The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-13

them upon the scent of the bogus aspirant after social distinction, and runs her to earth It is the boast of the lowest of the cult that he or she ' knows a real lady or gentleman wherever found.
 They ain't got money. maybe, but they are the real qualityr was the verdict of a colored man of the old fashioned type. when twitted with the poverty of his em- ployers.
 To this subtle something they strive to describe by quality they render involun- tary homage. The woman who has been used from childhood to managing staff oi domestics does not fear to speak kindly and courteously to them. She is too sure of her standing to dread the loss of 1t. It Is the parvenu who betrays by rudeness or familiarity her ignorance of the unwritten laws regulating intercourse with interiors. And since there are millions of parvenus in America they have debased the basal principles of domestic service
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 Pays Penalty of False Standards.
 Like our bright. travelled correspondent I could write on and on indefinitely with out treating the vexed question ' in all it's ramifcations.
 For the present I content myself with answering in part some of the queries ad- dressed to me in the letters here published.
 l. The mistress who dares not insinuate to her maids that their works and ways are not wholly satisfactory Is paying the pen slty of the false standards set by the mass Of her fellow housekeepers. If all were firm in establishing and maintaining" buo- ness methods " in the household. the evil would cure itself in few years. Johns clerk knows that he must obey rules. or be discharged; furthermore that if sent about his business for neglect of duty, ineficiency. and impertinence, he will find great dif1- culty in securing another situation.
 ?. The scarcity of maids of all work h but one more result of the rage for " sps- cializing ]" which Is sign of the timss It Is no longer true that q one man in his time plays many parts." if the parts have to do with wage earning. Each bit Of the social and commercial machinery that carries progress forward has it's work man, whose duty 1t is to do that, and that alone. Domestic service has caught the contagion.
 8. The woman who asks if we house mothers have not ourselves to blame for the existing irregularities in what should be a well ordered system puts her finger upon what have long believed to be the root of the evil in this whole matter. w ,as an order, are not true to ourselves and to one another When we learn. by long and bitter trial of the wrong way. that VIC must stand by our sisters and all work together; when each recognizes and acts upon the simple factl that if she takes a domestic out of herI neighbor's house without her knowledgsI and consent; if she engages one who hasl been dismissed for just cause from her lastI place without hearing and weighing. thel reasons for that discharge; If she condonesl insolence, dishonesty. and wastefulness asl reported by the former employer, she will lose the respect of the community, wei shall see the dawn of better day forl the perplexed mistress and the establish ment of just and practicable code for ourl employees.
 How this is to be brought about, naturally and without violence. is a problem submit to intelligent readers and sufferers from " the vexed question