New-York tribune., 1901-11-30
SCHOOL FOR HOUSEMAIDS.
A SUCCESSFUL ONE ON SIMPLE LINES
STARTED BY A PARIS WOMAN
Paris, November %.

Paris. November %.
Although Paris. especially the left bank of the
city. is crowded with professional schools, modest
little building In tie Rue de Vanguard bears
title somewhat untque-that OF q school for the
training Of general servants. Almost all large
cities include cooking schools, and training school
for high class nurseuaids is longer a novelty;
but that professional school should be devoted 10
the special training OF that hard worked. generally
incompetent, but necessary. individual known as
the maid OF all work seems slightly out of the
ordinary. One is inclined ask: How did it be-
gin, is il a success. and does il pay?
The founder and director Of the school is a
woman. who says she not actuated by COM
mercial spirit in beginning her work She realized
must every acquainted with the domestic
economy of France, how hard the struggle for
Instresses OF small obtain good servants
and she realized too how difficult 1t for young
girls arriving from the country. without friends or
influence, obtain good places Country girls.
hearing OF the good wages paid in Paris. rush in.
often i'll prepared. and sometimes entirely unpre-
pared Tor the work they expect 10 ind offered them
every side
The sight Of young bonne crying bitterly over
the baby in her charge, one day in the LuxeTn-
bourg Gardens. the direct means of enlisting
the founders sympathles in this direction. French
ba bies done up elaborate system of wraps
called ''maillot," and the ignorant nurse having
unpinned this. could not get it together again, and
in despair lest she should lose her place.
Mademoiselle. in talking to other girls. found that
this isolated instance.
large proportion OF the servants come TO Paris
from isolated districts OF France. where, for the
greater part Of The year, they employed in the
helds in tending the domestic animals, and
where the housewoIk OF the most primitive kind
ON arrival they are found 10 be so incompetent that
the best they can do Is TO get place IN the family
OF d small grocer wine seller, where they work
both III the shop and in the family, and do the
hardest drudgeiy Tor 81 or $ a month They learn
nothing. for there is teach them, and il
takes exceptionally clever girl TO rise from a
family OF this sort TO menage OF better KIND
On the other hand, il Is not uncommon for a
young housewife of refined tastes and small means
afford a good servant, and she cannot stand the
untldiness and ignorance OF debutante, SO she
clarWoInan a few hours day Mhat Mauefn-
oselle is trying do is to make il possible for
nice families OF small means TO take in these new
eoners from the country.
1t is practical affair, for the course of nstruc-
non lasts only from three to six weeks, and the
lrlce, tuition and board included Is 20 cents day
Macemoiselie naturally in that time cannot turn
out well trained servants; all she expects to do is
70 put them the right road and TO teach them
the essential things They learn first of all,
TO keep their hands and face clean, and TO do up
their hair it viii not get untidy while working
Then they are taught the difference between a
cleal cloth and dirty one, between clean water
and oIrty water and to sweep and dust a room
u "a going 10 market with the directress or one or
Soe 5ne advanced pupils 70 learn how markstlHg Is
lie simplest knd-ragouts. soups and vegetables
nut all French girls take instnctivey TO cooking.
ceap bath. complete wardrobe and large articu-
aied doll The pupils dress this doll, undress II,
The directress of the school is careful that the
srs she accepts are Of good moral character and
lhrorgh incompetency- The school has paid, mas
Iaeh as prominent people are becoming interested
1T and talk of Il possibility of obtaining sub
sane idea The present school is helped by philan-
,hropic people interested in the subject The idea,
..o9eyer, might pay its expenses II Larger quar-
fers were engaged and more pupils taken