Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-22
GERMAN SERVANTS.
Public Registry Through Police De-
partment-The Matter of Wages.


organize a servant girls union. has
again been aroused by the ahhouhee
ment that such a union has actually
been formed in Chicago, II may DE vi
interest to some to learn how such
things are managed in Germany
Not long ago it was my good fortune
to spend several weeks in German
household in southern Baden l say
German household advisedly. FOR
although the master and mistress were
Americans, all the domestic arrange
n,ents were carried out after the Ger
man fashion My hostess explained
that there were customs and prece-
tents according to which all household
matters were regulated in that land of
system and organization. and that it
was much easier to follow these. not
only because the servants We're used to
them, but because they were really eX-
cellent in themselves. The domestic
machinery was perfect, and the ser
vice unobtrusive. as, / think. the best
service should be, and. although We
were a small family and much about
the house, yet for some time l did
not know nor did it occur to me to
ask. how many servants there were
or how their work was arranged. | did
know that my breakfast-a Continen-
tai one. of course-waS ready for me
whenever l chose to ring for it; that
there always seemed to be some one
who could so on an errand to take Il
letter to the post: that we were walt
cd on at table by the prettiest of maids
in spotless black and white. who
served us delicious meals. cooked in
good home style. This latter featur,
can be appreciated TO its full extent
let me say in passing, only by thoS>
who have sat down to Il Continents.
table d'hote for four conSecutiN
months. This same pretty maid. /
noticed. performed the office Of nursl
to the Young heir of the house. fetch
ing him his suppe whenever he aWal-
cned from 4 nap, and trundlin :
him out III his little carriage of an al
tcrnoon and often between times sit
ting in the garden with bit of sew
ing. while Master Clifford played a..
gardening.
Though it was some time before /
looked into the household Arrange r.
ments. as | say yet my hostess bega:
almost Immediately to call my after
I'd since living in the country. whic.
were quite foreign to our ways =
home. | had heard. indeed, that eve.
in America. in the good OLD days e.
thrifty housewives, the carving for III,
servants was done on the table. an
that they We're limited to The portion
then assigned them. but had nev,:
seen any thing of the kind done until
= -,
MY hostess said it was almost in
Nariably done in Germany. and THAI
the servants would have been surprise /
ut any other procedure. She also sal .
that they never had any Of the desser
Or sweets. and when l asked her if It
We're not a great deal Of trouble to
keep these under lock and key. she re
piled that it was not necessary. as no
servant would dare to touch them. !
learned that no matter what the
Herrschaft has for supper this meal
is served between eight and nine o clOCl.
in Germany the servants neve.'
had anything but black bread. wurst.
and beer |, having had some expe-
rience with servants who Strenuously
objected to having the mistress of the
house even give orders for provisions
TO the trades-people. and who would
leave if questioned as to what had be
come of this cake or that pie, maxwell
cd at a world where servants would
not touch cake and would be conten.
with wurst, black bread, and beer 70
supper.
Just before my arrival man-ser-
want had been discharged because he
had four times come in after ten
o'clock when he had been told for
special reasons to be in by half-pas.
nine. My friend said that il haG
heen with the greatest regret that her
husband had sent him away, as Il
was most excellent servant and suit
ed them in every particular ]
ventured to say that l should have
been inclined to keep him. since. after
all, ten was not late hour, and one
could afford to overlook some things in
servant otherwise 50 satisfactory
She replied that she felt in this way.
too, but that her husband had been
assured it would have a very demora-
LIKING effect upon the other servants
to keep in his employ one who had
openly disobeyed him four times
Thus. at the time of my visit the en-
tire work of the house was being done
by two servants. a cook and a maid
who acted at the same time as nurse
This may not seem so very eXtraordi-
nary until one realizes that the house
was not a house, but a castle-a Teri-
tsble tenth-century feudal schloss:
that when my friends bought il. a
hundred years had elapsed since the
last restoration and that. though they
mad done wonders with it, and had
htted up three suites of rooms to be
as cosey and comfortable as possible
II lacked every modern convenience,
Tor housekeeping. There was almost
no Plumbing in the house, and water
had to be carried for some distance to
the various apartments There We're
immense corridors to be kept clean
ana no heating apprenticeship the
herman tiled stoves which must be
Kept immaculate. not only because
every speck Of dust shows upon their
peautifui glazed surfaces but because
'hev usually stand upon the most
marvellous of waXed floors 50 hirbI,,
pollshed that one can see ones face in
tneIl' anu these must in no wise b,,
hlsfgured by any scrap of ash ~
SPLINTER from the fire.