A Dutiful Servant.

Otago Witness, Issue 1934, 19 March 1891, Page 37

A Dutiful Servant.

So many servants are indifferent to their duties that it is pleasant to hear of one who obeys instructions faithfully and to the letter. A lady who liveß in one of the suburbs has such a servant. Her husband had been away from' home for several weeks, and the servant was engaged during his absence. He returned one day unexpectedly and it was on this occasion that the new servant's fine sense of duty manifested itself so decidedly. ■ The lady went out after dinner, leaving the servant alone in the house, and eaid to her on departing : " Now, Sarah, please remember that we never buy anything of agents or pedlars, or of any one at the door, and do not,- on any. account, let strangers come into the hottsV' " I will not, rfca'am," replied Sarah firmly. An hour later the front door bell rang. Sarah went to the door. There stood a stranger, gripbag in hand. Nodding carelessly to the servant, he was about to enter, when Sarah braced herself firmly in the doorway, and said, "Go back 1 " " Why, girl," he said in surprise and indignation, " what do you mean 1 " "What do you mean by trying to poke yourself into folks' houses 1 Oh, you needn't glare at me like that. I aint afeerd of ye 1 " Too angry and too much amazed to offer •any explanation, the gentleman said, sternly, Stand aßide and let me pass 1 " An umbrella and cane rack stool in the hall by the girl's side, and seizing a heavy cane she brandished it bravely, saying as she did so, " You try to cone in here if you dare 1 I aint afeerd of ye!" Conscious cf the ludicrous, undignified appearance he presented, standing*on his own doorstep with a servant girl brandishing a cane over his head, the master of the house, for he it was, decided to capitulate. " Where is your mistress 1 " he asked. " She aint at home, and she said for me Inot to let nobody in while she was gone, and aint goin' to," replied the girl, doggedly. "But, my good girl," replied the gentleman, his sense of humour overcoming his anger, "lam Mr H — , the husband of your mistress. Now, may I come in, please 1 " Not at all abashed by this information, tbe girl stepped aside, saying in a tone of comical condescension, " Well, if you're him I s'pose you can come in." — Exchange.