The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-28
I'LL
lM@A|

& lAaAsl tory.eth Interests orSStne soil
4 kkiffxAf1D them In their own households?
g5i us often a matter OF wonder TO me how
n little we know of those with VI om we
3 are called to live In daily inter- course.
q Servants are too o ften locke Y pom as
II chimes. ministering to the comfort I, OF
" thoseEwho employ II eH, and ~ less they
b are III Or unable 4 to peri rm the du-5
~ ties little Is known OF their indy iduality,E
a es,pecially In great househo Ids for human
intercourse Is consid cred q to be no part
+ OF the bargain between master and ma an
we hear much abuse Of servants among
those who employ then indeed, among W '!e.
& men 1t Is popularity supposed to be with lit
sflestruth) the stable topic of conyersat ton:
But whe we come to review the servant
z class we find T. think, tina e as a sWhole
4it is respectable. honest and kind!y, ano
III us therefore thousand p!ties hat ne
relation between employer and empioSeo
s isfnot 8 ten more intimate and friendl
we arc living In q transition al and
N mich OF our Domestic code requires re-
5syising. There Is an a lnos historic IN
Y terestS Y attaching Ito the extraordinary
change IN domestic life. which has g, 8peen
v brought about by the altered SO cial con- on
II ditions within the last halt century.
OK ~ can 4 well recollect the old fashioned
~ household. which was considered indis-
\ pensable to those who occupied any great
u position and the a iron- bound HE etiquette
servants precedence: first the butler as
gapompous and important as, In his estimaT
q ton, my lord himself should 5be. His
X manual duties were light, and his time
was supposed to be mainly taken, up by
b the ard,ious labor OF supervising the rest
sSof the household. He was invariably
addressed at ALL save his employees, by
4 the title OF & Mi = Il :s.ii 9
II He paid every household account. ex-
cept the cooks and was chic lya employ
4 ed In attending to the wine cellar, OF
which no doubt he, in common with the
4 other servants, freely pa took. Indeed 4
can remember an instance Of his being
y brought home to me BY the fact that ones
" as a child 7 went Into the country unex-
pectly with my m her, most OF The ser
wants having l,cen& left In London. We
had a favoritea parrot who usually lived
4 below stairs. but for a diversion my oth-j
II err sent for the bird, q who soon made
u himself at home in higher circles. I can
well recollect standing with her by the
Y side of his cage and looking into the
J hard, gray, untlinching eye.
After a good many sell udatorys cpl
4 thets the parrot at last began to speak
Il with freed rn, and after making the noise
Of the pulling Of many corks it, contin-
4 lied to repeat, y Have some of the best
a laret?"3little realizing that he was giv-
tng8away'' his best friends; s
Next In precedence to the hut Ter came
Is the groom Of the chambers, usual ": q
Il tall and gra ceful man, whose %du ty was,
i 1t seemed to change the writing paper
Al on various tables, attend to $ the pens,
n which In those days were mainly made
n OF 5qlill, and required mendi 10, ~ lpyster-S
ious art which, have often watched with
4 interest and which was performed with
a sharp knife upon the opera tors thumb
Y nail. Quill pens have, however, long
I SINCE passed away, and with them the
necessity for such d delicate Workma SLIP;
! 1 then the valet to the master OF the house,
X who was principally occupied IN travel
n ling, staying In country houses. attend-
Ing to the wardrobe and all the duties
= incident to the personal service II Of ..4s
master ri sss5S3 ssFt
And next came the footman. probably
%three@to four ma gniflcent Great lures. clad
In plush breeches and White stockings,
\. with buckled shoes, and on sta es occa-
e slons In gorgeous coats, " ha t cir du-s
ties were II has always been ID tleult to
4 say, except that they answered ~ he call
V OF the bell and lounged g bout in the front
hall, and each one s. Heed n to j ave an
/ Inferior satellite attached to him. Who
< labored In he regions belo w q I'm der the
\ title Of Odd Man. # fsss NJ , 3ss
sis Between the but Ter and the otman came
functionary who was known as the under
butler. He WAS an impor tant person be-
4 cause he had entire charge Of the plate,
An old pensioner recently d!ed. who had
Z In my family, and he told me y hat he
y we'll remem bered removing the plat tie from
the County OF gIIerefo hire to London,
4 with! two men 81 ting on cit her slde Of
3 him in the COACH WI tn loaded pistols,
TO protect # from lllghWa ymen:
6 border castle, In the North, The hostess,
y who was Ia woman OF great sreputa tion In
4 the world OF London, pointed out an Old
II -Ar9aut during dinner, and she said 4