTOMS OF ENGLAND
Solid Comfort For an American Out of Pres
ent Situation Housekeeping.

SO am going to tell something for their
benefit. This. of course is not intended |
Tor Mrs. Hopkins ar Mrs. Skegg, who |
Know all about it--only for those poor,
Denlghted women who never kept house |
IN England-Where the sun doesn't get I
up til . in the morning, fog permitting, I
and sets promptly at O'Clock. This |
train of thought Was started by an Eng
iish woman, over here on visit who!
has lived in Denver for twenty years
For five whole years." she said, II
treasured the memories of Merrie Eng
land, whore I spent my girlhood and
had my day dreams. Nothing in Den
Yer exactly suited me. We had weather
there when the thermometer went down
50 low that mercury froze-about &c de-
grees below according to Fahrenheit
but gradually got used to it, and when
III went out of doors put on furs; still,
those memories of England stuck to me. 4
Now | am disillusioned. Meyer in the
world have | spent SO uncomfortable a
month as here You can't get warm or
keep warm. They simply don't know
What comfort is-what steam heat can
do. or even tn e comfort of q hot air fur
mace, And what is worse, you can't
i3teach them. I'm going back to Denver
And she went--another convert to the
lcemmon- sense methods of living to be
found only in America.
| had been put at sea, so to speak,
several times, by my utter ignorance
| of the formaiities which govern English
servants. Or several OCCASIONS when /
Thought the Prince of Wales was open
ling my carriage door, and the Duke of
/ Devonshire was showing me to the room
I where gentlemen are supposed to take
loft their top coats, 1 found that these.
bewhskered and powdered individuals
were only unders trappers, and that to
4 them an American quarter spoke in
lthat language which is understood
/ around the world. So asked an Amer
sEican lady of my acquaintance and of
some little experience TO teleme about
| English customs and seryants--and she
lconsented. And this is what Will prove
.iof interest to the women of the T.-R.:
i Housekeeping $ carried on in the
lmost primitive manner. a cook is not
slobliged to know anything about cake
q pastry or pie making, such things be-
ling all bought at the confectipner's. A
4 cook (and she does nothing else). must
X only know how to cook meats and plain
boiled Vegetables without any season
ing whatever, and to make few boiled
and steamed buildings. To describe the
duties OF all the different servants
would fill book, but Will begin with
the lowest in the scale, the general
! housawork'' servant. She starts in
life probably girl of 10. with some
small tradesman's wife for mistress,
!, just step a bove her in the social scale.
i and is probably the only one of her
"a class deserving of COMMUNICATION; her
3 life is a solitary one, and in most
J. places her work is never done. Her
! duties commence by opening the heavy
y l'wooelen SHUT tiers in the morning. She
!, should then brush up her kitchen range
flight the fire, clear away tine ashes and
f polish the brass on the range. After
l.. putting on the kettle she goss TO the
"A dining room TO get 1t in order for
r breakfast; she sweeps and dusts tbs
8 room, lights the fire tif it is winter)
/ and proceeds to make tea and gel
/ breakfast. She is supposed 10 clean hei
f masters boots before breakfas st and bt
$ ready, in clean cap and apron, ID vel
. come nar master and mistress wher
/. they come down. Her entire day Is
Il filed with housework she being obligee
i 10 make beds dust, answer door bell
e seour innumerable brass things daily
f and TO wait on eyeiy member Of the
: house The laundry maid is CHARGE
|. with the duties of washing and ironlnt
9 and the getting up Of the famil,
e linen The nursery in England Is o
great Importance and in familie
q Eef distinction and Importance tn
I nursery is kept apart from the rest o
d the family. like Il different establish
$. meIli. under the charge OF an uppe
q nurse assisted by various under nurs
d maids. according to the size of the fam
d lily. The nurses wash dress, feed an
st hive with their charges The mother
IS never supposed to pay more than
n daily visit to the nursery. In high fam
q lilies the upper nurse is usually per
4? mitted to sup or dine occasionally a
i the housekeeper's table by way of re
'eI taxation The lady's maid is anotae
IA servant who is almost INDISPENSABLE
ID an upper-class English house. she
ie iexpected to dress her lady in the morn
IA ing take the warm water for 1er pat.
3 comb her hair and lace her shoes. Sh
e. must mend all fine lace. keep dres
FL braids in order and be occupied for he
'e lady every minute that she Is not in al
tendance upon her. AT night she make
III the bed ready. procures more pa
ne water. undresses the lady. rides IN
room and waits about until she Us DIS
= missed The housekeeper IN family
= generally like the mistress IN an Amer
tican family. She orders everything
I Leaf. most all the furniture. pays a
" bills and engages servants. the mlstres
= herself being more like guest. IN
= housekeeper has her meals With u
= butler and lady's maid in her ow
sitting room. The footman Is require
Is 10 make himself generally nsei'
y cleaning knives and shoes, rubbing II
" ma hogany furniture. trim and clea
!, lamps and carry hot water TO his ma:
tiers bedroom. IL there IS no butl'
! KEEP, he is required to lay the table II
. the different meals. And If there
. no butler he also waits at table, az
~ sisted by the upper house maid.
Where there is a valet kept, his du'
= lis. of course, to wait upon his maste
IL He lights his dressing room fire,
II, ranges and brushes the clothes n
-, master is 10 wear and thoroughly al
~. his linen The valet also shaves
ba master and stands respectfully by
-, hand him his clothes while he dresse
or He then gets his orders for the da
ss cleans the dressing room, and WASH