The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-16

successful employment agencies in New
York she looked startled and a vent
to the soulful God forbid" hen she
laughed.
i've had many years experience with
ladies' maids and their mistresses,' she
said, and that tyranny theory doesn't
hold water. As a rule, the tyranny is on
the other side.
Occasionally a maid will prove so val
liable that a mistress will put up with some
vagaries rather than part with her, but the
American woman is not often dependent
upon her maid.
For instance, in this country il Is the
exceptional maid who does madame's hair.
She attends to the shampooing and brush
ing, but the average American mistress
prefers dressing her own hair. For occa-
sions. she calls in an expert coiheur.
DO YOU understand a lady's maids
duties? No? Listen.
Il speak now Of the average lady's maid.
There are a few rare jewels who can do
expert hair dressing, facial massage. dc.
THE ordinary lady's maid must be a
clever seamstress. She must be able 10
keep madame's wardrobe in perfect order.
freshen every soiled hit of chiffon, alter
gowns that need altering. make new cravats
and vests and other gown details.
"She is expected to make shirt waists.
matinee petticoats. lounging robes. Many
women nave all their simple house gowns.
unlined summer frocks and tea gowns
made by their maids
you may smile. know what | am talk
ing about. There are exceptions, but !
am giving you the rule in practice here
in New York. Moreover. l know many
cases where the lady's maid makes even
street gowns, and where she makes clothes
for the children Of the family.
Then the maid must understand the
care Of the hair. be able 10 shampoo It
skilfully, brush it. massage the scalp.
She must to-day, be able to give massage,
not perhaps thorough and scientific mas
sage, but a massage that will rest the mis-
trcss when she comes in late at night tired
and tagged.
Pew maids can give good facial mas
sage, though many women have. especially
within tine last few years, had their maids
traincd IN some degree of proficiency IN
facial massage, INC almost any maid is
supposed 10 have a few rational ideas
about rubbing skin God into annoying
wrinkles and smoothing out crows feet.
-Of course, a maid keeps her employers
personal belongings. bureau drawers.
closets, &c. IN perfect order. She is on duty
AZ all hours, il called upon for an Infinite
number of little personal attentions, from
the time when she awRkes her mistress
ia the morning, prepares her bath, laws
ont her clothes. &c, TO the time often well
along in the next morning when She finishes
the massage, tucks the bed clothes in and
turns out the light.
In addition 10 al this she very often
valc;s the master of the house, that Is.
keeps his clothes in perfect order, sees that
his linen is Numbered, puts the studs in his
dress shirts.
aShe NAV be one Of the most important
factors in the household and hold herself a
shade above the other servants, because
she is naturally admitted To more familiarity
and intimacy by her employers, but she
has less freedom aud ind peLdenCe than
anv Of the servants She IL more exposed
20 the moods and whiins and tcfnp"rs of
the mistress, need, more tact, has moro
TO get upon her nerves.
The person who talks about the eminent
d~esirabnity Of the lady's maids place
hasn't investigated the subject very thor
ourhly. The work. while not heavy, Is
TRYING, CNaCtIng. uncudiug, and the pay,
save in exceptional cases, is not proper
tlpt'atclN hlgn. i KNOW Nbll'll WHO FAY lIfu
maids very high wagrs. but there are scores
II good ladies' maids working for from
twenty to thirty dollars a month.
As for the o~Npcdieicy Of training Anieri-
Can girls for the work, ] would veto that
emphatically. American girls as a class
make the poorest servants IN any house
hold position.
III is because Of the national spirit Of
democracy and Independence. | suppose.
The spirit H. a fine thing, Tut It makes tho
ordinary American working girl unfit for
domestic service.
we have more trouble with American
servants than with all others put together.
They are intelligent. but az r rule they are
badly trained, careless, impertinont. bad
tempered and never know their place.
If they do not intend to do good work
they should not 20 into domestic service
at all. II hey do go into II they should
accept its drawbacks p~hilosophically and
dignity the work by the way they do II.
You will find that spirit in many foreign
servants. You will not find 1t in one OF
a thousand American servants.
Now. this bumptiousness OF the AmeH-
can working girl will make her even more
unfit hr lady's maid than for cook. At
FIRST glance il might seem otherwise.
THE lady's maids place implies more
Importance, more refined surroundings
and associations and work. SO far, 80
good. That is the sid OF the matter that
struck the writer who wanted "a school
for American ladies' maids.
But, with all its refined details, the lady's
maids place lacks, in a marked degree,
what the American servant il bound 10
Neutrality-suspicious.. The cook may ave
Q certain Independence within her domain.