They see their employers insincere, and copy
them. Many a mistress who has been smilingly assured by her maid
how much her dress becomes her, and how young she is looking, would
be thunderstruck to hear herself laughed at and criticised (none
too delicately) five minutes later in that servant's talk.
Servants are trained from their youth up to conceal their true
feelings. A domestic who said what she thought would quickly lose
her place. Frankly, is it not asking a good deal to expect a maid
to be very fond of a lady who makes her sit up night after night
until the small hours to unlace her bodice or take down her hair;
or imagine a valet can be devoted to a master he has to get into
bed as best he can because he is too tipsy to get there unaided?
Immortal "Figaro" is the type! Supple, liar, corrupt, intelligent,
- he aids his master and laughs at him, feathering his own nest the
while. There is a saying that "horses corrupt whoever lives with
them." It would be more correct to say that domestic service
demoralizes alike both master and man.
Already we are obliged to depend on immigration for our servants
because an American revolts from the false position, though he
willingly accepts longer hours or harder work where he has no one
around him but his equals. It is the old story of the free, hungry
wolf, and the well-fed, but chained, house-dog.
Pages:
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146