Evening star., 1937-01-03

1lGI WHO lOd Snc
first time is engaging a general maid.
Therefore, If you have never kept
house before and do not know what
q maid should be able to do. it might
be best to 90 to a reliable intelligence
Office where the clerk will be glad to
tell you about hours and wages and
an average working plan. On the other
hand, if you advertise in the paper.
then you could perhaps ask friend,
whose own house is run most nearly
the way you would like your own to
be, to give you advice on making a
fair and practical schedule.
In any case. when you interview an
applicant it is fixed rule OF pro-
priety that in your own house she
should stand. But If you 60 to an
Office. it is proper to invite her to be
seated while you talk with her. In
either case. the first thing she does -
always - is to hand you her written
references from her last employer. If
she has several she shows you the last
two or three. To be good reference
should show that she is honest, sober.
capable, Trustworthy and of good dis
position. If one Of these items is
missing in each Of the references
shown you. then you should take this
shortcoming into consideration.
However. let US say that the refer
ences of a certain applicant are good
and that the wages you can pay meet
her expectations. Let US say, too. that
you like her face. Perhaps this is not
q eauge used by others but it is OF
first Importance to me.) The next
move is to rive her briefly but accur-
ately the schedule Of both working
hours and time-of.
Accurately is underscored BE-
cause careless Misrepresentation OF
facts or intentions is unfair. It is un-
fair. for example, to assure the maid
that she 10 to have no care of the baby,
and then gradually ask that she do
just about everything that would be
expected of a special nurse - unless
Of course her schedule is shifted with
her own consent.
Plainly. too. it is not fair at the last
minute to expect the maid to change
her afternoon and evening out because
it happens to be inconvenient to you.
This lack of ordinary consideration is
one Of the chief causes of trouble.
Another important point is that you
should try to visualize what you offer
her n well as what you exact of her.
Don't say that you are always prompt
when you are not. Don't say that your
meals will be very simple and then
expect her to be an expert chef. Don't
say that the house is easy to take care
Of when it couldn't be more incon-
venient. Don't say that the work will
take a certain number of hours day
without having the vagl,est notion OF
how much work can be reasonably
done in this length Of time.
At the other extreme, it isn't neces-
sary to exaggerate whatever incon-
seniences there may perhaps be. par
ticulariy when there will be much
compensating pleasantness that should
make her quite happy with you -
more 90. in fact, than in a house
whose, shortcomings would be fewer.
As to how much work a general
maid can be expected to do: The es-
sential point to consider is that in the
working hours of each day one pair
Of hands can do exactly so much. and
you therefore have to adjust your re-
quirements accordingly. If you live in
a suburban community where every
thing stays very clean and the rooms
are not too cluttered with ornaments
and other time-taking objects, and if
your meals are reasonably simple. one
maid alone should be able to do all
the work of the house without diff
Guilty.
This. however. would not mean that
she could do all the cleaning and cook