The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-27

years. and the upshot of her inquiries
was that she recommended the engaging
of 10 more maids and a general reorgan-
ization of the housemaids' duties, SO that
the hours of work of the latter would
not exceed those Of the men servants
10 increase the staff of maids by 10
neoessitated increasing the wages bill
by $500 per annum. To do this went
against her majestys grain, for she Is a
somewhat rigid economist, but Queen
Mary saw that the money TO be saved by
reducing the staff of the Inaidservants
would not be worth the cost. She gave
Lady Bertha a free hand to deal with
the situation and the result Is now a six
hours day for the royal housemaids.
No girl. under the new arrangement, Is
TO be on duty more than six hours in the
Gay, which means that the Girls Who
go on what is called early morning duty
that is from a. m Cwhen they rise) to
midday-have the rest of the day free
In the late reign the early morning
maids had to be on duty In the rooms of
the ladies-in- waiting from 4 to p. m.
The early morning maids now escape this
afternoon work
The same rule obtains in the Russian
royal household, In the German royal
household the housemaids put in an eight
hours day.
Ut pI your btSl Dipc ihtfAiA1s dAtA
your very best smiles, unmarried Ameri-
can cousins of mine, who contemplate
an invasion of our shores this season.
for an unusual number of sons and heirs
to important titles will come of age this
year. In fact 1t is many years since so
many eligibles have been available; the
average number each year Is about five
or six, but this year as many as 20 will
achieve their majesty.
The most important, perhaps, in point
OF rank, are the Earl of I4isburne, and
Iord Carbery. since these two young
men lost their fathers some years ago
and have already succeeded to the titles,
though not to their property Lord Lis
burne is at present in the Scots Guards,
and owns very large estates in Glouce-
stershire. Lord Carbery is an Irish peer,
and after leaving school entered the Sis
Ter service. He is now on the royal navy
reserve list and is hunting big game In
British East Africa.
Another. young sprig of more interest
to you. on account OF his mother, who
was an American, is Lord Grantley's
son and heir, the Hon. Richard Henry
Brinsley. His mother was Katharine
MeVickar of New York. and unfortunate
ly died when the Hon Richard was only
: years old The Grantleys count Sher-
idan, the famous author, among their an
cestors, and all eldest sons receive his
three Christian names as their own.
Young Richard is also a great-grandson
of the Hon Mrs. Norton, who was the
original of Diana of the Crossways," +"
in Meredith's celebrated novel.
A representative of one of our oldest
peerages comes of age this year in the
person of the Hon. Otway Plunket, son Of
Lord Louth This barony, an Irish one,
is more than $50 years old, and the fam
lily can trace It's ancestors right back
into the dim ages.
Lord Kilconnel, who has Just attained
his majority, is the eldest son of the
Earl of Clancarty, and his mother, there
fore, was the beautiful Belle Billion, the
famous music hall star of the eighties,
whom young Lord 1<ilconnel Is said
strongly to resemble. The Hon. Fred
eriek Somerset Cough Cathorpe, who
comes of age next month, can claim
lxinship with you. for his mother was
Mary Burrows of Newport before her
marriage. His grandfather who died not
long ago was In the Crimea, and on ac-
count of certain uncomplimentary re-
marks made about him afterwards in a
book by a brother officer, he was very
anxious to fight duel, but was obliged
to cool his ardor In the law courts. Gu
riousy enough, another young fellow of
the same name. Cough, and also descend
e6 from a famous soldier relative. also
reaches his majority this year. This is
the Hon. Hugh Cough, eldest son of Wis.,
count Cough. 1t was his ancestor, the