The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-24

realize her worth Enthusiastically. Of
course-to depreciate in real value. Ger
man nurses are ideal. IL one can catch
them in their native wildS and keep them
from contact with other servants after
they get here. but that naturally is i'm
possible. They learn their power over
the household after a few Sundays and
Thursdays out. and the next one knows
they, too. become too strong TO work"
The Indian ayah, excellent nurse that she
is in Kipling's books and perhaps in
reality in her own Hindustan, soon is cor
rupted by the metropolitan spirit. The
consequence is that even in the homes OF
Mrs. Astor, Mrs. Could Mrs. Vanderbilt
and Mrs. Mackay there is a continuous
procession of nurses who are the salt of
the earth in the eyes of their mistresses
for fortnight or two, and then are not
worth their own salt or anybody's else.
'"rhe trouble is.'i said matron who is
one of the most prominent on Mrs. Ogden
Goelet's visiting list. when she discussed
the question at little luncheon the other
day, servants in this country get a false
idea Of American independence. They
come here with the best intentions I'm the
world but they soon are spoiled by their
friends. 1t is the day Off that does the
mischief. If the housewives of New York
would get together and determine that,
no matter what other concessions they
might have to make. they would shut
down forever on the Sunday and Thurs
day out. a good deal of the difficulty would
be eliminated. Most of the maids are all
right until their friends begin to tell them
what martyrs they are A girl comes here
from Berlin, for instance, where she is.
liable to arrest il she leaves a place with
out warning. She is willing until she
learns there is no such law here and that
the police In New York do not keep
record OF her doings, as they do in the
kaisers capital Instantly the ambition to
test her new independence becomes
stronger than satisfaction with a good
place. and she takes French leave merely
to show she may do so if she likes. There
should be a municipal ordinance imposing
a fine on employer or employe who breaks
a contract for domestic service without
due notice. save in case of illness. at
tested by physician"
Permit me to explode one little fall
lacy" said a young lawyer who Until his
marriage was fast gaining prominence as
a cotillon leader. but who has settled into
sippcred domesticity in the Oranges. 1t
is the fiction, popular of late, that the
jap makes a good servant. Tradition has
IL the mikado's average subject is efficient
in service because he has no scorn for it
because he is too proud to do anything
without doing il thoroughly. Bah. Weary
OF everything white and black in the way
of help. we employed a Jap few months
ago. He was to be cook and nothing
more. That was in the agreement Well,
1t took week to find out he was utterly
,worthiess. He knew nothing OF cooking
save the preparation of that wretched raw
fish and similar food he and his country
men eat. He broke half of a new china
set the first week and played havoc with
several dozen pieces of cut glass CIeanli-
ness was not in him. My wife told me
the condition of the kitchen was unspeak-
able. He was lazy, a liar-eyery thing ex-