The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1914-01-28
New Years In
France

ATEw YEARS is celebrated to a
mi greater extent in France than
In any other country. Closely
following the Christmas festiv-
tiles, the celebration for the opening Of
the New Year vies with the earlier
holiday events. Everywhere in the re-
public do the festivities take place, and
among the places where it is the most
enjoyed is in the kitchens of the homes.
The average housemaid of France
works for very small salary. But she
is an apt and willing servant, for she
looks forward from one New Years
day to another, as then she reaps the
reward for her work. 1t is the custom
in France to make presents to all the
servants at the opening of each year.
This present is nearly always in cash,
and it may be So or 5000, depending
upon the financial condition of the en-
ployer.
With such custom in vogue there
is very little trouble with servants in
that country. They rarely quit their
positions; they strive to please their
employers and at all times look for
ward to the New Year All the serv-
ants are allowed certain amounts. The
janitor gets his share, and no one is
forgotten.
In France the housewife does very
little of the marketing. 1t is left to
the servants. Then the servants do the
bargaining. If potatoes are 10 cents
per pound and the girl can get them
from some marketwoman for 8 cents
she reasons that the mistress should
not profit by the bargaining, but that
she herself should have the difference.
The regular price of the potatoes be-
ing 10 cents. the servant marks them
down in her book at that price and
pockets the difference This is one of
the peculiarities of the French method
Of keeping house, and it has been found
a real aid in keeping servants.
The housewives are aware of what
is taking place, but they are satisfied
to pay the regular market prices. 1t is
the bargaining of the servants which
gets them an extra allowance, but as
long as the eatabes are up to the
standard the housewife does not COM
plain.
Then the servant who does the mar
keting expects New Years gifts from
other sources. There is no special rea-
son why she should purchase her food
stuffs at a certain market booth. But
it will be noticed that she often does
that very thing. When New Years
day rolls around the owner of the mar
ket booth is supposed to make her a
nice present, and the present is APP
preciated most if it is in cash. 1t real
ly must be in cash.
Then there are the iceman, the coal
man, the milkman. All of these are
supposed to remember the servant girl
when the new year begins. In this
manner the average servant, If she is
keen witted-and the most of them are
makes a snug little addition to her
regular wages.
The servants very often work for
only enough to clothe themselves.
They must depend on what they can
make by bargaining and by receiving
New Years gifts. and these gifts"
the girls usually place in a bank at
interest, thus building up their dow
cries for their future marriages, when
they may even marry the iceman, the
milkman or the goldman.
There are some points about the
French method of holding servants
which are extremely satisfactory when
compared to the American plan, but
there are others not quite so pleasing.
The girl may become so engrossed in
her bargaining, as is often the case.
that she disregards the table of her
mistress. She may arrange to procure
the edibles of very low price, pocket
ing the difference from the market
price, and the foodstuffs may not be
so palatable. But if she is content
with small amounts her bargainings
will never be noticed.
The American servant is paid a stip-
ulated salary, enough for her to live
upon, and the bargaining is eliminated.
This takes away one of the objection
able points, and the table is usually up
to the standard regardless of whether
the housewife or the servant does the
But the French plan Ger.
tainly does hold the servants from one
year to another, for there is always the
prospect of the New Years present
New York Post.