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    186 TWO CHAPTERS ABOUT ClM^WOMESNe

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    Chapter I. My Experiences Of The Class.

    for the latter ; girls whose best gowns , they did not call them . * 'dresses" in those dayslasted a fabulous number of years and

    , were then converted into quilts to last as long * again ; girls whose notions of respect and duty to their earthly masters and mistresses

    Were only held second , so says my mother , to their duty to God * It certainly does seem hard for her , now she is old , to look back

    on such servants as she talks about and reconcile herself to silks , flouncesveilsparasolsand crinoline .

    And , , thus , it fell out , , that so long as we were able to afford one solitary domestic of the modern school , there was war between

    her and my mother , despite my intervention , on every subject wherein the ways of the damsel differed from those of her

    predecessor of fifty years ago . Our house was a perfect pandemonium in consequence . My

    mother , accustomed to obedience , said it was not likely she should give in her own ways to these _new-fangled notions ; and the damsels ,

    for their name in a short , a very short time was legion , though we had them only one at once , tossed their heads at her old fashioned

    notions , and gave warning to leave that day month . It was almost a relief to me when circumstances at length

    compelled us to give up our single servant , and be contented only with a charwoman to wash on Mondays and clean on Saturdays . I

    reflected with immense satisfaction , that under the new arrangement there must be peace sometimes . If my mother should even

    alternately instruct and find fault with the occasional " help" for two days in the weekand then occupy two more in commenting * on

    , her delinquencies , I should still gain materially ; for four days of grumbling -would be better than six , not to mention the absence of

    that gay Sabbath attire which used to be so offensive to the dear old lady ' s eyes .

    The first individual who filled the post of charwoman , pulled the same way as my motherorat any rate , never contradicted her ;

    and , poor thing ! her clothing , , was not likely to offend , for it was all too scanty and we were fain to eke it out by the gift of sundry

    cast-off , but yet more substantial garments than she possessed . Poor Mary ! she was bravely fighting to keep her little children

    from , the stain , as she deemed it , of pauperhood , during a season when work was scarce and the willing hands of the good man at

    home were lying idly across his lap for want of something * to do . So he was in the house minding the youngsters , and feeling his

    compulsory idleness far greater evil , both for soul and body , than the heaviest labor ; while his cheerful little partner took her turn

    at bread-winning , and washed and scrubbed , early and late , to earn her shilling a day .

    For two months we quite exulted in the possession of a treasure . Mary was cleanlyindustriouscarefulshe understood the need for

    , , , thrift , and respectful enough to win my mother ' s approval . She

    was the daughter of Irish . people , and herself , _feam in the green

    186 Two Chapters About Clm^Womesne

    186 TWO CHAPTERS ABOUT ClM _^ _WOMESNe

• Citation
  • English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), May 1, 1860, page 186, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01051860/page/42/