THE BOY IN THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 237, 30 June 1908, Page 5

THE BOY IN THE HOUSE.

Just at this moment when, trouble in the iake-houso is threatening the happiness of iVellington homes, " Donmiica " is pleased to De able to announce her. great discovery, that she has. found at last a .-"remedy for the servant difficulty. She fondly believes that in days far distant countless thousands mil bless the; benefactress who found for them a way through dark disorder, aiid brought them - 'into paths of; quiet comfort. - It is possible that the blessings will not-b'e unalloyed, but no matter. They will bo a long way off. If has been variously suggested' that as girls will not do housework, their duties should be entrusted to Chinese boys, to Japanese," to! highly-educated women, to soldiers,that co-operative kitchens should be established, or. that all the-work should be done .by municipal kitchens and laundries. " Dominica's" suggestion is much more simple and unexpected. Let all the work of the house bo entrusted to boys; and- it will be done as if by. magic, quickly, neatly,; and artistically. She made this great discovery on Sunday aftei'noon, when she went to tee how the 'boys of, tho Y.31.C.A. prepare.the Strangers' Tea that is given every Sunday evening after the four o'clock service.

" You really must corno and see how they do it," said a friend who had been there one Sunday, and had seen the work in progress. "The boys get the tea all by themselves, they set the tables and out the bread and generally make things look beautiful for their visitors without help from, anyone." The matron in chargo of the tea-room, which is on a lower floor, endorsed the visitor's comment. The tea is served at fivo o'clock, and " Dominica " thought she would bo in plenty of time to watch the preparations if sho went along about four, but that shoived she did not know the boys. Early as it was all the work was finished, and in the hrge upper room in the boys' department til- four long tables wore set for tea— bi -*;itifnlly arranged, with decorations' of sp:-:ng flowers as pretty as anyone could wish, each vase on a table mat of crepe paper with holly berry design, and by each plate a fo"--1 table napkin of prettily tinted paper. "Vorything was fresh and dainty, and ono felt sure that the seventy-six guests would thoroughly enjoy their tea. There aro thirteen boys whose duty it is to look after the tea, so many Jo. prepare it, and so many more to wash up, and; needless to say the washingup is not the.most popular,part of the entertainment. Everything is done in a systemafc way, and each :boy-has. his set work to do. One cuts the bread, another sets the plates, and so on, and " Dominica " can only repeat that if the Sunday tea is any test of a youth's qualifications for domestic work the Bolution. of the domestic difficulty is to ho found, as thn Americans say, " right here."