The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-01

own house. However, if the exactions
of social leadership have forced her to
drop the reins of domestic manage
ment, they have fallen into competent
hands. The old-fashoned, white
aproned, working housekeeper cannot
meet the requirements of the position,
and so a new type has been created
the twentieth century chatelaine.
The chatelaine is not a servant in
She is a woman who, to practical ex-
perience, often joins a diploma from
some school of nursing, and a certifi-
cate of a course of study in domestic
science. To these, in many cases, she
adds a college education and the
knowledge of one or more foreign Ian
guages. Above all, she must have ex-
ecutive ability and tact A woman of
such varied attainments will command
as great respect as did the eighteenth
century chatelaine in her own French
chateau.
The perqustes of the position are
many. While her salary varies from
$1,000 to $4,000 a year, frequent gifts
from her employers bring the sum
total up to a much greater figure. She
is sure of a pension when old age i'm
pairs her usefulness, and a snug be-,
quest in their wills. She has a suite
of rooms, consisting of bedroom, sit
ting room and bath. Her clerical
work and interviews with servants or
tradespeople are held in room on
the first floor known as the office"
Here are kept her account books and
the files of bills and receipts
Her Authority is Great.
The modern chatelaine, backed by
authority and system, has no fears.
Her authority extends even beyond the
great house to the Conservatives and
stables, if it be in the country. The
head groom and the coachman. the
head gardener and the florist must SUD-
init for her approval all bills to be
paid, and all candidates for position
in their departments. In the house it
self, even the butler and chef, though
often consulted by her, are subSerV-
lent. She thus controls a small army
OF workers. and, though the overseeing
of minor details is delegated to under
lings, she is personally responsible for
the results in toto.
She attends in person to the hiring
and discharging of all house servants.
Thefiist of positions thus at her dis
posal is a long one, extending from
the head laundress and her several as
sistants and the chef and his helpers
in the basement, up through the wait
ers, the butler, the parlormaid, the
chambermaid, Wallets and ladies' maids,
to the seamstresses and scrub women
of the fourth floor. While the selection
of Wallets and ladies' maids is the prov
ince of master or mistress, as a gen.
eral rule candidates must first meet
with the chatelaine's approval.
The chef Is responsible to her for
the management of the kitchen, the
butler for the state of the pantries,
dining-roOms and halls, but she maps
out the work of the different maids
and personally oversees in their do
mains She meets with the butler and
chef every morning to make out the
days menus and to complete the order
lists. 1t is she who decides when new
china, glassware and table linen shall
be purchased. She keeps a list of all
silverware fine china. and glassware,
secretly verifying it from time to time.
The floral decorations for the table
often owe their beauty to her skilful
touch.
She MarshaIs Her Forces Like
General.
The chatelaine marshals her forces
like a general in petticoats. Each
form. The parlor maid has charge of
the busting of the reception rooms,
drawing rooms and library. the cham
bermaids of the various bedrooms,
sitting rooms and baths. One maid
sees to it that fresh flowers are OBJ
tanned from the Conservatives and ar
ranged every morning in each room.
Another has charge of all lamps and
lamp shades. The steamstresses go
gather the clean laundry each week,
mend it. and are constantly engaged
in making new curtains and hemming
and hemstitching new table and bed
linen.
It is one of the chatelaines duties
to decide when new furniture, uphol-
stery or decorating is needed. She
then shops in person, sending home
goods on approval, so that the fnal
selection may be made by master or
mistress, but in triumphant details
they generally waive this right. She
has charge of the replenishing of the
hveries, caps and aprons. Each serv-
ant receives two suits a year, and the
maids caps and aprons as needed.
The men have their washing done for
them, but each maid must attend to
her own.
The daily marketing is all done by
telephone from lists drawn UP by the
Chatelaine A price list is affixed ia
the goods when delivered and this
she enters in an account book, used to
verify the monthly bills.
All bills are paid monthly. They
are sent to the private business secre-
tary of the millionaire. and are re-
turned with his stamp of approval, ac-
companied by the necessary checks.
the chatelaine also submits her month
ly wage list, receives checks for the
same, and thereupon pays each serv-
ant in cash. The whole transaction de-
mands a knowledge of banking meth
DDS.
The secretary returns all bills to
her and she keeps them on file, to-
gether with accurate accounts in her
books. The latter are legion. One
noAds record of all menus used dur
ing her term of office. 1t is useful as
reference in making out fresh menus
and in avoiding frequent repetition.
There is also dinner book. In it are
entered the names of all invited guests,
with the dates of invitation, and the
markings for acceptance or regret. She
also keeps a general guest book, COW
er1ng those invited for weekend or
longer visits, with the rooms to which
they are to be assigned, and allotting
accommodations for their Wallets or
maids, if such are to accompany them.
Day With n ChateIaine.
A day spent with the chatelaine
gives clear idea of her duties.
She is up early so that the work
may be properly started. Coffee and
rolls may be served in her sitting
room, or If, as is most often the case,
q heel IT,