In many large and well-to-do households in this country only one maid, the
"girl for general housework" is engaged, the mistress and her daughters
assisting with the lighter parts of the work. In such case each must have
a certain definite portion of the daily duties and be responsible for its
performance. Very few maids are capable enough to do all the work of a
good sized family without assistance, even though the linen be sent to the
laundry.
The One Maid.--Where but one maid is kept she must rise early and put in a
couple of hours' work before breakfast, airing the house and perhaps
putting in order and dusting the living rooms, then preparing breakfast.
She will probably serve it unless everything is put on the table, in which
case she may busy herself in the kitchen, washing the rougher dishes used
in preparing the meal. The mistress of each household must make out her
own schedule for the week, according to the convenience of the family.
The maid is supposed to have her dress changed by three o'clock. She will
wear a simple but neat cotton gown about her work, mornings; in the
afternoon she will put on a black dress with white apron, collar and
cuffs. She is expected to keep a clean apron in the kitchen to slip on if
summoned to the door before luncheon. She should never answer the bell
with her sleeves rolled up. The mistress provides the white apron with
shoulder pieces, the linen cuffs and collar worn by the maid of all work
in the afternoon and evening. These are the mistress's property, remaining
in the family through the changes of servants. So many girls object to the
cap that it is seldom seen save in very formal establishments. If worn,
the mistress furnishes it.
[780 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]
Instructing the Maid.--If the mistress finds her maid's education in her
duties is deficient, she should teach her to open the door wide, as if the
visitor were welcome; to have her tray ready to receive cards; to be
informed as to whether the mistress is at home or not that she may answer
the visitor's inquiry at once. She is to usher the visitor into the
drawing room or parlor, take the card to her mistress and return to say
that "Mrs. Blank will be down in a few minutes," never alluding to her
mistress as "she," as some ill-trained girls do.
If a lady who keeps but one maid entertains at all she must instruct the
girl in the proper serving of meals. In the first place, everything that
is necessary for the service must be ready; there must be no getting out
of extra silver or china at the last moment, with its upsetting confusion.
The menu must be so carefully planned that most of the food to be served
can be prepared beforehand. For a six o'clock company dinner, the soup may
be hot in the kettle; the fowl or joint in the oven; the entree waiting
the finishing touches on the back of the range, the vegetables in the
warmer, and the dessert in the ice-box. All the china and silver being in
readiness and the table properly laid, the maid slips into her black dress
and apron, and presents herself at the drawing-room door, announcing
"Dinner' is served."
The Maid's Serving.--The guests being seated, she brings in the soup
tureen, uncovers it, taking the cover to the pantry as she goes for the
hot soup plates. She then stands at the left of the mistress with a tray,
covered with a doily, in her left hand, a folded napkin under the tray;
takes the soup plates as they are filled, passing them to the left of each
guest, taking the plate from the tray with the right hand. She then
removes the tureen. Removing the plates she takes them from the left side
of the guest. The roast is brought in and served in the same manner as the
soup; the vegetables are passed, each guest helping himself from the dish.
The salad is usually served on the plates upon which it has been arranged.
After the salad the table is cleared and the crumbs brushed with a napkin
upon a plate or tray, and the dessert brought on for the hostess to serve,
The latter starts the little dishes of bonbons or salted nuts on their
travels, guests passing them along.
Chocolate is a good beverage to serve on such occasions; it can be made in
the morning, or even the day before, and heated without in the least
impairing its quality.
Given a capable, willing girl, one anxious to learn and not too
self-conscious, a woman may entertain two or three or four guests very
adequately if she will plan her menu carefully and see, personally, that
everything is in readiness. She should, however, avoid any
overelaboration. Better a simple meal well prepared and served than a more
pretentious one that fails in these particulars.
[MANNERS AND SOCIAL CUSTOMS 781]
Duties of Waitress and Cook.--Where two maids are kept they are waitress--
"second girl" or "housemaid," sometimes so-called--and cook. The
housemaid--we will so style her--opens and airs the house and dusts and
arranges the rooms before breakfast. She serves the breakfast, clears the
table and washes the dishes taken from it. She then proceeds to the
bedrooms, putting them in order, dusting, making beds, etc. She will
probably have fine lingerie waists, etc., to wash and iron on certain
mornings. She does the sweeping, unless there is a man to take out and
beat the rugs, and wipes up hardwood floors. She must clean the silver
once a week and rub up brass; keep the pantries in order, clean the
bathrooms, wait on table, answer the bell, both the door bell and her
mistress's bell, and usually assist the latter in dressing. She is
expected to do part of the family mending, keeping table linen and bed
linen in good condition, and in some households is expected to wash and
iron the napkins and dish-towels, unless a laundress is employed.
The Cook's Work.--The cook must prepare the meals, and put the food into
the proper dishes and these in the pantry, ready for the waitress, who is
not expected to enter the kitchen during the service of a meal. She washes
the dishes used in the kitchen and the meat dishes from the table; she
must keep the kitchen and its adjuncts, including back stairs,
refrigerator, back porch and closet in order. Her mistress plans the meals
with her, and she is expected to make good and economical use of
left-overs. She often does the ordering by telephone, and sees to the
milk, ice, etc., as they are delivered.
Should Understand Duties.--Most of the difficulties between servants arise
from misunderstanding of and friction about their respective duties. It is
best to have a definite and thorough understanding as to the work expected
of each before engaging her. Both cook and housemaid have one afternoon
and one evening each week and every other Sunday afternoon. When one is
off duty the other must necessarily assume part of her work. Some
mistresses allow a girl the afternoon and evening of one day; others give
one afternoon, and the evening of another day, requiring the cook to
return to prepare dinner on her "day" and the maid to come back to serve
it on hers. If afternoon and evening go together the cook is expected to
leave everything in readiness for the evening meal; the cook, on the
housemaid's day out, must wait upon the table.
Servants always respect a mistress who knows her rights, exacts them, and
respects her servant's rights. She should permit no familiarities; at the
same time she must not regard her household assistants as mere machines,
beyond her sympathy, Good mistresses make good servants.
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The Nurse.--The nurse must wash and dress the children; keep their clothes
in order, washing and ironing the finer articles; eat with them, keep the
nursery in order; sleep in the room, or in a room adjoining them with the
door open, and take care of them when they are ill. A nursery governess
teaches them, and is excused from the laundry work and from keeping the
nursery in order.
The mistress who can conduct her domestic menage with two servants only is
usually better served and with less friction than where more are employed.
Rarely can three servants get on harmoniously. The more servants there
are, unless there is a housekeeper, the more shirking there is, and the
more waste and extravagance.