Page 3 Advertisements Column 3

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 11935, 24 March 1914, Page 3

[ NOTES FOR WOMEN.

A GENTLEWOMAN IN SERVICE. — » — LIKED HER FELLOW-SERVANTS.' A Home paper gives the experience or a girl, originally of good position, who decided to be a servant. No oae need know, what she was doing, and'she need not use her own name So she got a friend, a doctor's wife, to give her a reference, and began. With her first mistress she made a good start: — I found a pretty little lady in a brand new Hat, just returned from her honeymoon, unpacking her wedding presents. She seemed to like me, and said she would write for references. Soon after .1 was installed as her servant. At first I felt very odd in cap and apron, though .1. took carp they should be pretty and becoming I could not. oolievo I was myself, and had to pull myself together and say, "Co straight on' with your work and don't think." I do not know why I found it so hard to "ma'am" or "madam." 1 tried first one and then the other. The first sounded so very Mary Annish and the latter so shoppy, and both seemed to stick'i:i my'throat, but I managed it at last, t had no difficulty with "sir"; it came out quite part. Success of the Social Failure. .1 made up my mind always to be very 1 polite, for L remembered how it annoy- ' ed my mother when the maids did not answer .her nicely. 1 think t succeeded, for 1 have been told my manners were sc "nice and ladylike." This I gleefully bottled up to tell my family, for it:-y manners have never been my strong point, being generally considered brusque, and 1 know I am a, social f:ull.vie, having the unfortunate knack ;-. t saying the wrong thing; in fact, as the Irishman said, " .1. never open my mouth without putting my foot in it." Waiting at table was fun, but it wis hard to keep a straight when it was hard to keep a straight face when anything tunny was said; indeed, at times, it was all 1 could do to keep from joiuiiig in the conversation. .1 quite enjoyed the morning work, sweeping a carpet was capital exercise, as good as punting, but scrubbing a lloor was better still, and. put me i;i such a glow! I. worried a little about my hands, but they were never much to boast of in my laziest days; anyhow, cold cream at night and careful manicuring kept ihem in order. The second day I longed to be out hi the fresh air, and asked my mistress for an hour off in the afternoon. Site kindly said 1 might go out of those afternoons when she was not home to fe..i, & as she seldom was at home then 1. hud I lonty of chances of getting about Loudon. On line days 1 found Kensington Gardens too fascinating to get beyond, but in wet weather 1 went to picture galleries and museums. I had very easy Sindavs, as Mr and Mrs A. always dined with parol.ts, and they also went away for frequent- week ends, so L •'•:- ---plop'd i.ondur 's beau ' i fill churches, an i hoard the services thereof Westminster Abbey was my special delight. Tirst Dinner Party. The lirsl dinner party was intluT a fiasco as far as I was concerned. I be- ■ gaii by polishing every corner ami pi va \ of silver in the iiai till it gleanie! ' again, but I fired myself out. and did j not leave time enough for the acta -.1 | oin nor prep.-rrat ions. 1 was seized with a panic when 1. found what, a long' time shelling peas the size of a pin's head and scraping very smali potatoes was going to lake. Now, of all the work 1 had to do the latter was what 1 most disliked; for one thing, it ilyed my fingers, and then the skin so often refused to come off. and had to be chipped. 1 bribed the younger porter to help me, but the creature was half tipsy, belaine familiar, and i had to turn -him out —eventually I. took the peas aud potatoes to the nearest greengrocer. 1 must say it was the only time any mill loasantness of that sort happened to me. Reward of Tact 1 made a. point of never showing 1 though!- mysed' superior To porters, charladies, or others 1. ' came across: i oust'ipionrly they were always polite and obliging This is a point I was an- >. ious about at file s-.art. but 1 need not have been. I have mixed lately a good deal wifh domestic servants, as an equal and like them so much better than I thought 1 should. Wedl. to return to the dinner part-/, I could not get everything ready in tim» anyhow, and when handling vegetables to madam, I asked her in a sepulchral whisper to linger as long as she could over the ducks as the pudding was not done. This the kind little soul did. and the pudding came in triumphant. But my troubles were not yet ove"\ ! placed the hot plates in front of the "master,'' and in drawing away tee serviette I held them with the phhes came too, and cascaded into the poor man 's lap. JI of. as they were, he caught them in his hands. "Well fielded," said one of the guests, and instead of helping him T was seized with a. laughing fit and had to rush out- of the room. How to Take a '' Tip When the first week-end. visitor came to stay 1 was filled with terror, for I wondered whatever I should feel like if he gave me a "tip." Should I blush and run away—or refuse it? Or ■what? This is what actually happened. On the Monday morning the kitchen door opened, the visitor quietly walked in, placed half-a-erown on the dresser, with "Good morning, Mary," and departed. I had just presence of mind to falter, "Thank you, sir," and then fled into my bedroom, stuffed a towel in my mouth, and rolled of bed in paroxysms of laughter. So much for my shame! I do not think T ever got really out of temper while there, perhaps because T worked pretty hard, anil was seldom found fault with. At the end of five months' I was wanted to look after an unmarried brother, so "tendered my resignation." I think my little lady was sorry to lose me; at least, she said so, and usually said little but meant it. After a time I was no longer necessary to my brother, and the call of London being again too strong for me, I answered other advertisements. I tried parlour work, among other things, but only stayed for short periods; either I did not like the mistress or she did not like me (generally the latter!). I had varied experiences— some amusing, some bitter, but all helpful to mo in many ways. Card Basket Clues. ' In getting into now quarters, about the first thing I did was to look through tho card basket to see if possibly there was anybody I knew'among the callers. Once I waited on my own cousin, but she had not seen me for ages, and did not look up, so it was all right. Next I looked at tho books there were about. They gave you a fair