HOUSEMAIDS AND KITCHEN MAIDS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2657, 12 October 1882, Page 3

HOUSEMAIDS AND KITCHEN MAIDS.

The duties of a housemaid depend in a great measure upon the scale cf the household to which she belongs, and Recording to the number of housemaids kept, whether there are three housemaids or one h>usemald, whether the dutiei are divided between three or devolve upon one; and when they nrr divided between three—that is, between rbr' upper and nnd-sr housemaids—the dnttos of

the upper housemaid are comparative!•• as regard* labor, but heavy as regards :«?■ p visibility, the under housemaids being n .oW her supervision;. An upper hcuseme.id’c duty is to take charge of the house lin?n, tckocp it in repair, and give it out as require.! ; to sec that each bedroom ij supplier r;::’ clean chintzes, curtains, sofa covers. choir covers, toilet cover?, is., to see feat secdrawers and wardrobes are dusted endpapered, and that fresh candles arc, ett up each evening, scap supplied, writing tables attended to, Her duty is also to du:t the china ornaments in the drawing rooms mid. other sitting rooms, attend to the arrangements of the drawing rooms, and to attend to the fLwern and plants. The sifting room, ohintzas, and chair covers are also under her charge, when a housekeeper is not kept. She asnists in making the beds in the test bedrooms, and in dusting the rooms and keeping everything ia repair in cash room. After the dinner boil has rung she makes the round of the best bedrooms and dresringrooms to see that everything is in order, end that the under housemaids have eevrrnlly performed their duties. Where two housemaids are kept, the work of the household is divided between the two housemaid?, although the upper houremaid has the charge of the liuon and doe* the lighter work of the house.

When one housemaid is kept, she docs r.ct always have the charts of the home linen, eg it is sometimes given out by the mhtracc of the house, and sometimes by the lady’s ~n:ni j but she ia expected to make out tho lie- of linen when sent to a laundry, if not washed at home, and to sea that it is correctly returned.

Tho arrangements of households whero one housemaid is kept differ considerably with, regard to the work apportioned to bar. The usual duties of a housemaid consist of the following :—To rise at six in rummer and half-past six in winter ; before breakfast to sweep and dust the drawing roam, d'r.ing room, front hall and other fitting room-:; to clean the grates and light tho fires; ana where a lady’s maid or valet is not i'-pt, obs carries up tho water for the baths for the family. After her own breakfast she mokes the servants’ beds, sweepj, due's and arranges the rooms, sweeps the front staircase and front hall; she make* the best bads and sweeps and dusts the rooms, clean* the grates and lights fires. When fires are kept up in tbs bedrooms during the day it is her duly to attend to them, and to light them morning and evening or when required ; she prepares the bedrooms for the evening, turns down the bods, fills the jags with water, closes the curtains, takes up a can of hot water for the use of each person. After the family have gone down to dinner, she again makes the round of tho bedrooms, and puts them in order ; her last duty being to take up a can of hot water to each bedroom and dretsingroom. It is her duty to see, during tha day, that each bedroom'ie supplied with soap, candles, clean towels, writing paper, and all that is required for use.

In households 'where the housemaid acts as parlor maid, the cook undertakes to sweep and dust the diningroom, to clean the grate, and light the fire, to Bwesp nod clean the front hall, and to clean the front doorsteps ; and to assist in making the beet beds. Both eiltiogrooms and bedrooms should be regularly swept and dusted each day ; and the china fittings in bedrooms and dressingrooms thoroughly cleaned. 111-trained housemaids are apt to neglect this daily round of sweeping and cleaning the rooms in use, and to postpone it until the end of the week. But this method of performing tha housework ia not followed by good housemaids, or in well-regulated households. An extra cleaning of each room ones a a month is necessary, independent of the attention and care thet they require daily, when mirrors, pictures, windows, calls, Ac., are cleaned, for which sufficient time cannot be allowed erery morning. A houramaid’e duty is to keep the housemaid’s cupboard in order, and to be dressed by four or halfpast four in tha afternoon. When shs cats as parlor-maid, she is required to be dressed before luncheon or the mid-duy dinner, and to wear a clean cep and apron when bringing in the family breakfast. When she sets as parlor-maid aho answers the door in the afternoon, and lays the table for dinner, As. Where two or three housemaids arc fc"pt the upper and second housemaids ere expected to do the needlework of the house ia the afternoon from three to five. In small families, where one housemaid is kept, she undertake* to do the needlework for the house in the afternoon ; and in many cases ahe is engaged to act as maid to her mistress, as regards assisting her ia dressing. The duties of s. kitchen-maid rather depend upon whether she is head kitchen-mail under kitchen-maid, or solo kitchen-naa d. In large households two kitchen-maids und a scullery msid are usually kept, in which case the head kitohen-maid is almost an under cock ; she does [all the plain cooking of the establishment, for the schoolroom, nursery, servants’ hall and housekeeper’s room, besides mnoh of the elementary cooking tor the dining room. She makes the sauoes for the rations courses, and prepares the different dishes under the directions of the cook. The second kitchen maid prepares the vegetables for the house, the game and the poultry. In some house* she does the dairy work. She makes the bread if tha head kitchen-maid has ether work to do.

Where a stillroom maid is not kept, the head kitchen-maid mates the oakos for luncheon, tea and dessert, and mates the rolls for breakfast. Taa second kitchen-maid keeps the kitobcn clean, scours tno tables and keeps things in order, where a servant* hall boy is not kept. The second kitchenmaid lays the servants' meals in the servants’ hall.

Whore only cne kitchen maid is kept, she docs Ices cooking and more of the kitchen work; she assists the cook in preparing all the ingredients for her use, sbo makes the srucao, she cooks the servants’ dinner, she bakes the bread, she prepares the vegetable* and cooks thorn, she oieane the kitchen, and lights tho kitchen fi.-e. The scullery maid's chief duty is to char end scour tho slesioaca, saucepans, saucepans, fryiogpanE, and ail the utensil* of the kitchen; to clean the scullery, servants* hail, larders, and ki:ohea passoges; end where only ono kitchen maid is kept it is the scullery maid’s duty to lay tho table in the Edrvants’ball for the servants’ meals. The scullery maid usually dines in the kitchen with tho kitchen maid, and attends meanwhile to the cooking that is going on for the family luncheon during the absence oi the cook in the servants’ hell.

In small households, where only two are kept in the kitchen—viz., a cook ard n soldiery maid—the sculkry mail performs many of the duties of a kitchen maid. She cleans tho kitchen, lights the kitchen Sm, prepares and cooks vegetables, assists,the cook in the plain cooking, in addition to the scullery work, which is considerably lighter in smell households than in large ones. A vegetable maid is oftener kept in a duo than in a private household, ur.d her duly consuls in preparing the veget Her for cooking.