A FEW WORDS ABOUT SERVANTS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1915, 14 April 1880, Page 4

A FEW WORDS ABOUT SERVANTS.

[From the “ Tasmanian Mail.”] [Bt Etb.] « Why add unto the weight of care each heart groans under ? Why not seek some kindly cheerful word to sneaky and sharp reproaches, pitying spare ? ” Make Sunday’s work as light as possible. If you wish for hot dinners, hare the meals as much prepared on Saturday as possible ; you will not then find it difficult to allow your servants to attend church once, if not twice, 4 < I have often noticed is that • servant’s bedroom is allowed to be kept shockingly untidy. It should be kept as tidy, neat, and clean as your own, though simply furnished. It is always well for the m’stress of the establishment to go frequently into her servants’ rooms and see they are tidy and well aired, and not steer clear of them as it they were unfit for them to enter. Provide wnat simple conveniences vou can, without any approach to display. I would let them have flowers in their room if they can be spared, and also a few window plants. Have no hiding places in a kitchen for cook to thrust any untidy object into, no holes and corners, which it seems an understood tiling between mistress and maid are not to ho pried into or observed. Go thoroughly through the house on cerlain days in the week, especially the servants’ quarters, and turn out kitchen drawers and receptacles of all sorts ; see that they are lined with fresh paper, and sort out the rubbish, burning what is Have proper work for fitting days, both for yourself and servants. Be systematic, and have the best method you are acquainted with for everything. Servants are always so greatly pleased with little presents therefore, when deserving, strive to give them one occasionally. When allowed a holiday, on their return let them feel it is pleasant to you to have them back, and tell them how they have been missed. In Tasmania the ladies of the houses generally have many little trifles to do themselves, tvhen suoh is the case, do what you are engaged in completely, and do not grow tired when your duty is half accomplished, and so leave it for the servants to finish. And do not do everything *in an untidy manner, leaving so much to be tidied after you that it would have been less trouble for those who make neat to have done your whole work themselves. Do not use several plates, knives, spoons, or basins to make a pudding, where less will suffice. Do not make a freshly scrubbed kitchen or table dirty, and so requi-e to be washed over again, thus vexing the souls ot your maids. A good housekeeper must rot be self-in-dulgent. Plenty of energy is required to do regularly what should be done. If minor duties are neglected once or twice because considered unimportant, one gets in the habit of avoiding them, and eventually these trivial tasks become wholly neglected. Therefore, everyone is uncomfortable, if not unhappy. Your servants seeing you neglectful, consider they are justified in following the bad example you have unwittingly set them, and the result is that they endeavor to escape discharging duties ot real moment. My idea is that the small duties are the principal ones. The saying of pence makes the gathering of pounds, SO a due recognition of what may seem trifles makes the accomplishment of larger duties less difficult. Do not be disheartened in failing several times in what you undertake. With each failure you will gain a little more knowledge, and if you at first find you are incompetent to teach your servants you will soon learn by practice—of course much faster if you have the taste, will, and energy necessary. If you have not these qualifiatiors you will soon acquire them, and work which may at first prove irksome, will after a little repetition cease to be so.

Never talk of your own private affairs to your servants, and so make them your masters ; but teach them to feel an interest in your family and property Be firm, reasonable, just, thoughtful, and considerate. Allow as many privileges as you can without being unjust to yourself or family. Let the servants see a few of their friends, but only a few, and those of good character. You should make it your duty to find out if they are bo, for so long as a servant is under your roof, you are bound to do your best for her welfare. Let her understand she may have a visitor occasionally, but at a convenient time, when there will be no interruption to the necessary work. If your servant is engaged, and to a man of pood character, certainly let him come to see her at stated periods, but not too often. It is surely wiser to allow that than to have your servant running out at all times to see him.

A great fault with many servants is curiosity. It leads them to listen to conversation whenever anything is being said at all interesting to them, either whilst waiting at table or when any chance occurs. The consequence is that whatever they are doing at the time is done badly because their attention is elsewhere. Then they are so inquisitive about everything they see, and each possession you have, and meddle with what you most wish let alone. You cannot, if you would, well look up all you have, though I know a lady once who did so (need I say she was rather ancient and unmarried) even to her brush and comb, and all small articles of daily use about her bedroom. It becomes very worrying to have to put everything in a hiding place where it is doubtful whether your prying servant will discover it. A better thing to do is to tell her openly of her fault and that it loads to your distrusting her as well as to the necessity of your warning your visitors against her, as she may meddle with their luggage, doing damage which cannot be remedied, and leaving finger marks in conspicuous and undesirable places; so tell her she must strive to cure it or leave. If you make your house comfortable to your dependants, and are considerate of their faults, kind to them, trusting and loving them, teaching them faithfully to do what is right, and letting them feel they are gaining skill and goodness in your service, they will not be willing to leave you, even for another situation where higher wages are given. Then if you have to complain of their conduct and tell them they must amend or leave, they will strive to cure the faults you object to—always provided you tell them quietly and show you are sorry for them as well as yourself. You should only have recourse to such measures for the most tiresome faults, and do not threaten even that until you have reasoned with them ; then if not changed, tell her if not wholly cured by a given time you will give her a month’s warning. And bo sure to do what you threatened. There are some offences I would sooner send a servant away for at once than keep her in my house, such as untruthfulnesa and dishonesty, but smaller ones must be patiently endured until kindness and reasoning p-ove fruitless. It is a duty you owe the weman you are going to hire, to find out from her former employers what her character and behaviour have been, and it is but fair to give her a “ character” when leaving your service, stating why she left, and her good qualities ; there is no occasion for her bad ones—the non-observation of them in her recommendation is sufficient. Let what you do state be the truth, and that is enough, for it would not be just to her future employers to overrate her qualifications. Treat each servant the same and let them avoid complaining of one another’s conduct.