The Washington herald., 1915-01-31
Understand Each Other.

Next she should come to an under
standing with the girl about wages-make
a definite proposition for a certain wage,
with regular increases at stated times un-
til a maximum wage is reached.
The mistress should then map out a
plan Of the duties the maid is expected
to perform Honesty concerning hours
OF meals, number in family and frequency
of guests is a good policy. II a maid is
told that unexpected company to dinner
is not unusual that luncheon must some
times be served at u, sometimes at 1:3O,
and that in a few weeks some cousin or
aunt or grandmother is coming to spend
the rest of the winter she generally ac-
cepts the facts as stated with much bet
ter grace than she Would accept the visit
ing relative, the shifting lunch hour and
the unexpected company without previ-
GUS warning.
A new maid should never be taken on
when the household is not running on
schedule. For instance, when there is
illness and the house is turned topsy
turvy for the accommodation Of patient
and nurses; IL it is housecleaning time, or
II there is a holiday crowd of children
home from school and visitors on hand.
Proper training Of a maid at such times
is impossible.
"AAIuB u LlaL OF DuIIeHs
1t is a good plan for the housewife to
give the new maid a list Of the duties she
is to perform. II the maid objects to
their number and character perhaps a
little consultation about them will bring
about an understanding satisfactory to
both.
A general housework maid is supposed
to care for fires, piazzas and sidewalk;
sweep, scrub, clean windows and beat
rugs; keep kitchen and dining-room and
pantries in order; clean the silver, do
plain cooking, and IL the laundry work is
not heavy, do that. Nowadays, however,
1t is always necessary to come to an
understanding about this branch of the
work. II the laundry work Is heavy and
a laundress is employed the general maid
is generally required to launder certain
articles, such as table linen, dish towels
snd her own clothes.
Aside from these duties the general
housemaid's duties differ. She Is gen.
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 kept
the women Of the family willingly do the
bedroom work and parlor busting to re-
lieve the maid.
A maid should never be compelled 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 a while. too, II 1t
can be, afforded, man should be hired
for half a day to clean the cellar or at
tic, scour outside window sills. give the
plazzas an extra scrubeing and do other
things to rest and relieve the maid.
maids nguallv are
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 conven-
tional afternoon maids frock Of black,
with white cap. collar, cuffs and apron.
she can wear a blue or pink. chambray
dress with a 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 unattractive kitchen and
given a cold, uncomfortable bedroom. The
kitchen should be as attractively fur
nished as possible. kitchen with bun
or green painted walls, a comfortable
chair or two, white swiss curtains at the
windows and few rag rugs to match the !
to take care of than one of SURPRISING |
ugliness. II the maid likes flowers, "a
potted geranium or primrose on the win |
dow sill viii give much pleasure, and |
certainly will not inconvenience any II
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
floor, with curtains ~ the windows, a J
good picture or so on the walls, some
place for her to hang her clothes. we'll
equipped washstand, and q comfortablel
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. It Is the house
keepers duty and privilege to insist that
ell bedrooms are kept In order.
Rours of Work.
One Of the housemaids' unions limits
the working hours Of houSemaIds to sew
enty hours q week. with two afternoons