| Show THE SERVANT GL PROBLEM 1 11 61 1 A rell has said that the future of our Ameri american catl home hartie life depends an 11 if thise this be true the subject h one of vital importance and worthy of the most ser 1 jouwsma ious and careful discussion it is al asocial sociaL W as great moment as at are those of Tit tammany or of of the Chint chinese japanese question it can tib no more be e i a I 1 minor issue hah are the ballot the land tax or the corrence in short it if the state it is founded on bri the home then the consideration of the welfare and happiness orthe latter is necessarily of no less consequence than a study arid and discussion of the former another reason which perhaps emphasized ph pha sized the importance of this problem is its ts antiquity it is doubtful if there can be found any great social question which antedates that of the servant girl question ort oo we have an authentic account ot of trouble between mistress mastres and maid as far back as abrahams time when sarah expelled from her home th the e bondswoman hagar in very early times the unnatural rulers were the physically strong the weaker ones slaves for protection the less to tor r dunate united themselves to the mighty ones and the result was slavery the lords lards granted protection furnished food and clothing and the right ht Ov erthe slave extended even to life ze I 1 I 1 this bondage continued even down to our own generation and was broken only by revolution we are but creatures of habit old ideas and traditions cli cling to us and are difficult to shake off we still find the strong and weak master and man m mis is tress and maid but today the question esti on is one of mental not physical superiority the fact still remains of two distinct classes the ruler and the ruled between whom there exists a mutual antagonism in the old countries france england germany and other Europ european can nations the birthplace of feudalism servants still may be lound found and although lican ideas and influences of late years have had their effect domestic service is comparatively good but in free america where every man is is presumably the peer of his hid neighbor the service is vile it is not our purpose to write of the few grand boc homes es oi of america like that of K Van derbut where orty forty or fifty arva servants pt mostly english Eq glish are employed 5 lew few of whom whir P ny my lady ever sector VIN she delegates le I 1 te ae e cate care of f the e f 0 pa 9 oHse s ii keeper FO e who a r S Y an and all is is carrid carriea IW ba as ad in the vash homes carsi of ro a ty we e are to treat of the characteristic A american eri home where but one girl is e employed the american woman of mod erate circumstances the wife and mother ot of such a home is a being the least to be envied to say that her duties are onerous is stating the case carse mildly she must be responsible tor for a home the perfection ot of neatness care for the children do the family sewing be a member of two or more clubs or societies attend parties and in turn entertain always be prepared to receive and ready to take part in this or that charitable enterprise bhe must have assistance in the household work at least one help there are two reasons for nut nit having more firs firstly tty she sh can vo BO morel secondly i tolerate no more i Z it is proverbial that in america the girl highest wag si has hr bor personal pers opal rights tho the least jt inter is granted more krivi privileges Weis and ip m return gives poorer service than anywhere else it t mk too to be v controvert ed that the pai stress must see the girl oner onar her great induce mews be prompt ip pa paying yio g wages give her ber thebert the beit the bouse a affords ads to eat unheard of vey very often spend weeks in va tea teaching claing her ber how to work while at a moments notice with baby ill I 1 the weekly washing in progress the girl inay demand her wages aud and quit who has not heard remarks like the following id rather do my own work than be worried with a hired girl or we shall be forced to break up tip house keepin gand go to boarding one half the time im without helfand hel help and the other half I 1 am so badly served that I 1 am little better off let us quote the actual words of a lady of this city who has had at least fifteen years experience in housekeeping with hired help this lady is kindhearted kind hearted and inte intelligent what is my opinion of the average hired girl I 1 consider them an ungrateful ignorant conscienceless dish breaking relation feeding lot whose wages are the smallest part ot of their expense and what says the servant girl her defense may mav be summed up in these words we are looked upon as a class of iriel inferiors ribs and treated as such she feels that she hag ha no companionship in the home is tolerated there only for the reason that she performs menial work that is beneath the ladies of the house she perc perceives eivin lull full well that domestic labor has been degraded ste sl nis has no r respect e s et for it if herself and consequently t takes a ee s no pride in its performance with her it is no labor of love but a mere question ol of bus business inessa a giving of services for the most that can be got for them and therefore she has no scruples at quitting obe one mistress if she can do better elge elsewhere where she is not blind has she not seen that my lady does not