The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-07-17

Nor will the servants Of the present
time do anything but what is exactly
stipulated in the agreement made be-
tween them and their mistresses at Tho
time they were engaged. It is a case witt
them of shoemaker stick TO your last and
nothing could persuade them to go out
| side of that last What would happen,
do You suppose. If you were to ask that
big burly English butler to wash the
windows? Why he would discharge you
at once and wipe the dust of your house
from his feet
Aping English Nobility.
Trained service naturally makes for
comfort and elegance in living, but we
are OVERRIDING it a wee bit when, in APP
ing our cousins, English. We cannot find
work for the servants we engage A
rich American comes from the other side
having visited Lord X at the X castle
for few days. and Immediately copies
the service on that great estate. never
for a moment realizing that although his
wealth is as great, the demands upon his
hospitality are as nothing compared with
those on Lord Y. He has the money. the
ambitions. then why forsooth should he
not live in as fine style as my lord? He
/ does not realize that feudaiism under
another name. actually exists in England
to-day, and that every peer with a large
estate is a monarch in a small way who
keeps UP the same state and exercises
the same power that his fathers and
grandfathers did. and that while my lord
was being educated to assume his posi-
| ton the rich American was washing
windows. sweeping the floor or polish
ing up the handle of the big front door, "
and that all the money in~the world viii
not buy him my lords ancestry or his
| devoted tenantry, and that fuedalism does
not obtain In this country.
Mr. American millionaire, since he has
the money and can pay the price" de-
termines TO live in the same state as
my lord. and so he imports English serv-
ants and attempts II. with the result that
he is overpowered by his own splendor
and has established a false standard Of
living which serves to demoraiize his
neighbors. to say nothing OF the serv-
ants. who laugh in their sleeves at the
attempts 10 establish state for which
there IS no rhyme or reason.
Could Not Endure IdIeness.
Occasionally one OF them has the ex-
perienced that befell a Washington mill
lionaire the other day who had imported
Jeems Yellowplush and an English
housekeeper. They seemed content with
their new surroundings and no mutter-
ings of any sort were heard from them
until one day when Jeems bearded his
employer:
II ham very sorry," he said "sir, but
there haren't hany work for me here.
] You don't have company enough 20 keep
me hoccupled. sir, and my ears do ache
| for the sound OF the bell. but when it
does ring. sir. Il is only some tradesman,
sir, with a package. Why I ham just
wasted here. sir. that 1 ham. This
haren't no place for a man Of my price
and Of my hexperience. sir. and they
haren't no servants sittin' room. sir, and
no servants 20 hassociate with. No, sir,
you'd do better to keep honly the second
man and a maid. sir. so l ham givin'
notice which I 'ope you won't take II ard
sir. Hand the 'ousekeeper, sir, she feels
the same way, sir, hand so ham givin'
notice for her too. sir. for Il wouldn't
be honest to take your money, sir" Aud
so Jeems dismissed his master
All imported servants. however. are
Jeems. but remain in the service they
have taken to make'fun OF their master
behind his back. waste his hard earned
money. make his neighbOrs envious and
demoralize all the people OF their own
class with whom they come in contact
So in 9lling our homes with human Junk
that we have no need OF and In many
nearly all other ways we have grown
away from the simple life lived By our
forefathers and have come TO assume
sstyle that our institutions and our
traditions do not warrant and then in
a true commercial spirit We grumble at
the cost OF 1t all.
Trying 10 Keep Up Appearances.
The spirit OF emulation, too. trying 70
keep up" has something to do with the
increase in the cost of living that Is the
talk of the day. Your true American
has not the courage 10 live less well than
hts neighbor. he must. he argues. keep
up appearances, so, IL Smith across the
way has two automobiles, a dozen serv-
ants. a yacht, and a string of horses,
why, Jones must have the same or go
him one better. and Brown and Robin
son further up the road must follow
Jones, not because they enjoy it but be-
cause they will not be outdone by Smith
and 5ones- Thus the standards and
cost Of living is increased, for the in
huence of Smith and Jones is commu-
nicated TO others, and so it goes on for
ever.
There is a wealthy family in town who
occupy about the same position in So
ciety that their parents did thirty or
forty years ago The latter lived in
quite as elegant style for that time as
their children do to-day. yet I venture
to say that the children spend twenty
times as much money as did their par
ents and they do not spend 1t for vulgar
display, but to keep up the standard of
the age and 10 the position their birth
and wealth entitle them. Again II comes
around to my original statement that
the changed standard is the chief reason
for the increased cost of living, which is
true Of every circle of society.
What was magnificent and elegant a
half century ago is inadequate. shabby,
to-day. The head of the house does not
wear that worried expression because
beefsteak, eggs. and butter have In
| creased in price. but because my
lady expects so much more than she did
when they first went to housekeeping. for
she must live as well as her neighbors
and her husband cannot afford TO get
the reputation of being stingy. Dear. no.
He must keep up with the procession If