The San Francisco call., 1910-05-29
"a maids sleeping ROOM"

had rette. -,oos TO home before plying
the poor, ignorant foreigners" Sabe?
But this is digressing The point wish
to make IS that a superior education should
make people less snobbsh-
AS for my experience while servant,
must say that was well treated Other
wise 1 would not stay very long, and the
people knew It. My work could plan to
suit myself. I suppose that my employers
found that they could trust me, and was
usually told / was 1.-THE best cook they
ever had and the ''best natured." So
that helped some.
Finally my ambition led me to take up
shorthand, and had for several years had
q good position stenographer at the time
of my marriage. Excepting the short
hand. I knew just as much while working
in the kitchen as 1 did as a stenographer.
and many wealthy mistress and poor
maid have 1 helped with their letter writ
ing and spelling (And I foreignerD
/ used to laugh in my sleeve at the In
congruity of IT, And now, at the last.
let me tell you something that may throw
little light upon the servant problem
never could get over the back door
idea, and often wonder h2w other ,,ear glrIs
0a sioned aboVe-the bot tn front front door was not con
YG could not TT these so wealthy people who build
fancy kennels for their dogs-i; e.. unless
paTlor ng la'ta or bondofand Dt Warm, comfortable
stables for their horses, why could OF
and furnish a sitting room for their help,
especially If the latter's sleeping room !, , %
cold? And. by the way why snouio 'nes
"a Am 1 getting too eloquent? The subject
in hand seems to mo inexhaustipie. aih
siaqb bAuGaTER 4 5fSpea5 'cf Or NJ The M VIKINGS De-
troit)
A well-written letter! And the chi
rography would do credit to teacner
of penmanship. The spelling is IRE
poachable. l can readily believe tnat
the clever writer coached her mis-
tresses (nominal) in epistolary efforts.
ANOTHER SIDE
1 wish 1 could know one or TWO
things touching the present environ
ment and conduct of our imported
daughter of the Vikings! AS, for IN
stance. if she does her own houseworK,
and If so. if she does not find 1t con-
venient to use the side or the back
door when she enters from the street,
and wishes to go at once to the part
OF the house where her work is to be
done2 If she does not, upon her re-
turn from market. lay off hat and coat
in the laundry or kitchen. instead OF
going all the way upstairs? The IDEA
that to enter by the back door is
anything but convenient to the work
er in the back of the house, or In the
basement, and implies degradation, is
new to me. In New England villages
the front door is seldom opened ex-
cept for visitors. Men and women use
the back door from choice.
Again, If the ex-stenographer keeps
a maid" what is her attitude toward
her? We have her own confession
that the thoroughbred employer treats
employees more courteously than the
purse proud vulgarian comports her.
self toward her servants. Does the
daughter of the Vikings sit down to
table with the woman who has cooked
the dinner for the husband and wife.
and who must go to the trouble of
changing her dress before she joins
them and make another change when
the meal is over and she would re-
sumo her work? Do the three spend
their evenings together in the parlor?
If this be the rule, do they find the
companionship agreeable? Would not
the maid be more at ease in her cozy
Kitchen. chatting with companions OF
her own selection?
There are divers sides to this vexed
question
Our next letter brings one into
IL should just like to ask you writer's
VINO think you know much about how
We maids feel and how We ought for to be-
nave. how you'd like to be told what time
70 20 TO bed and what time to get up.
ana Il once in blue moon you happen TO