Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-02-03
Good Service in General Homework

My mouse is the average small pri-
vate house in New YcrK city. my family
three adults. my circumstances moderate.
80 that ! ana compelled to manage With
the help Of one servant who must have
a fairly good brain. and be willing to
learn. With these two qualities, | can
soon make heI capable, and a few days
tflal always reveals the presence or alb
Seuce of these requisites.
My first talk with maid amounts 10
this: Il expect my orders to be promptly
obeyed always If an order seems I'M
Just or if You find that interruptions
make II difficult to carry it out, come 70
me and say so. | have never vel
found that a maid accepts this in the
wrong spirit.
Sudden company. the nou-arriyal of
provisions, larger wash than usual
none Of these things affects US seriously,
Tor when my maid Is troubled she and
l talk over the difficulty and together
smooth things out.
My experience has taught sme jssss
this: Our servants are not our equals Ia
point of education. Then let the edu-
Gated mind be high in authority. No
system can be strong where there is not
4 good leader, Let our servants feel and
see that we know just as much, if not
more, about their work than they do.
To do this we must look into things care
IulN, lol no NoIlaH lSHoFdHt Oh Tue ms
and outs OF a house can control her
maid. Any mind will always respond
TO the superiority of Knowledge. II is
not necessary to parade this knowledge
But if Mary knows that by coming TO
her mistress she will be helped out of
any difficulty, she respects that mistress
Yet while we are above our servants
IN the management of our homes, the
mistress and maid are equals under the
laws of our land. The mistress who IS
wise Will not pry into the private affairs
Of her maid. We cannot, and do not.
demand all her time. A ten-hour day
seems to NE impracticahle, for houses
work Ill its nature does not admit OF q
ten-hour day unless we can II solve u
into specialties. That may work well
where there is more than one maid but
10 the average American housekecpCr II
would mean great deprivation.
In my family we are fond of evenings
ut home. My maid is free to 20 out
whatever evenings | am at home. so that
she has ut least five evenings week at
her disposal, provided she is in at a
| seasonable hour. | never set q special
| hour, but make it felt that ut closing
up-time' ! like my maid to be in. Then
she has her regular days out, with which
| seldom. If ever, let anything Interfere.
II a special entertainment promises late
hours, she tells us freely that she cannot
he home early, and goes away with a
light heart, knowing that / trust her to
come into my house with her key, but
| knowing too that | shall he Wakefu until
/ | hear her step on the stairs-as when d
| member of my family keeps late hours.
For months | spent half an hour every
I evening teaching a faithful colored girl
/ TO read and write Now. though ia a
! little home Of her own, she is still my
/ devoted slave, Later / spent much time
! with a Swedish girl, helping her to read
} in English. With a cook book with the
/ recipes carefully explained. | call on her
/ for many dishes.
/ The real, true. earnest spirit OF leader
+ ship always counts There is no humil-
iatou IN prompt obedience. by strength
/ do uot mean a show Of bossisni. but 4
/ quiet just. earnest spirit. that will inn
press others with Il desire to do good
/ " ork.-Good Housekeeping.