Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-09-16
THE FAMILY AND THE HIRED GIRL.


After six years service in the family
Sally. the Swedc hired girl had quiz.
She was going TO the city TO work in
bankers family where her cousin
ST week The family were all in
dignant over her detection. 1t had
done so much for her 1t took her in
when she came to this country unable
10 speak a word of English and had
kept her ever since. Her wages had
been raised until the last year she had
been getting 81 week And now she
had quit because she could get few
dollars more The conclusion was
that it was the rankest sort Of in
gratitude. the kind that makes SER
penis tooth seem dull as an old darn
ming needle.
But Sally" had a different point Of
view. She came to the family green;
but she worked the first three months
for dollar a week and the first year
for a dollar and half. Her next year
brought her $3.50 per week for better
service than other girls were rendering
for twice the money Sally" was no
fool She had had schooling IN Sweden
where he father was a small farmer
and she had inherited a shrewdness
and patience that fools a good many
people. Her name was not Sally bus
Hilda. She told them so but the family
thought Sally" more appropriate and
il had stuck That also stuck in Hilda's
crop. She knew that it was evidence
OF feeling of proprietorship and
marked her classification. She had
been visiting her cousin and noted the
difference between the light room her
cousin occupied and the little stuffy
bedroom under the west slope Of the
roof where she had smothered six
summers. And so she went where
wages and environment suited her bet
ter
Why is il that We assume 10 have
besa benetctors 20 those whose serv-
ices have rendered full value for every
cent We have paid them? VIVA, earth
" reason had the family for consider
ing Sally ungrateful? The honest fact
is that the family had exploited Sally.
made a good bargain Of her. 1t was
fact that when Mrs. Somebody, noting
Sx.lly's efficiency had opened negotia-
tons looking toward securing Sally
for herself that the mistress OF the
family had thanked Mrs. S. TO attend
TO her own affairs and stop trying to
steal her servants and that they
haven't spoken since; but another fact
is that because Mrs. S. offered 81
week the family had met the rise.
That is how Sally's wage came to be
at that figure. Sally knew il. AS stated
sally is no fool
And Sally is not ungrateful. Her
faithfulness shows 1t. 1t isn't possible
to buy faithfulness and she had been
faithful beyond her wage. She had
tended children and nursed in sickness
and been the nainstay Of the family
all for a dollar week TO begin on
and 81 a week to finish with. she
| liked the people and they liked her,
but beneath it all was the fact that she
| was an euploye and they employers
and that she;r connection was one OF
a wage and not Of love. or gratitude
or mutual responsibility. So she took
the 81. the better accommodation and
went TO her own people where she
might bear her own name.
Sometimes we mistake our own sell
fshness for ingratitude in others.
There are other cases besides that Of
the hired girl and the family where
this mistake occurs. We are all of us
very much inclined to magnify our
common duty into beneficence.