hesitate at contemptible means for securing the services ot of girls if not strictly moral she win will most likely seize the many opportunities port unities offered for cheating her em and if honest feeling that in her behalf she fails the nece necessity gity of looking to the interests of her mistress and is neglectful it not maliciously wasteful all this are her t republican I 1 ideas of equality which makes the american servant jirl girl c cold ald calculating ands and stuck up anft biddy just over from ireland who does not know a we awaa a aing pan vague notions aj 9 as good as missus sus becomes 1 intolerably insolent here aate s a strange astrande complexity 0 of f stairs affairs thi the bame tife ftfe df arthe the american seriously interfered with on account of our republican spirit for example we go out on the ath of july shout shoot ourselves hoarse singing the star spangled banner terill tb rill with patriotic pride at the words of the orator beginning when in the course of human events it becomes necessary etc still burning with patriotism we return home and find that polly partaking of the general feeling of independence cei has taken trench french leave the house is open and either polly or some ruthless burgler has carried off a hundred dollars worth of jewelery jeweler we prepare our own dinner wo emith without tat any and silently on the berig of the declaration vt indea Ind epen n beup A study of human nature will ili demonstrate on ou strate that we ran can not have perfect service in in a republic but through a general uprooting of old ideas anchan and an overturning of time honored customs the present service can probably be im proved the ald L family ami 1 I y servant ant is a thing thida of the past bast the hep af the present and future is a totally diA dierene di erent being she is no longer an interior member of the household that ische is a tradition and must be relegated to thelast the past however 11 ver displeasing it may be we see in this as too a shade of sadness for the servant for with all her glorious personal liberty it destroys forever that feeling ot of regarding herself as a part of the he house this how however is but a slide side issue and of little moment ascom as compared with with liberty fraternity f equality ea lity some thinkers thinker on the ge servant avam girl lr problem and their number is steadily beasi y increasing advocate the operative cooperative co plan that is to have all food prepared in public kitchens to have sweeping dusting general housekeeping house keeping per for medby specialized labor this Thi plan would do away with the regular servant in the home it may be the future solution of the question but at present to carry it out completely seems impracticable ti however much of our household labor be and is performed by dy specialized laborers to great advantage as breads making laundry work and weekly house cleaning it if we e must have servants servant in our dur homes and it is doubtful if we can do otherwise ise let domestic labor be elevated As one I 1 lady a remarks make the work respect respectable ab I 1 by y employing m none but respectable pec table people 11 it is here bortny of notice that the present hard times which have forced so many women to perform the household duties without outside help should certainly tend to the elevation of such labor on the theory that work is estimated by the quality bf 61 the workmen that that kitchen work mv may be e looked upon as an honorable means to livelihood schools are suggested where women and girls may be taught not ony onay housework house work but principles of economy iio and moral obligations when domestic labij is really regarded regard pd with the sabe ame respect as as store and factory sewing og uAl nursing sing etc it will attract intelligent girl lor for it is better paid lof for theany apy 19 joiner lnor manual apri for wn anene ene 1 is far mere i varied and 14 aade alain a lri t hours at a ewing ma a chiat baoy iq a laundry i or breathing the foul ay av of the factory let family work be authoritatively and publicly placed on a strictly com percial ciAL bapis it 4 is is obviously impossible to lay out a set of rules for govern ing employer and employed emp loye tor for house hoid hoad matters in different homes widely vary amy but when a servant girl is engaged let there be a written contract with wages specified duties and hours clear ly defined if possible jle make yearly engagements gage ments for long service is necessary to 10 good service in this way how can controversy arise arise between lady and maid under present conditions ladies b have no right to lo intriere in any way whatever with the personal liberty of outside of working h hours her keey hours abreh are hey ex own if m t chic to do aw hf pl pases Ia fatany tany tune time advice needed c concerning omer ning her conduct or associates give it not with avit authority hority but only As dicta dictated tOd bythe common love loe of mankind it is said that good mis mig tresses make good servants let women learn to direct wisely be careful and use great discretion both in employing help belp and in giving recommendations let them they are dealing with human beings possessing heart and brains like themselves and that the mistress is superior to the maid only in the cultivation of that heart and brain lydia clydla snow pierce fierce in the university chronicle |
