The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-11-07
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Hints to Servants Who Answer the Door
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One might be forgiven for surprising
that there could be but one way Of open.
ing door. In this matter, as in others,
however, there is a right and wrong
way, and the latter is almost invariably
the way in which the unframed servant
proceeds to open the door. :
The visitor rings, and, after some time,
hears sound as Of galloping, then heavy
breathing, and the door is opened a few
/ inches while the maid takes stock of the
| intruder. If he does not appear danger
Gus the aperture is widened by a few
more inches, and the domestic holds par
ley, clinging tightly to the portal mean
while. This dislike to opening wide the
door is q marked idiosyncrasy among
women Of the servant class-a survival,
fperhaps, Of the days when it was not
always safe to parley with strangers in
social circle from which the general serv-
ant springs, the visits of irate creditors
may be feared: anyway, the fact remains
That almost all servants have to be
taught to open the door. /.
The fate of the visitor in the charge
OF an unframed domestic, when he does
at length gain access to the house, is
varied. In one case lady was asked
Dy the maid If she would prefer to be
shown into the dining room or the draw
ing room; in another the caller was
thrust into the midst Of a Christian Sci
ence meeting. More often, however, the
visitor is left in the hall until the higher
authorities decide what shall be done
with him. And these contretemps are
49, 30 ~h41l
"here the servants are confessedly Of
an unframed type. Even parlor maids
and men servants who consider them
selves experienced often need instruction
and supervision on this point.
In large establishment where foot
men are kept it is their duty to open
the door and to take the visitors coat,
the visitor into the presence of the host
ess: When a head and one or more
under,parlor maids are employed the
procedure is the same, for no matter If
man or woman servant is kept the
etiquette is identical.
The first thing to impress upon the
servant is that he must never look untidy
when answering the door: Even in large
houses the footman is sometimes seen
struggling into his coat as he traverses
the hall. In & small house where the
servant may be engaged in dirty work
when the bell rings she should keep
large clean apron in convenient place,
hands before going to the door. The WIS.,
itor who calls out Of calling hours on
friend not too we'll off must not be I'M
patient If kept waiting a few minutes,
but where there is an ample staff Of do
mestics delay is inexcusable. On reach
ing. the door the servant should open it
wide, and, when asked il the mistress is
at home, should answer distinctly, Eyes,
ma'am" ,!or "sir'), or merely say, "Not
at home"
What reams have been written with
that phrase for theme! What comic copy
it has provided for the funny maya
zines. 1t has been put into sermons and
amusing discourse anent whether Mot at
home was ever pardonable lie. He
thought 1t was and went so far as to say
that it was an innocent and necessary
formula and quite harmless, because it
deceived no one and no one believes it!
science that consulting ones convenience
is. not always or necessarily sinful, mot
at home" may mean that the person re-
ferred to is out, or merely unable to see
visitors. If the visitor is to be admit
ted, the servant should stand aside, take
visitor to the drawing room.
1t the visitor is not to be admitted, the
servant should take the cards, placing
them at once on the hail table. and note
| If the visitor merely left cards or asked
il the lady Of the house were at home.
This is important, as card-leaving is re-
turned by card-leaving and q call by a
call. The servant should receive the
cards in his hand, as it is now considered
old-fa shloned to use salver for that
purpose.
So far. the duties of the servant are
cut and dried. but the intricacies of serv-
ice can only be learned by experience.
The mistress should avoid putting an in
experienced servant into difficult posi-
tons. She should state if.she intends to
be at home to visitors or not, and should
there be several reception rooms should
mention in which she will receive.
Only by experience can servant learn
who should be shown into the drawing
room and who should be asked to wait in
the hall. Paste jewels often make mis-
takes on this point, and announce "a
gentleman in the drawing ROOM who
turns out to be the gas bill collector. or
an agent for an encyclopedia that weighs
two tons and is heavy all the way
through.
Such people should be asked politely
to state their business. and the servant
must use his common sense as to admit
ting them or not.-New York CONNER
cial Advertiser.
THE PARTISAN woRKG1RL.