That Terrible Butler.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7072, 18 February 1893, Page 3

That Terrible Butler.

gin. in a new story of *■ Penalope’a English Experiences,” amusingly expresses her heroine’s views of the English upper servant; — As for me, I get on charmingly with the English nobility and sufficiently well with the gentry, but the upper servants strike terror to my soul. There is something awe-inspiring to me about an English butler, particularly one iu imposing livery. When I call upon Lady De Wolfe, I say to myself impressively, as I go up the stairo. “ Yon are as good as a bntler *, . Assert yourself jbe a woman ; he an American citiaen !” All in vain. The moment ihe door opens 1 ask for Lady De Wolfe in so timid a tone that I know Parker rbinks me the parlourmaid’s sister, who has rung the visitor’s bell by mistake. Dawson, our butler at Smith’s private hotel, wields the same blighting influence on our Republican spirits acousto ; ed to the soft solioita tions of ths negro wai’er or the comfortable indifference of the .free-born American We never indulge in ordinary frivolous conversation when Dawson is serving ns at dinner. We “ talk up ” to Mm so far as we are able, and before we utter any remork we inquire mentally whether Dawson is likely to think it good form. . But the o'her afternoon I bad taken tea four times between five and seven o’clock, and went to the dinner table well stimulated and with something of my usual national nonchalance. Accordingly I maintailed throughout my dinner a lofty height of aristocratic elegance that im pressed . even the impassive Dawson, to wards whom, it was solely directed. To the amazement and amusement, of Salemina (who always takes my cheerful inanities at their face value), I gave a. hypothetical account of my afternooc enageroents, interlarding it so thickly with countesses and marchionesses and. lords and honourables that though Dawson has passed soup to duchesses, and scarcely over .handed a plate to anything less than a baroness,: ho diluted the customary scorn of bis glance, and made .it two parts condescending approval as it rested on me, Feneiope Hamilton, one of the great American working class (unlimited).