MAORI MAIDS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 587, 16 August 1909, Page 3

MAORI MAIDS.

AND THE LADY WHO KNEW THEM,

"Oh dear me! I am so tired oftrying to got. maids to take away homo with me," sighed the Country Lady, almost disappearing from view as sho sank into tho depths of a huge armchair.. "I really do not seo why girls should object so much to going into tlii! country. . They are paid 'well, they have comfortable quarters, good food and plenty of-time for themselves. Tho work is not very heavy cither, ns wo help in the house ourselves—and yet they will not come. If by chanco they say they will, and I am heartily congratulating myself about it, something invariably occurs to make them change their minds, and 1 am stranded once more. I shall try and get two Maori girls again, I think.- It was a mistaken idea to think of trying tho pakeha again." ■ What became of.tho two little Maori girls that you had some little time ago? I asked. "Oh! They were married quite recently, aiid I was so sorry to part with them. ThoJ wcro two most lovable and' were excellent in their work." I suppose you had to train them from tho very beginning? • "Yes, I did 1 Mori came to mo first when she was fourteen years old straight from tho pa, after the approval of the other Maoris had been gained. ■ Such a frightened trembling litfle figure—and, of course, she had only the weirdest notions of housowork; in fact, she knew nothing. I had to show her how to do everything, but the one showing was quito .enough—those great brown eyes took in everything. Sweeping, dusting, cleaning knives, making beds, and, cooking all had to be taught her, but peeling potatoes — that she knew. She was so shy at first, knew vory little- English, and, for a while, was so awkward in her movements. Then one day I noticed her humming while she was working, and moving about far moro freoly meanwhile, but as soon as she saw I heard she stopped at once. I told her to sing whenever she wanted :to, and, after that, sho was always singing her Maori songs while working about-the'house, and all her. awkwardness vanished. Up till then the poor little thing had felt repressed and caged. She hau a beautiful voice. - • . Wasn't Mori very much at-sea over the names of household things? - .."Yes, very. About tho second day after her arrival, she came to me with a broom in her. hand, and, through nervousness (for sho really had-a deep, rich slightly: husky ,voioe), almost screamed," 'Shall I "broom" tho room?' Another time, sho came into a room where the blinds were down, and wanted, to know if she should ' blind-the windows.' However,' Ker quickness and ■ adaptability were wonderful, and* she soon grow accustomed to everything. A little later on. another' girl from the pa, Arini, came to trio, and soon no. better girls could be found anywhere than they wore. Deft )( and quick an/I , thorough,.they-kept the house simply spotless, and.cooked beautifully, meals always being ready. promptly to tho minute. They had a natural gift for arranging flowers, and loved It was very amusing— whenever: I had occasion to speak to Meri about anything, which was seldom. She would take it quietly, never saying a word, but when she reached the kitchen or wherover Airini was, she would scold her at the ■top of her voice, evidently finding that a relief to her feelings. In the evenings they used to amuso themselves by playing the Jew's harp—playing it well too—and , practising their dances, or ejse they would join the other, Maoris in tho meeting-house, and listen for hours to the recital of the genealogies of. members of their family, tribe or oUior tribes, tlio deods of tho old-timo warriors, and fearsome legends that simply made their hair curl." " , What would happen when you went away? Would they become slovenly and let tilings .go- ." . . '■'.''•' "Never I Whenever I returned I always found everything beautifully kopt, including themselves, and they were with me for fouryears. Then they both married. It is quite hopeless for white, people', though, to expect to do anything with the Maoris, unless they know how to handle them. If they learn to like and trust you,'anything almost might bo done with them, but if they dislike you, they will not work or have anything to do with you. . One can. imagine somp pakehas might fare rather badly if they had to depend upon Maori .service, since they do not know how to treat their white servants well."