Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-25
where DOES YOUR
MAID LIVE?

What sort of living quarters do you
supply for your maid? Do you wish that
she were one of those convenient black
Inammies one reads of who found it per-
fectly convenient TO sleep on chair be-
fore the kitchen fire, or to curl up COM
fortably on the floor of the brick-paved
summer kitchen? Or do you take an in
telligent interest in the sleeping and Nv
ing quarters of such servants as you en-
ploy?:
In too many houses the servants are
given the leftovers. so far as their rooms
are concerned. OF course, ii is quite out
of the question in many cases TO have
servants living room halA In apart
ments. even where several servants are
kept. the kitchen and servants sleeping
rooms are the only rooms set aside for
their use. Too often. too, these rooms
are on a court. But il is at least III your
power to make whatever rooms you can
spare for them clean and attractive and
as comfortable possible
II il is possible to set aside small
sitting or living room for your servants
do so. There should be clean. white
swiss curtains at the windows. COM
Portable chair for each servant, table
for meals with a good drop light on il
for reading and sewing in the evening. a
few shelves for books or magazines and
a few attractive pictures on the walls
Don't hang up the discards from the rest
of the house. Rather tack up with thumb
tacks good prints cut from the papers
and magazines A fern or pots OF grow
ing flowers would also be appreciated by
many maids
The bedrooms too. should be attrac-
tive-especiaIiy SO IL they must serve also
for sitting rooms. The beds should be
comfortable. White iron beds, that can
he repaiuted from time to time. are best
@rtaf IN < a
choice. and the washstand. II there is no
running water connected with the maid >
room. should be OF painted iron. These
STANDS are rnosf convenient for water Jugs
and basins. are light and easy to carry
and the basins are ftted with plugs.
The beds should be furnished with good
bedcloihes. WasnaDle blankets for sum
nuer. with four sheets for each bed and
two washable dirnify bedspreads and
three pillowcases-if there is only one
pillow for each bed. should be supplied.
For winter there should he q pair of good.
heavy blankets. which should be cleaned
each spring before they are put away.
There should he at least two bath towels
and -four hand towels for each servant.
The extra supply of linen can be kept in
the servants rooms or with the other
supplies in the linen closet.
"A maids taste can be improved and de-
Veloped by the things in her room. Give
her. at Christmas. something to make
Der room more attractive-perhaps pic
ture. perhaps a writing case, a book.
a neatly fitted little sewing basket will
Encourage her TO keep her clothes rnended
And something for her bureau will en-
courage personal tidiness. The bureau
Sr dressing table and the bedroom stand
Should be furnished with attractive white
covers.
The women who employ young foreign
born servants can make them happy by
occasionally inclosiug 4 line in their let
ters home to mother. father. brother or
lister. giving an encouraging account OF
yhe servants progress. Don't make these
words condescending or too long Let
Them be simply cheerful commentator