Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-08-02

carpet, and aug the point OF very
bright red parasol into corner of q
rug.
81 don't know, Mrs. Vane," she final
ly said, slowly. II have no complaint
to make"
mo, but l have. Now you know,
Hilda, you didn't half do your work
right this morning; and, if hadn't
come out into the kitchen, the pud-
ding Mr.. Vane likes would have been
burned to u crisp. Wouldn't it?"
Yes, ma'am," Hilda answered, her
face rivaling in color her parasol.
And yet you had the clock there
before you as plain as day. What were
you thinking Off"
II can't always be thinking of a
pudding!" Hilda replied, with more
spirit than Barbara had yet seen in
her.
There, my child" Mrs. Vane said
gently, without particle of impa-
thence or i'll nature, II don't blame you
much. l have let puddings burn, my
self, when l was a bride beginning
housekeeping for Mr.. Vane. We must
make allowances for human nature
that can't always be thinking of pud-
dings."
'At the same time" said Mrs. Ward,
with trace of impotence in her tone,
somebody must think of buildings
while they are baking. We can't be
excusing human nature all the time
for carelessness and lack of attention
to the details of service. I think one
great cause of all the trouble we meet
in the whole problem is the lack Of re-
sponsibility our servants take upon
themselves. Out of dozen girls that
have been in my house within the last
three years, not more than two or
three could be trusted to wash my
dishes properly. What can q woman
do when after repeated instructions
and admonitions her girls persist in
using dirty dishwater and putting
things away on the shelves only half
wiped? We can't always be sxcusing
them on account of human nature.
1t may sound absurd. but have gone
to bed downright sick many a time
because my girl would persist in put
ting dirty dishes back into the pam
try" And poor Mrs. Ward heaved a
sigh as she looked at Mrs. Vane, who
sat erect and sharp-eyed before her.
"That's it'll" she said, sharply. RE
sponsibility! That's the word. But
how get responsibility into class of
people who have no common bond of
sympathy or duty? No esprit de
corps? The responsibility must grow
out of sense of dignity that belongs
to the service. AS long as the service
is regarded by those who perform it
as mental and degrading, the only
thing we can expect is shiftlessness
and all lack of responsibility"
Responsibility generally goes with
a sense of ownership" suggested Bar
bara. "But don't see how anything
like ownership can be grated upon u
servant girls work. Now 1 wouldn't
dare leave dishes dirty, because of my
mothers training, no matter whose
dishes they were. But can easily see
it is not very strange for girl to
slight any work in which she does not
feel any ownership"
There's another thing" Mrs. Vane
said. 1--WE told Mrs. Ward so several
times. She has always had good deal
of company and five in the family any
way good deal of the time. She
ought not to expect to get along with
just one girl. At the close of big
supper it is almost half-past seven.
The quickest girl can't wash up all
the dishes properly in less than half
an hour. If she wants to go out some-
where in the evening, what is more
natural than for her to do the work
in hurry? She has been at work all
day since half-past six. She works
longer hours and for less pay than
young men in stores get for clerk
service that Is not So important by
half as the housework for a family.
Now I'll warrant that Mr.. Ward pays
some of his clerks downtown three
times what he pays the girl at home
for almost twice the hours of labor
Wouldn't it be better and cheaper in
the long run, Mrs. Ward. to hire two
persons to 90 your work, at least for a
part of the time? I'm inclined to
think a good many of us expect too
much OF one girl. We work them too
many hours. And we ought to remem-
Der that for most Of the time the work
really is what must be called drudg-
cry"
Zone girl in the house almost kills
me. Two would complete the bust
ness, am sure" said Mrs. Ward, smil-
ing at Barbara. Some of what you
say is very true. But am sure Mr..
Ward would never think of giving as
much for the work in the home as he
gives for clerk work in the store"
"And why not, If the service per-
formed is as severe and, more than
that, as important to your peace and
comfort, and his own as well when he
gets home? / know a good many
farmers who think nothing of paying
out several hundred dollars every year
on improved machinery to tighten
their own labor on the farm. But they
think their wives are crazy if they ask
for an improved washing machine that
costs $25 or few kitchen utensils of
the latest style to save labor. That's
one reason so many farmers wives
are crazy over in Crawford county
asylum. Men expect to pay good
price for competent service in their
business. Why should they expect to
get competent servants in the house
for the price generally offered?"
II don't think it's the price that
keeps competent girls away from
housework, Mrs. Vane." remarked
Barbara. II have figured it out that