The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-10-15
YsSG& W.
III ~

A her name indicates. Bridget
~ Thekla is a composite creation.
n How it happened that her
Irish father. a gardener of low
degree. drifted into Germany, married
there. and, after the birth of a daugh-
ter, drifted back TO the British Isles.
dropping anchor in London. where his
child lived until she came to America
ten years ago, has nothing to do with
the present narrative. except as heredity
may have given a trend to our COM
posites character and career.
She asked for the interview in a note
which is a model in its way:
Dear Madam: 1 read in the papers
a great deal about the trouble American
ladies have with their servants. II you
could see me for half an hour, maybe
! could tell you some of the raisins why
Your obliged servant.
"BRDGET-THEKGA-
Bridget Thekla's photography leaves
something 10 be desired. She writes
legibly, and / note with real satisfac-
ton that. although she is in place,
her stationery is evidently OF her owl
purchasing, and not filched from her
mistress desk My felIow-housewive:
will appreciate this point In her favor
THE wise convey it CALL" said ancient
Pistol of professional peculation in his
generation, and the fashion has not
gone out
Bridget-Thella is goodly to look upon
Forty years old. as she Nfearlessly con
fesses. her teeth are sound, her gray
eyes clear. and her complexion, albeit g
trifie muddied by laundry steam anc
kitchen heat. bears out the general i'm
preston of cleanliness and wholesome
ness produced by her appearance she
wears a black stuff skirt, and, the day
being warm for the season, white
shirt waist A bunch of red peoples IN
her black straw hat is the one touch oil
srnartness in her decent attire Hei
hands are covered by gray Isle thread
gloves Altogether. she is a buxom
cornely figure. as unlike the average
American help" as her modest bearing
is unlike the mixture of bluff and
PATRONAGE that marks the demeanor o.
the aforesaid
A Better Understanding.
She SAYS THANK you, ma am in TAX
ing the chair to which 1 point in asking
her to sit down. 1t would be expecting
too much TO look for an old world
courtesy, seeing she has lived in indie
pendent America for a decade Yet II
would not surprise you IL she were &c
drop the old-time salutation one sees II
ball rooms and which is rising into favor
in very swell children's schools. Per-
haps when their mistresses set them
the example. our maids may cease to
despise this custom of their childhood
as evidence of previous state Of servi-
tude"
! take the initiative at once to spare
embarrassment:
$50 you think that we who write for
the papers are little hard upon
maids2''
I dare not say servants although
she used the word in her note.
She smiles respectfully:
az was reading the other day some
pieces the servant girls are writing
taking up for themselves like. Maybe
they wrote them. It's as likely TO my
way of thinking. that they were writ
ten for them. There is no good in abus-
ing either side-as ! look at it. IL we
could get to understanding and feeling
for one another. seems TO me things
would get Strengthened OUT
You are right there," 1 assent, en-
phatically. The question is how to get
at. a right understanding. The whole
servant MISUNDERSTANDING it out bold
ly-''is such a hopeless mix
All on One Footing.
You see ma'am, the greenhorns
CHATS what we call them when they
first come over are begun with wrong.
1 went out q little way into the coun-
Try last Sunday on the cars, and one OF
the zreeuest of the green. and the
friend who had been TO get him through
the gates, sat just behind me. And all
young fellow was 10 keep a stif upper
lip and stand up for himself in this free
country. and how everybody was as
good as everybody else. L spose,' says
the greenhorn as we passed some hand
some country places, they belong 10
some Of the 1rst-class people about here.
don't they?' And says the older man,
There's nayther first nor second class
over here; they're all on footinr
Twas as much as / couIG do.
knowing from his tongue that he was
countryman 10 my own father. TO keep
myself from turning round and saying
70 his face: You call yourself that
boys friend, and sit there stufIing him
with lies that are sure to get him in
troublet / m.nd how a young girl
Norah Mackcy was her name. and she
had the makings of a fine woman In
her If she'd been left alone-lost a good
place for the same reason. She was a
bit up2ish in her talk To the rnistress-as
nice lady as ever was, and l lived
with her four years till she moved 10
the West Ard says the lady. quiet
and gentlelike, .Norah. / think you for
get TO whom you are speaking At that
the silly girl turns upon her. and she
says. I'm speaking to my equal. surel
In this country there's nothing but edu-
cation as makes the difference between
people. and l have that as well as your
SELF
Poor girl Because she could read
and write. and thought herself H:'ery
when she sat up nights reading novels
The lady couldn't help smiling. But
the girl lost her place and not through
her own fault at ALL
And what with these wrong notions
to begin with. and the strangeness of
everything IN a new country. and the
interfering OF other girls as silly as