The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-11-30
p.sLlKEs TITLE "sERvANT"
Hsr gxtrsms Aversion 10 English Ways
Manifest Itself, Particularly st
Spring DEMONSTRATING
Time.

capable, and knows Il. I have eve
found her at a loss: Il Is In the an
expected. perhaps. that she has the
best opportunity Of exercising her pow
srs Of initiative rs well as her COM
mon sense.
For the daily routine and drudgery
Of homework cares httle-to get
through Il quickly and easily Is her
chief aim.
Hut outside the sphere Of housework
pure and simple she often exhibits I'M
expected powers. have known n
general servant who ut nrst surprised
lng Into the garden during h morn
inS. sun bonnet OF her head and n large
basket on her arm. which h would
presentiy bring In filled with flowers.
These she would arrange with charm
ing taste In the sitting rooms. evident
patton. II II unfortunate TO be OBJ
Iiged TO add that tho same servant
strongly objected TO sweeping a sit
ting room more than once q week.
Another general servant was most
helpless with tho chiidren's home les
sons. I have had one servant who
read Tennyson. another who enjoyed
play. others who wrote a really good
letter. Indeed. one may q that h
Australian domestic servant almost al
ways gives evidence OF better educa-
tion than an English girl OF the same
ylass.
Not Easily Managed.
Undoubtedly she n her faults and
her prejudices. n one OF the latter
must early be taken into o In
the interest OF domestic peace. She
must never be allowed TO hear the
words master mistress" servant"
Indeed. the English woman about TO
visit Australia will do well TO leave h
very recollection Of these words behind.
along with her other Unnecessary IN
the words ''sir,'' ''ma'am." or m un-
I'll she returns home again. Well do ]
remember n small domestic crisis. acute
in It's way. brought about by an mad
vertent use OF the expression "scrvants'
bedroom" The dificulty 10 TO find n
satisfactory equivalent for these words.
IL In easy enough for master or mis-
tress to speak TO each other as MIS-.
A" Mr. A." but one hesitates awk-
wardly when about TO say ''your last
mistress or Mrs. BIS servant" One
must adopt such clumsy expressions as
'the lady you lived with last" eth
Girl n lives Mt Mrs. BIS" The word
girl Is always inofYensive In this con-
nection. and Is the usual word en-
ployed by one domestic servant In
speaking OF another. Age or condition
has nothing TO do with II.
Once In "A temporary servant difficulty
I was able to procure he services OF
a very elderly woman. verging on de-
c~repitude. and "a bright little maid OF
~. and IL vas very amusing to hear the
latter speak quite naturally or the
other .irl."
And this IN one respect I'm which Aus
-. ~..ant Alyar ma N glaaa from
English ones; there In no s~tereotyped
uniformity about them. Here IL n
advertised for n nursemaid or general
servant one would expect TO receive ap-
plications from young single women.
Indeed. one In tempted TO ask what has
become OF all the younger servants IN
later years: are they prernaturely worn
out or IN domestic service the u voca-
ton that leads inevitably To matri-
Nony.
Married Women in Ranks.
Now I'm Australia there Is more elias
ITCHY of age and condition. In a not
very long experience l have employed
the two widely differing specimens
mentioned above. a widow who was n
grandmother and n young married
woman with "A husband and children.
This last named persuaded her hus-
band TO NO To sea n her mother To
lDbk hthtt "a u.s. So
q change
one variety. n by no means uncom
mon one. Is n woman with a child. but
OF his class i a ~ had no personal
experience. l once called at a house.
and While waiting In the drawing room
was surprised to see a small child OF
very dirty and sticky appearance walk
In and stare at me. This imagined
must be q child whose home was the
Kitchen. The advertisements OF this
class OF servant generally run thus:
Respectable woman with child.
wants situation. Low wages" And no
wonder.
AS a rule the advertiser seeking a sit
uation considers herself I'm n position
TO state conditions. which she does IN
terms somewhat b~ewildering to the
newcomer: mo shirts" No children
or kerosene"
One of the most amusing varieties OF
which I had personal experience was
what we may call The dual domestic.
IL was I'm n country district where ser.
wants were dificult TO obtain. but
was told that when I reached the place
! should most probably ind By, personal
Inquiry girls hat would suit me. And
within an hou az my arrival two girls
called. Offering their services. Both
were shy and hesitating and had name,
absurdly alike-iet US say. Dolly and
Molly. They were willing to come anc
try but when I wished To knoN
which one n nurse and maid and
which the general" they could ONLY
giggls n say they would work To
gether. SO as nothing else was TO b.
done. I consented 10 this rather per
picking arrangement.
THE Dual Domestic"
II Was carried on their part q
the letter. When 70 room was to be
swept In went the two maids with two
brooms and together raised n consider
able dust. when fruit vas To be gath
erred out ran both al them into th'
garden. and 81 there was a swing there
Il took a surprisingly long time to picl
q dish OF fruit. Both girls had slip
uiated To 30 home to sleep, and befor'
pong Moliy's daily visits grew shorter
theI, intermittent. I'LL finally the,
seased altogether. So Oh. dual system
fasicd. and Dolly made way For ~
elderly experienced widow. Unrortun'
ately The rapid disappearance VI thu
ale. the increasing weakness OF TIT
brandy and the mysterious diminutioi
A. a.. ,at.hsr NJ snfng ,ansatnIIy HAQf