The Washington herald., 1911-01-29
4 HOUSBKBBPER
TELLS HOW TO
TREAT 4 SERVANT

tween mistress and maid, for the wheels
Of efficiency and domestic comfort can
only be creased by perfect understand
ing
AS far as work goes. arrangements are
based purely on a business proposition.
each side stpulating for desired condi-
tions; but I contend that responsibility
does not chd there Surely the oblisa-
tions of a mistress are not fulfilled by
supplying a bed, food, and a few pounds
year.
Women complain of bad servants. but
they rarely look below the surface for
the cause. Undoubtedly the principal
troubles arise from lack of mutual in
terests. And pray. how can you expect
regard and loyalty if you bestow none?
Servants never resent firm treatment if
1t is kind. By kind treatment I do not
mean mere politeneSS and restraint from
unkindness, but direct personal interest
in their lives. Many women devote much
time and sympathy to improving tho
happiness of the lower classes outside
their homes. and yet barely notice the
girls who are so Intimately connected
with their own families. Yet how de-
pendent one is on servant, Few of us
care for everlasting cooking or washing
up greasy dishes in often the dulIeSt
room in the house, turning out of bed at
al uneArthly hour to get cups of tea,
and start a days work in semi-darkness-
To many it would be an impossible task;
tc none of us would it be congenial work.
Sometimes Asked Why.
1 am sometimes asked why / do not
change my servant.
The reason is obvious; 1 am content
with my servant and she Is content with
me. That is the whole secret 1 have
not many rules, but such as exist must
not be broken. l choose to be mistress
in my own house. and am both strict
and exactinG. Yet my servant IS envied
by all her friends. Why?
Five and a half years ago I took her
into my service from her mothers house.
one of the most unattractive girls imag-
Unable. She had spent seventeen years
in nursing innumerable babies, securing
dirty floors, and drudginS in general
NOBODY had ever suggested that her
teeth projected SO much as to amount to
defOrmity, or that her hair was ill
kept, or that her delicate chest needed
special care. She had been a drudge and
nothing more.
For the first three months she never
smiled. she was industrious, but apathet-
ic: Indifferent to everything. a mere ma
chine Then my real work began
Little by little l instilled into her the
necessity and value of caring for herself,
both body and mind. ! persuaded her to
have her teeth put right and then later
to undergo treatment for her hair. She
met with violent opposition at home
even threats to remove her from my
service-but 1 persisted. and eventually
she took my advice. That was most en-
couraging, for 1 saw growth of my infiu-
ence
Then a remarkable thing happened.
The whole nature of the girl underwent
a change; she seemed suddenly to awak-
en- from her lethargic condition. 1t came
as a revelation to her that from disin-
terested motives I was helping her to an
existence she never before had known.
Interesting the Servant.
My next scheme was to interest her in
plants and flowers, which were. one and
ALL of the utmost Indifference, by asking
her to help me in the garden and green
house. 1t was a case of personal service
then: now she works for the love of the
plants themselves 1 gave her suitable
books to read. and encouraged her de-
sire to own a little library through visits
we made to secondhand shops. Grad
ually I have taught her to sew, and she
row possesses her own sewing machine
crochets beautifully. From the first I
Explained that all labor has a marketable
value, and that as she improved her
wages would be increased. The incentive
to strive was there; she now earns GO
4 year
She has about three weeks holiday in
at Christmas a few days, be-
sides several week-ends during the
course of the year. and every second
Sunday from 1 till 10. She has no week
nights. no regular days out. She has no
no friends in this neighbor-
hood. Where would she go. what would
she do? i deny that it would be Shelly
Ter concern. The blame would be mine
Z she came to grief thr Ugh making
acquaintances. On the other
land, if she wants n day for shopping
'r to go home, 1 never refuse l also al
ow her family to visit her when they
hOose. The concession is reasonable.
She requires change and society, like
very one else. SO why should she not
her relatives in my kitchen
which is practically her home-rather
han be obliged to stroll about the
treets and possibly end up the evening
n public house? Half the servants
eho get into trouble owe it to the habit
+ roaming about the lanes because they
ave no place where they can amuse
themselves innocently. Ny servants
oung sisters I invite to stay with her
for week at a time. It.,
ives pleasure to her-the work certain
Y never suffers from the indulSence-it
oes good to children who otherwise
'ould have country holidays, and it
trengthens the tie between mistress and
laid.
Allows No GossipinG.
/ never call my servant in the morn
ng. insist on punctuality, and allow
o gossiping. ! never find fault unless
ompelled to. Then I say all that is nee
ssary and the trouble is past. I lock
y nothing. My servant can share with
S anything she likes. The freedom she
as results in absolute respect for deli
acies, &c. / trust her in everything,
nd in all cases she rises to the conf
ence reposed in her.
The girl is an excellent cook, an un-
poiled reader, who has no use for nov
Is. and therefore a less fevered imagi-
alton on the subject Of lovers; fines
erself If she breaks by buying a dupli-
ate, assuring me at the same time that
is a splendid way to make her more
areful. and is devoted nurse IL I am
!, and equally devoted when I am well.
he work of the house goes by clock
ork and always without outside help.
encourage interest in everything I
,nsider within grasp of her intellect,
nything that will tend to broaden her
lind and help to MT her to occupy use
IL and intelligent place in the world.
sst on her banking part of her wages:
abit is second nature, and her life Is
My beginnings life that she can look
,rward to. for she is now a pretty.