CHOOSING A MISTRESS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 115, 29 April 1911, Page 3 (Supplement)

CHOOSING A MISTRESS.

KINDLY CONOE PENSION OF A GERMAN SERVANT.

Domestic servants are scarce in I laces other than New Zealand. A domestic servant at Heididlierg (Germany) advertised for a position as cook and innid-of-a’l-work. announcing that she would he glad to receive offers of employment in keeping with her special talents. Forty-five replies reached her. Forty were <at aside as i nworthy o k notice, either because of imnfficietit wages or liecause the wouldbe mistress lived in an ’ undesirable” locality, or higher than the second storv.

The ft vo ladies nn whom the servant decided to bestow her favour temporal dy receive! written notice that she would do herself the pleasure of calling oe the suc-eeding Sunday between two and four o’clock. She devoted the afternoon to informing herself as to the manner of living of each family, the regular period* at which rises in wages might be expertel, the amount of en-t-rtainiiig done, the character and value of gratuities and presents customarily given to servants, how mnnv li e evenings a month were allowed, end how long a summer holiday might L? exr<» ted. After imparting the desired information. the ladies wore informed that tlmir »ff*-rs world l.e taken into con-s-r’c atini; and de isiou notified by post. Four of t’-em got the- following note next morning: ”1 regret tn lie mmr«lled to inform yon that my choice has not fallen upon .yon.”