New-York tribune., 1903-02-15
That SERVANT QUESTION
Change from Grandmother's Day
Servants Rights.

..rbere a1r-,x-s remains last word to he said,
even on timeworn a subject as househo4u ser
vice" declared the lecturer in suburban domestic
SCIENCE course last week taking up the VeXlns ser
want question. Years ago, in the days of our
srandmothers the care Of a household was sim
eler matter because life was simpler The PLAIN,
handsome furniture more easily cleaned stoves
and freplaces made lcss dust than furnaces DO,
tbe table service while dignfed. less eabo-
rate the sanitary requirements of to-day were un-
known-in word. the details Of life we're simpler.
Most of all in the of details is the contrast
marked between the old fashioned housewife and
,be woman of to-day And in no other line is there
so great need Of applied science-which cannot be
learned from books well as from practical OBJ
servaron and forethcught. II is not instruction so
much pToyocatlon that one inlfld can give dh-
other in this respect.
80. Like mistress ike maid has passed into
proverb' continued the lecturer. There is force
in what one of humorists has written; For a
good humping lie. recommend me 10 a proverb.
If a servant is fundamentally lazy or untruthful
she is practically hopeless no matter how good the
mistress. For instance. one of the best of house
keepers. the of last autumn's any-servant-
hetter-fhantaone situation. employed maid whom
she found belsted morning busting the stairs
with queer looking make-believe which she de-
cared he duster until. cornered. she disclosed
pair of gloves caught up from the hall in her
hurry,
10 doubt the domestic servant question is Of
the most serious problems face, combining, as it
does all other problems in housekeeping--s2nt
ton hygiene, nutrition. economy nerves. manners,
even morals all part cf it. The solution is for
the mistress rather than for the maid Modern
housekeeping represents an enormous waste OF
force not only in expenditure, hut in results,
Yet waste a different direction from that Of
certain psinstakng grandmother, Of whom it Vas
currently said that Just 50 many pieces Of apple
must GO into the making of her pies heard
woman the ether day complaining mat me race OF
that Of late years the Young women our leisure
classes have grown up in ignorance of housc.Iesp-
s sr @ maid 99 d0' ~ est the opposite o o1r roTerb
IL true-for poor n1istresses make poor maids
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING FAR FROM COMMON.
The man builds Up the home frcm without. the
woman from within. You must know how every
thing should be done, though you may not
have it 10 do yourself. says one Of our best au-
thoriues, If you rely on telling your maid to
make good bread. and yet do not know how your
self. you likely TO have poor bread. or waste
fully made s true ability for housekeeping and
mastery knowledge Of it is of the finest capt.
tails woman bring into marriage partner
chip. Don't sneer and say il is vulgar. common
knoVlecge Housekeeping is not vulgar; il is
fine art, combining both beauty and utility. Really
good housekeeping which exhibits itself not in
casicnel entertainments handsome drawing
but extends from gsrret to cellar is far from
common. Remember that your servant-girl she is
called in the unsophisticated parts of NewEng-
land-is a human being ignorant hopelessly lgno-
she often is. Try TO teach her that her
work humble though il may be. is a part of the
general plan Show her that you respect yourself
and her too truly forget what Is due to both.
The best way 10 enforce poteness IS by example
/ Above everything. be law unto yourself IN all
matters pertaining your household.
Chief among the reasons for poor service is that
servants are discharged small pretext one does
i not try TO mend matters By keeping and teaching
Nhen, but rather, summary dismissal is resorted
! To- The other day mother complaining Of her
cook in the presence Of her daughter. who said
with UNCONSCIOUS rebuke: Mother. If you would
SHOW Merry how 10 dress the salad, and show her
twice II need he. she would do better We hire
\ServantS hastily. 40 not scrutinize their ante
ceaents and chapacters. and are not particular to
dolent have any rules or II we have them to
! execute them. If we would only say what we mean
and mean what We say our servants would serve us
better
One might eeneralize indefinitely on the sub
! iectH the lecturer commented and suggest rem
edies nnunlerabie of training centres for servants
and housewives associations for protection against
: servants. I'm Chicago. There NAV be future good
in these various movements We always doing
q great deal for po<teritY think are and
this effort may aid IN clearing up the servant aes-
fon for the future. But it Is with the service in
our homes to-day. under the present day cond-
/ tions, that are concerned.
WHAT is DUE TO SERVANTS
! Doubtless women's often false ideas OF economy
are responsible much Of the discomfort and