THE TOILERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 17 July 1890, Page 37

THE TOILERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD.

WHAT ANOTHER MISTRESS HAS TO SAY.

Dbab Alice,— To any one living in the country, as I do, it is a great pleasure to know what is going on in Dunedin, where I resided for some time. I have watched with interest during the past few weeks the correspondence going on regarding the servant girl question and the forming of a union. I am not a servant girl, but have been tuch in the Home Country, and my stay in the colonies is not much longer than that of "Materfamilias "herself. I do nut see any reason why the girls oannot have a union or sooietyof some kind, and get up a home with a registry offioe in connection with it, presided over by a matron, where they could get cheap board and lodgings, the same as [there is in connection with the Young Women's Christian Association in Glasgow, i feel .convinced that if some of the Dunedin ladteß, who are always ready to oome forward in any good cause, formed a committee, and got all the servant girls to become members success, would attend their efforts. By eaoh girl paying a few shillings a year she would be able to get cheap lodgings when out of a situation, and olean, comfortable, and well conducted as well, besides helping girls who had neither friends nor money. If the ladies took the matter up I am certain that all the respectable girls would go there for situations. It was merely by accident that I was obliged to find accommodation in the Young Women's Ohristisn Association rooms in Glasgow, and ever afterwards I "went no r where else. I could give you more details regarding the management, &c, but the above remarks will in the meantime be quite sufficient. I thought of bringing the matter before your notice Borne time ago, when I observed Borne remarks msdeby " Clvis' in Passing Notes, threatening to fill "Bridget's" place' in the kitchen with a Chinaman, as Mr Civis himself did not "savey" the lighting of the morning fire. I Now, Alice, Ido not think a servant's work here can be judged in same light as one in the Home Country, as a girl has not got the same conveniences to work with as there are at Home. I expect, as "Materfamilias "has the " home rule " in her household, she wjll have as near as possible to the Home wage ruling, which wjljl not work here. I will give you a case or two in point. Two girls parae out from Home a few years ago. Qrie had been in service, and got a good place at once at £35 per year. The other fell into the hands of a colonial housekeeper, and got so well trained by her that she was able to take a place in one of the best houses in Dunedin at the end of 18 monthß from her arrival, with a little over the above wage, Npw, this girl knew nothing whatever of housework till she went Info service i here. On the other hand,' l have had oqcasion to ! employ assistance at a busy time, and got a young colonial girl who had served in an hotel, and the i amount of work she went through simply astonished ' me, and she was (j thoroughly respectable girl. I have also found the daughters of working people here, who, for appearance, housekeeping, Ac, could fill the place of many of the Home ladle's and do their servants' work besides. Like " Middel-aged Servant," I think that both mistresses and servants ought to keep their own place more than they do, and I would remind the servant who has a mistress who has been raised from her own leval, that she has as much right to respect and conso'entlously serve her as the workman does manj of our well-to-do squatters and business men, who themselves have I risen from the " ranks, and are not ashamed to own it."-I am, &0., ' N*w Ohi/m. Waitaki, July 6. A MISTRESS' GRIEVANCES. Dbab Alice,— l had intended to write to you a few words on " Toilers of the Household." from a mistress' side, before, but have been too bmy. I consider both " Biddy'i " and "Betsy's" letters overdrawn. In all my experiences I have never known a mistress to be quite so hard, unfeeling, aud unjust as these girls make them out to be I certainly live in the country, and most of the mistresses I know do oo also ; nnd I believe girlß in the country are allowed a little more freedom than those in town. ' When I say town I mean a mile or so on the outskirts of a country town. The servant girls have stated their grievances, now I will state mine. I have a house of eight, rooms, but the largest is only used as a play-room for thechildron, of whom V lia«e five When I have a servant I haye to pay either 10s or 12s a week, and moat of the girls I have had have been not worth half that, for there is not one In a dozen who can cook deoentlv. One girl I had " baked " a piece of corned beef. Few of them wash well, although on washing days J get up and cook the breakfast and always tidy up all but the kitchen. Puddings or p'es I always have to make myself ; and then they take the whole day over a week's washing. If I want, the ironing done (finished I mean) before Friday night I have to do it myself ; and no servant that I keep, except I am ill, ever has to bath or dress the children, as I should feel inclined to trust but few girls with them. Only a few weeks ago a poor little child waß scalded to death through a nurse carelessly leaving hot water for its bath while she went for cold. Why could she not have got; cold first ? Any girl I have has a bedroom to herself, a decent, tidy kitchen (If she chooses to keep it so) j and all her meals are given her from our own table at the same time that we have our own, so that if her meals are cold it is her own fault. We breakfast at 7 ; and I usually bave to call her up In the morning at 6 a.m., whicb I oonaider rather hard after frequently being disturbed, and oiten kept awake, by my baby. Lunch at half-past 12 and dinner at from 6to half-past. After dinner I expect her to dear away and wash up the dinner things, glean her knives and the boots, and then the re^t of the evening la her own. Ido not care for a girl to stay up muoh after 10, as, if she Is up late at night she oannot rise in the morning. 1 When J tell you that I have been without a lervaat

for several months, and am doing with what' little help my two elder children give me before they go ' to school, as well as doing the sewing for us all, you will understand that the work cannot be very J hard j and yet I have so much trouble to get a neat ! tidy girl that I really prefer to do as well as I can alone. I forgot to say that I always allow my servant one evening a week, and every Sunday evening f6r church, and often a Sunday afternoon and evening. I have had the same woman come back to me for the situation three times, so that will tell you better than anything I can say that I am not a hard mistress, though I will have things done my way. I consider this not only an easy situation, but a comfortable home, and yet with all my kindness I have been shamefully treated by some girls. The last servants I have bad have been educated girls, daughters of tradesmen who have been obliged to go out to earn their own living, and if I could' meet with such a one now I should be very glad to have her. I could say a good deal more, but feel that I have already made my letter too long. What I chiefly complain of Ib want of consideration for us* mistresses on the part of most girla; they waste wood, candles, soap, &c, and when; spoken to about, it, call ub mean. Do they ever oonslder how hard Ib often Is for a master to keep his home and family in decent comfort f If they did they would understand better why a mistress is oareful over small things, for it is in the " small things " of a household that there Is frequently the most waste.— l am, dear Alice, youra, &c, S LA Oabbfux Matron.