The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-03-19
THE SERVANT
PROBLEM


After n years experience have
changed my mind.
I'VE started in first rate he went
on. running his eye down the Help
Wanted. Female column of the pa
per from force of habit My mother
willed me her old, faithful servant
been with her ever since / was child
the real old.fashioned kind. she was.
Well, Minnie just stayed long enough
to justify my pre-nuptial eulosies Of
her cooking, when one evening my
wife came in and remarked on an agi-
tated whisper:
There's a Mr. Minnie!'
impossible ! began, when she cut
me short
Yes, and he's come back. He was
serving a term in states prison; but
It's been shortened for good behavior.
We'll. we had nothing against Mr..
Minnie but we couldn't help wishing
when We saw our cook depart, bag and
baggage, that his had been life SEN
tence.
I'VE next tried working house
keeper She was looking for place,
primarily, to store her vast belongings.
incidentally as cook. We slowed our
selves compactly into the front of the
apartment and left Mrs Adams and
her goods and chattels the rear. Her
regime lasted two days. On the third.
having done some washing for herself
(she refused to wash for us), she
stepped on the window sill on her re-
turn from the fire escape. where she
had hung out her wash. and the win
dow sill gave way under her $50
pounds. We found her straddllng the
wreck. lamenting that she was injured
for life and breathing forth dire
threats of damage suits.
Our next was Olga. who claimed
to have worked for the royal family OF
Sweden She had an incumbrance in
the shape Of four-year-old child. but
we were desperate, so agreed to the
child. Various adventures marked the
reign of Olga One night after hard
day at the office l came home to find
crowd about our door and Olga
standing on the step wringing her
hands and moaning that her child was
lost. l offered to try and find the child
II Olga would cease her wailing and
get dinner ready-and was called a
heartless brute for thinking OF dinner
under the circumstances.
Il notified the police and then, after
joining in the search for several hoursS
was told by my wife over the telephone
that the child had been found playing
in the back yard. Several incidents OF
this kind reconciled me to the inevi-
table departure of Olga, who also had
sort of husband who made periodical
temperatures in the bosom of his
family
Next came Old Virginia. regular
southern nanny, who looked to be 80
years old at least. She was a respect
full old darby and her soft "yassam"
to my wife's directions made pleas.
ant contrast to the abrupt manners of
the more modern girls Every girl has
her day. and this girl of 80 began to
get downcast toward the end of the
month. Her mother was sick down
south somewhere, and she was afraid
1t was very serious. If you could have
seen Virginia. with the weight of al.
most century bending down her
shoulders. you would have realized
that any sickness her mother might
have would be almost hopeless at the
advanced age she must have been.
Worse news on the very last day of
the month made 1t compulsory for her
to leave at once for the sunny south
Mary, the Hungarian, who never
would wear shoes, and went around
in her stocking feet all day, was the
next visitor to our kitchen. Mary did
not look like belle, but her suitors
were many and at last she succumbed
to one persistent swain. She could not. :.
tell which to choose, as she liked Il
man from Hoboken. but did not like
the place, and did not like the man
from the East Side, but did like New
York. She finally chose New York
Nora was the last. She also hal
heart strings that were being pulled
from ireland. youth who loved her
kept writing her to return to the old
sod, and her old father also Joined his
appeals In vain Nora liked America
and If they could not find courage TO
follow her she was not going to give
up the land of wine and honey for q
while yet When she got enough mon
BY she would return. She made a YER
bal contract to stay with us for three
years. We settled back with sigh of
relief. Two weeks later we went to
the country, in the mountains of Penn
sylvania. The banshee followed US,
for there were no other white servants
there and as there had been an add.
ton to our family recently it was nee
essary to have Nora along. Nora
would not eat with the colored SER
wants and the house would not provide
separate arrangements for her. Nora
left In high dudgeon and Wild tele-
grams to my wifes mother brought