The Washington herald., 1915-01-11

orally willing to wait on the table, and
some general housemaids take pride in
their ability to do really good waiting
she is generally asked to make the beds
and keep all the rooms dust free But in
many cases where only one maid Is kent
the women OF the family willingly do the
bedroom work and parlor busting to re-
! lieve the maid.
| maid should never be asked to beat
heavy rugs or carpets. They do not need
beating every week, but when they do a
strong man should be hired to take care
Of them. Once in q while, too, II IL can be
afforded, a man should be hired for half
day to clean the cellar or attic, scour
outside window sills, give the piazzas an
extra scruobing and do other things to
rest and relieve the maid.
| General housework maids usually .rs
willing to wear a costume Light. cotton
frocks for morning should always be
worn. For afternoon and evening, II
the maid does not care to wear the con-
Ventional afternoon maids frock of black.
with white cap, collar, cuffs and apron.
she can wear blue or pink chambray
dress with white apron. Fresh white
aprons should be part Of every house
workers equipment, whether the worker
Is employer or employe
There is no possible Justification for the
hope that a maid will be contented even
II her work is not too hard, II she is
Kept IN an unattracti kitchen and given
cold, uncomfortable bedroom. The
Kitchen should be as attractively furnish
ed as possible. A kitchen with bufr or
green painted walls, a comfortable chair
| or TWO, white swiss curtains at the win
dOWs and few rag rugs to match the
wall is no more expensive and no harder
| to take care Of than one Of surpassinK
ugiiness. II the maid likes flowers, a
potted geranium or primrose on the win
dow sill will give much pleasure, and
| certainly will not Inconvenience any
member Of the household
The maids bedroom should have light.
washable walls, a clean and comfortable
white iron bed, some sort of a chest of
drawers and a good mirror, rugs on the
| hoor, wash curtains at the windows, a
| good picture or so on the walls, some
place for her to hang her clothes, a well
equipped washstand, and a comfortable
chair.
Absolute order and cleanliness should
be maintained by the maid both In her
own room and In the kitchen. Her room
should be under regular inspection by the
mistress Of the house. and she should
not resent any reminder that her room
Is untidy or unclean. II Is the house
keepers duty and privilege to insist that
all bedrooms are kept in order.
Hours of Work.
One Of the housemaids' unions limits
the working hours OF housemaids to sew
enty hours week, with two afternoons
on every week, and no work after s
O'Clock in the evening. These hours are
reasonable. Every normal woman ought
to be able to get through the work OF
the day with sufficient expedition to allow
her to rest for an hour or so every after
noon. The s o'clock evening limit to
work might be dificult to arrange for in
some cases, but II both mistress and
maid are good managers, the maid can
be finished with her evenings work
within half an hour after the family
finishes dinner.
IL the dinner hour Is late the maid
should eat her own dinner before she
serves the family; she can generally
manage to have the kitchen in order by
the time dinner Is cooked. and she can
get many OF the dishes out OF the way
in the moments when her services are
not required In the dining-room Out OF
consideration to the maid the mistress
should. not caI her to the dlning-room
after the dessert is passed: and the
family should adjourn to the living or
drawing-room for all after-dinner con-
yersations.