Oxford Democrat., 1921-12-20

AS04hSO
(By Martha Mack)
Last winter there was an extra and an
urgent need of money in my fam ~.
The 'rainy day" had come and cur
small provision for IL was, and still is,
tied up In Boston bank that has been
closed.
AT home, az general manager, cook,
nurse and sesmstress, could not very
we'll be spared. But old mother Neces-
sity sent me ont 10 search OF psrt-;ime
employment.
Work was dull, and had neither trade
nor profession. / had never work ed
outside my own home, and I was no
longer young. But was determined to
find something, and to take anyth ng,
provided that it was decent. The ia
cient woman In the employment office
advised me 10 ''do second work on The
eight hour day basis, twelve till eight.
forty cents an hour"
She sent me to Beacon Hill address,
where lady who "lived all alone with
four in help" wanted new secund-m aid.
While / waited in the mellow light
and grateful warmth of the lady's hal,
4 planned just how that $500 for my
first week would be spent, and rejoiced
at the arrangement of the hOurs-from
twelve till eigbt-that gave me chance
TO do work at home in the morning.
The fear of having to borrow or 60 into
debt had been lifted from me, but an-
other fear had fallen upon me:
"What will your friends say when they
hear that you are working Oue-a
NJ in NJ n
that fair to your daughter-she is almost
sixteen? How can you keep this from
your well-to-do relatives?"
To these questions, which Fear and
Pride had thrust upon me, l made haste
20 answer:
"Thers is nothing dsgrsoeful about
working out 1t is all In The way that
one looks at it. Looked at in the right
way, homework is just as honorable an
occupation as-as almost anything. 1t
is better paid than typewriting or shop
work. 1t is just one way of buying
money-sn honest exchange-servics for
money. 1t"
heard the lady's step upon the stairs
and | arose. She was preceded by
little white, fat and fluffy dog that
wanted to swoop down upon and cuddle.
"YOu have come from the x en-
ployment Officer" the lady began, as she
motioned me to seat aud, switching on
strong light, faced me across a small
table.
She was a soft-voicsd lady, and she
smiled an encouraging smile as she
delved into my history-age, religion,
nationality, present and previous con.
dition. Was my health good? Was l
cheerfulP Was / willing? Nothing was
neglected. At last it was over and the
lady seemed satisfied with her findings,
but I had no reference.
Might she talk with my pastor over
the telephone? She might.
When she returned it was to tell me
that could come to work the next day
at twelve-"wear plain black" she ad-
monished, "I'll supply aprons and caps,
later shall get you the regular uniforms
and-snd, OF course, you don't mind be-
ing called Martha"
"No-no, indeedm / lied cheerfully.
"Well, you have more sense than some
of them have" her soft voice had be-
come snappy. ~ had to let perfectly
good new cook go last week because she
insisted upon my calling her Mrs. Some
thing"
"She Was too--too sensitive" ven-
tured, as moved toward the door.
"Altogetherm the lady agreed. "The
large pay and the short hours that pre-
vailed during war time have completely
robbed these liverouts' of their useful
ness"
Out in the stree; told myself: "That
Is nothing! She is just sore-servant
problsm-no doubt. Nothing for you
to be so frustrated over. II you had as
many diamonds and things as she has,
you would be just as careful about the
kind OF woman that worked for you.
Remember that you are out TO buy mon
ey, and that that $40 20 represents the
price of a ton of coal-you have just got
to get itG'
| All the way across the Common and
down into the subway l and Myself
quarreled, and above the roar of the
elevated the word "liverout, liverout,
Iliverout," beat through my tired head,
but upon reaching home we had settled
the quarrel, Myself and /, and Myself
bad won. called the lady up and told
her that i had decided not to take the
place.
The next morning found me again in
the employment Office.
"Just ss well you didn't take it," the
efficient woman at the desk told me, mo
one send to her ever stays long"
Her shrewd eyes flashed over me.
"Can you do plain sewing and mendingp"
| l could.
"Tbis lady wants some one to come in
by the hour"
She handed me a card with Back Bay
address, and once more set out to bny
some money.
Ii was about ten O'Clock when I rang
the bell and informed the maid who
| answered it that al have come to sew
for Mrs. D.. She wanted some one to
do plain sewing"
"Show her up to the sewing room,
Lizzie, I'll be up Immediately" a lady .
cheerful voice broke in from somewhere.
I followed Lizzie up three flights,
through clean, sweet-smelling halls to q
large, well-equipped sewing-room.
"She's eating breakfast" Lizzie vol.
unteered, "and she'll be up soon."
In q few minutes Mrs. D-came iI
with cheerful "Good morning-I have
heaps and heaps Of sewing for you"
She went over the work with me:
Sheets and pillow cases to be made, cross
curtains, linen covers for chairs, stock
ings to be darned and no end of mend
ing.
"Jennie. my personal maid, used to do
all this,' she explained, "but now !
refuse to let her, sbs Is getting Old-she
has been with me forty.two years"
From early In January till Mrs. D.
closed her city home in May, sewed for
her every day from ten till five. She bad
. delightful way Of making those who
worked for her feel that she regarded
them as real human beings, and not as
mere things to serve her. I know that
she was respected, and think she was
loved, by every one under her roof.
And ], for one, have come to the con-
olusion that the "servant problem" IL a
"mistress problem"
The woman who works In another
II -ov. aps. houao avap tho ruost toporonk