The Washington herald., 1908-02-23
BY THE ARBITER.


been an interesting one, TO womankind, at
least, has in late years become colossal.
dominant. II is the prevailing topic AT
womens luncheons and teas, is a rival Of
bridge for supremacy. and has even in
vaded those places supposed 10 be free
from all domestic worries, mems clubs
That this subject is OF such paramount
importance is no wonder. since 10 live
IN comfort the domestic machinery must
be in perfect order and kept well oiled.
and with Incompetent servants this is
impossible. To obtain capable we'll
trained servants in America such as
abound in Europe. Is a most difficult mat
ter for so many reasons that II would be
impossible to enumerate them all here.
but for years there has been confusion
and anarchy in the domestic world much
to the discomfort and torment of notable
housewives as well as those housewives
who do not come under that head
A few of the causes that make against
q good domestic system with us are. that
American-born men and women resent
the term and conditions OF servitude and
only accept domestic situations until
something better shall turn up. and that
the aliens who flock to our shores in the
steerages Of the big liners are peasants
as a rule. ignorant as 10 city life and its
requirements. and those that are trained
expect something better than what they
left on the other side, and are soon cor
rupted by contact with the Americans of
their class: but. peprhaps, the chief reason !
why our servants are so unsatisfactory !
Is that the mistresses are not properly
trained. Plautus says that "As servants
wish their masters TO be. so he Is wont
10 be; the good servants have good mas
ters: bat masters are bad 20 servant
who has done evil
The reverse Of this saying IS equally
true. good mistress makes a good SER
want. BY q ''gOod mistress" Is not meant
an indulgent one but a woman who rec
ognizes that those who serve her are, |
like herself. human beings, with the same
wants, the same desires. the same pas
sions as she has, and in her treatment |
of them practices the Golden Rule; who |
IS kind. ConsideTate, firm. and not SEN !
timental who has herself in perfect con- |
troll. and, while insisting upon obedience. |
never demands more than is due her: who |
has thought out system best suited 10
the requirements of her household, who |
gives her orders clearly and simply. and
who IS ever ready with a word or glance |
OF approval when they are properly car
ried out, and whose reproofs are gentle |
who does not pry into the private affairs |
OF her domestics, but is ready with sym
pathy and help when they are in trouble I
who looks after the material comfort of |
those dependent upon her. and makes |
every one under her roof feel that for /
the time being her home is their home as
well, and inspires an esprit de corps
among the staf that runs her household /
SO that they work in harmony and uni |
son. These are the most important quail |
ties with which a mistress should be en- |
dowed. and. possessing them, there is /
small doubt but that she viii have ac- \
ceptable service.
one IS constantly hearing OF the faith
fulness OF old slaves TO their former own
ers whose fortunes were swept away by |
the civil war, and The Arbiter remembers
with pleasure the history on one John |
Dabney. famous mixer of juleps in the /
old days AT the Sweet Springs in West |
Virginia. who. from the time his mistress |
was widowed and impoverished by the |
war. supported her IN the comfort and /
luxury she had always been accustomed /
20, and when he was at leisure served /
her with as much difference as in the DAYS 4
when she was mistress Of the manor and /
he her slave When she asked Dabney /
where the money came from on which /
they lived he always said, from de es- l
tate, Missus, and II did come from the |
estate-ali that was left of it-himself
But it is not only slaves who are faith /
ful and loyal to their employers. When |
servants are properly treated il is the ex-
ception when they are not so, and during |
the recent hard times there have been /
many touching proofs of this. An aristo- /
cratic old gentleman of New York. whose |
fortune was jeopardized by the stringencv
OF the money market the depreciation Of |
stocks, and the failure Of the concerns in
which he had invested, showed his worry
20 such an extent that his faithful old /
valet. noticing his trouble took means to
find out the cause. and, on learning that
his masters depression was due to the
tghtness of money, he offered him the
savings Of lifetime, several thousands Of
dollars. saying that it could be paid back
II ii was ever convenient: but if not. then.
very we'll. ne was still young and strong
enough 10 earn his living The loyal fel-
low was greatly grieved when the money
was refused, but was somewhat appeased
when his master permitted him TO Keep on
in his place without pay. or with the
promise of pay, rather. at some future
time; but II that time never came, he
said. it would not matter. for during his
quarter OF a century of service he had
saved enough 10 keep him in comfort for
the rest Of his life.
This little preface is inspired by a letter
received last week by The Arbiter in
which he is begged to give some hints as
to the management of servants-what
should be expected of them. how they
should dress and the like Fortunately. a
uniform standard for the treatment of
this class is being gradually introduced
here where few years ago there were
as many rules for the government Of do
mestics as there were households. Every
mistress was a law unto herself. Win
some II was the chief idea TO get as
much out Of a servant as possible: with
others il was laisseZ observation-disclosures
was too much OF a burden, and the serv
ants were allowed 10 do as they pleased
But nowhere were the rights of servants
recognized; no regular time was set aside
for their outings, and a mistress often
pretended surprise when her servants
asked for permission TO go to church But
nous avonS changez tout celia" The
servant knows her rights and insists
upon them; and she has exactly the same
privilege of insisting upon them as her
mistress has on hers. This statement Is
not meant TO be revolutionary or social
istic. and that 1t IS a fact every thinking
person. even though he is not a student
Of sociology, will admit. The general rule
nowadays in regard 10, the outings OF
servants is that they shall have an after
noon and an evening or every week