The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-07-24
HOUSE SERVANTS
AND SHOP GIRLS
London Discusses Status of the
Two Classes
CALVE is FULL Of LIFE
The Great Prlma Donna Makes Her
Reappearance as Carmen Before
al ge Audience at covent
Garden Theatre.
CALVE IS FULL OF LIFE
BY HENRY pEvEREAux.

London July 16--Does intellect make
man? There has been some correspond
enee In one of the dailies ON the relative
social status of ship assistants and domes-
tic servants. I rather fancy that 1t was in
the Daily Mail, and that it arose out of
a supposed insult offered to a shopgirl by
lady, who. in her innocence, offered
the damsel a place In her domestic es-
Enlistment As these disputes always de-
velop much heat, 1 have no desire to in
tervene in the fray; but | have been rath-
er amused by a letter l have had on tho
subject from a domestic servant, who is
very indignant at the idea of any shop
assistant considering himself( or herself)
his superior. Servants" says the writer,
If they can use their heads, learn more
In gentlemans house in a month than
a shop assistant learns in a lifetime. Con-
tfast the bearing of a shop assistant In
the presence of a lady or gentleman with
that of q servant The latter Is calm and
collected and answers to the purpose,
though an h or two may get out of its
place. The other generally cannot find a
word to say for himself, and frequently
puts on side, which makes It worse
II | have not noticed those things 1t Is
ready to admit that 1t may be so. At the
same time, though one sometimes finds
highly polished manners among servants,
| mist say that have known shop walk
ers who would not be out of place in the
house Of Lords. Indeed, the average peer.
In point of style, is probably below both
the other two classes. In the matter of
his, | do not think that either servants
or shop~assistants in the presence of a
lady or gentleman with that of SER
vent. The latter is calm and collected and
answers to the purpose, though an h or
two may get out of its place. The other
generally cannot find word to say for
himself, and frequently puts on side,'
which makes 1t worse"
If l have not noticed those things it Is
probably due to lack OF opportunity. l am
ready to admit that 1t may be SO. At
the same time, though one sometimes
finds highly-poished manners among SER
wants. | must say that / have known
shop walkers who would not be out Of
place In the house of lords. Indeed the
average peer, in point of style, is probably
below both the other two classes. In the
matter of his, do not think that either
servants or shop-assistance, still speak
ing of the average, can give points to the
4 other IT may be that servants may have
social and educational advantages which
are denied to the other class but against
this we must set the fact that they learn
| occasionally things that they would be
better ignorant of. The diary of Mr..
James Yellowplush affords evidence OF
this. On the whole, my observations lead
me to the conclusion that there is some
thing about hair-cutting which refines tn,
manners and enlarges the mind and con
versa tiona power above either butlerine
or shop-wallxing. But the difficulty OF
deciding between the merits of these var
ious vocations suggests that they are pref
ty evenly balanced, and that in the end
not only may a shop assistant be the
equal, or even the superior of the domestic
but vice versa. After all, life in any
shape Is only education, provided as my
correspondent says, you know how to us,
your head,