Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-30

IAPPY the home where the servant
question does not intrude. 7 was
out the other night to A dinner
given by woman eighty-seven years old
who had been housekeeper in the one
family for over sixty years. But one was
left of the originally large family. and for
him her loyalty was still In constant evil
dence. frail little woman she was in
appearance, with snow white hair, but
her back was as straight as a girls: her
step as light, her spirits as undaunted as
though she had never known grief or
care Il want to die in the harness" she
said. busy to the last" To be sure she
was quite willing now to accept assist
ance from niece. representing the
younger generation, but she had planned
the dinner herself, directing everything
in its preparation, and a dainty dinner IL
was with Maryland fried chicken and spoon
bread In the foreground. appropriate vege-
tables and relishes en- route and a deli
cious pudding with whipped cream lead
ing the way to after dinner coffee and
fruit.
The family of her adoption have ever
regarded her with as much affection as
though their blood flowed I'm her veins.
and when the time comes for her TO fold
the busy hands for their last long rest.
she will sleep I'm Gods acre beside the
family whom she has loved and honored
and who in turn have loved and honored
her. The portion OF the most of the lat
ter day housekeepers is to take the raw
material, patiently teach and train the
clumsy hands often more used to handling
the hoe than the dishpan or ironing board
and then after instructing them in the
ways OF neatness, order and efficiency.
have them leave as like as not just at
some crucial moment, and tina. without a
word of warning.
So prevalent is this summary mode of
severing allegiance to employers become
that the Legal Aid Society of New York
city, which has heretofore assisted serv-
ants in collecting back wages or obtain
ing redress from any form Of injustice.
has just issued a notice that hereafter
servants who leave their places without
notice to their employers need expect no
help whatever from them. AS such &C
ton on the part OF servants according TO
the society reduces every element OF
loyalty, fairness and reliability" the or
ganization will hereafter regard such
conduct Is unfair and will absolutely re-
fuse to assist such employe in collect
ing back wages.
In many instances events have proved
that women in need of help have APP
preached their neighbors' servants. offer
ing them higher wages, less work or
other advantages, even to the use OF the
piano" II is no uncommon thing for O
housewife bringing her help from the
south or paying their way across the
continent to have them snatched away.
through the influence OF these unscrup-
ulous women, before they have even made
good the expense entailed by travel. In
suburban towns. where help is harder to
get than in the city. women have been
known to go directly TO their neighbors'
houses when the mistress was away, Of
fer higher wages TO the cook or all
hor h>ts.
that any woman could be so low, and
so devoid of principle as thus to infringe
upon the rights of others. As a rule
however, dishonest deal of this kind
brings retribution in its wake, and the
servant fraudulently obtained sees>no rea-
son why she in turn should not leave
this mistress as unceremoniously as the
one from whom she was obtained.
Fortunate then, again, is the home
where the work Systematically arranged
can be apportioned among its members.
each sharing I'm the disagreeable duties
If there be such. and each happy i'm the
freedom from worry over service imper-
fectly or grudgingly rendered.