Evening star., 1909-07-11
SERVANTS WHIMS MAKE
TROUBLE FOR HOSTESSES.
Special Correspondence. Of The Star.

| Special Correspondence. Of The Star.
LONDON. July s. 1909
1T is nothing new for the weekend
hostess in the palatial country house
to be worried to death with the fads
and fancies and diet problems OF
her women friends. but lately she
has had to confront a new trouble In the
whims and tastes of smart servants. who
have introduced into the servants hall
their notions Of the fitness of things In
foods in relation to health. Swagger
maids, especially those Of the Partisan va
riety. have now to be individually ca
tered for with greater care than that be-
slowed on their mistresses.
Two notable instances of this are fur
nished by the maids of the Hon. Mrs.
George Keppel and Consuelo Duchess OF
Manchester. both of whom are terror TO
week end hostesses. Oddly enough. the
two ladies whom they serve have splendid
digestions and unfashionably good appe-
tites. When Mrs. keppel and the ducness
go on a visit one of the first things they
do is to demand an interview with tne
housekeeper in order to explain how i'm
pera tive and important" 1t is that their
maids should have special foods and spe-
cial consideration
All self-respecting maids and many of
visiting tins of china tea, coffee mills
and special berries, and plasmon or grain
foods. They have their respective tea
pots, coffee pots and often saucepans
calculated to preserve the salts in vege-
tables. which are peculiarly adapted to
cure their special ailments.
At some of the swagSer houses In SCOT
| land the food in the servants hall Is
known to be meager and lndlHeren' IN
! consequence many smart woman Is
| bound to refuse invitations to them
| Last autumn at dukes historic house
| in Ayrshire every visitor in the serv-
| ants hall declined the food provided. and
/ they all threatened not to partake of an
| other meal unless they were allowed TO
/ make suggestions for their own menus.
| It is said that when the rumpus oc-
| Cured the duchess then and there or
dered that the luncheon prepared for her
/ guests should be sent TO the servants
! hall and that arranged for the hall
/ brought to the dining room. I'VE can
do with anything al pinch" said her
grace She was speaking the truth, for
Scotch people. even IN the 'front.' rank
| of society, are not usually in the least
| fastidious about the table. On the occa-
| sion mentioned Mrs. George Keppel was
| one of the guests staying In the mouse.
| and in referring to the incident friend
| of hers said: t'She (Mrs keppeD tackled
| the cold beef and pickles rejected in the
servants hall with a relish which would
| have done credit to hard-Worked gem
| eral servant.
| 1t may be remarked en- passant that a
| guest some years ago took to this par
| ticular house a portmanteau of coal be-
1 cause of the miserable fires permitted in
| the guests rooms. his grace the hosts
pet economy being coal. The portmany
| teau burst on the stairs and the guest
| has never been received since in the
| ducal abode.
| More than a few of the swagger serv-
| ants Of smart women have their own pet
/ dogs. cats or birds. which they insist
/ must accompany them when they are Wis
/ iting with their nnistreSses. while several
also regard it imperative that room
/ should also be found for their bicycles.
| The up-to-date maid is frequently ad-
| dicted to music. and when this is so
| she expects to be allowed to take her
guitar, violin or banjo with her. Like
| her mistress, she has stamp Or an
| autograph album. or, more likely still,
| quaint STORY book" in which are re-
| corded all the amusing and smart tales
| which she hears 1t is common thing for
| mistress and maid to exchange stories,
and 1t is admitted that the maids are
often more amusing and Quainter than
| those collected in the boudoir. The most
aristocratic visitors often Contribute to
the servants autograph or quaint story
books