130 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



tain importance at a lady's house in London. 

 She had gone to the country, and I was unable 

 to acquit myself of my promise — simply be- 

 cause, on three several and separate occasions, 

 nobody appeared to answer the door ! 



A circumstance, which I will now relate, 

 deserves serious consideration. A servant, 

 in a country establishment, made herself the 

 terror of the servants' hall — from the stable- 

 keeper to the butler inclusive, by her violent 

 conduct and atrocious language. Her dismis- 

 sal was unanimously asked for, and granted. 

 Her father acquiesced in the justice of the 

 sentence ; adding that the fault complained 

 of prevented his keeping her at home ! Who 

 could foresee the next occupation of this gen- 

 tle creature ? Her former mistress shortly 

 afterwards recognised her in Hyde Park — 

 loith three little girls in her charge ! 



The present system is alike injurious to 

 all ; even to the servants themselves. To 

 the most undeserving, is given such a cha- 

 racter as will obtain her another situation. 

 The most deserving can get no more ; and in 

 case of sickness or want of employment, both 

 are alike subjected to the same hardships and 

 demoralising influences. I have recently 

 read some observations, which seem to me 

 most just. I cannot, however, follow the 

 writer's indulgent views as to dress, " follow- 

 ers," loud talking, laughing, &c. Too fond 

 of " finery," to consider the love of a gay 

 ribbon, or smart shawl, in the light of a 

 crime, (abstractedly considered); and al- 

 though I should be " indignant at any 

 imputation on my humanity, *' yet am 

 I free to confess, that I like to see ser- 

 vants neatly, tastefully, and well dressed ; 

 hut suitably to their position. Anything 

 beyond this is seldom, even respecting per- 

 sonal appearance, advantageous to them. It 

 is a snare in youth ; and in more advanced 

 age, those who have had every opportunity 

 of saving a poire contre la soif — a reserve in 

 old age, are driven (as one of themselves 

 emphatically said) to the washing-tub, or 

 char-ing, as I believe it is called. 



With respect to followers, loud talking, 

 &c, I think these are not consistent with 

 safety or comfort. Many houses are robbed, 

 not by the servants themselves, but by the 

 indiscriminate acquaintances they form ; and 

 in most families there are stated and reason- 

 ably frequent holidays. Holidays ! how many 

 poor clerks, and well-educated men scarcely 

 know the meaning of the word, although hav- 

 ing more severe labor and heavier responsi- 

 bilities to perform ! 



" Is it not a solecism in the working of our 

 Christianity, — a barbarism in the heart of our 

 civilisation, that two classes of human beings 

 — masters, and servants — subsisting in sin h 

 intimate relation, so mutually dependant on 

 each other, having such daily and hourly 



intercourse, should be entirely destitute of 

 mutual regard — should be in fact in a state 

 of mutual enmity ; the master putting no 

 trust in servants, and the servants regarding 

 the master or mistress as their natural 

 enemy ? It is the total absence of everything 

 like the love that ought to bind one human 

 being to another, which lies at the root of 

 the evil. Servants live in closer intimacy 

 with the members of families than the near- 

 est relations. They dwell under the same roof 

 for months, perhaps years. They scan and 

 know the character of each individual, as 

 neither lover nor friend can pretend to do ; 

 yet, with all this, there is no fellowship, no 

 identification of interest ! 



And what becomes of sick servants? No- 

 thing can be conceived more homeless, hope- 

 less, and forlorn, than their condition ! They 

 have no one to care for them ; they have be- 

 come strangers to the houses where they once 

 dwelt for months, or, it may be, for years. Is 

 it therefore any wonder, that they should 

 become hardened, neutralised, and thoroughly 

 demoralised, by the habit of changing from 

 place to place, until all idea of a perfect home 

 is lost, and seems to be an impossibility ? 



If we think of the close contact into which 

 this class comes with ourselves, our children, 

 — for try as we may, it is impossible to pre- 

 vent all communication — we may well shud- 

 der at the frightful evil lying within our very 

 doors, and to which the supine inditierence 

 and selfish indolence of those who stand to- 

 wards them in the responsible position of 

 masters and mistresses, have conduced. The 

 grand thing required in our social relation 

 with our servants, is, that they shall not feel 

 themselves isolated — with no interest in the 

 family, and no atrection or human feeling ex- 

 pected from them, none felt towards them ; 

 nothing required from them except their work. 

 Nobody can conceive the desolating effect of 

 such a position, unless they have tried it. The 

 better part of human nature cannot flourish 

 under such circumstances — and does not. The 

 servants on the continent look at their mas- 

 ters' family with a very different feeling to 

 what they do in England ; they feel bound 

 up and identified with them. They feel mem- 

 bers of the family ; their manners are more 

 pleasing, and their tone altogether superior." 

 Ladies who venture to make observations on 

 what passes around them, must expect to be 

 now and then reminded of their spinning- 

 wheel, or its modern equivalent. But this 

 abuse is, surely, peculiarly within a woman's 

 province, to remedy ; and one, which it is 

 not only an interest but a duty to do all in 

 her power to amend. 



FORESTIERA. 



[It is somewhat curious, that our amiable 

 correspondent should have been impressed 

 with the importance of this subject, at the 



