第53章 SHALL WE BE RUINED BY CHINESE CHEAP LABOUR?(4)

Some gals when you ring the bell come up looking so disagreeable,one almost wishes one didn't want them.'

"'Well,it ain't a thing,'explains Emma,'as makes you want to burst out laughing,'earing the bell go off for the twentieth time,and 'aving suddenly to put down your work at,perhaps,a critical moment.

Some ladies don't seem able to reach down their 'at for themselves.'

"'I 'ope you are not impertinent,'says the lady;'if there's one thing that I object to in a servant it is impertinence.'

"'We none of us like being answered back,'says Emma,'more particularly when we are in the wrong.But I know my place ma'am,and I shan't give you no lip.It always leads to less trouble,Ifind,keeping your mouth shut,rather than opening it.'

"'Are you fond of children,'asks my lady.

"'It depends upon the children,'says Emma;'there are some I 'ave 'ad to do with as made the day seem pleasanter,and I've come across others as I could 'ave parted from at any moment without tears.'

"'I like a gal,'says the lady,'who is naturally fond of children,it shows a good character.'

"'How many of them are there?'says Emma.

"'Four of them,'answers my lady,'but you won't 'ave much to do except with the two youngest.The great thing with young children is to surround them with good examples.Are you a Christian?'asks my lady.

"'That's what I'm generally called,'says Emma.

"'Every other Sunday evening out is my rule,'says the lady,'but of course I shall expect you to go to church.'

"'Do you mean in my time,ma'am,'says Emma,'or in yours.'

"'I mean on your evening of course,'says my lady.''Ow else could you go?'

"'Well,ma'am,'says Emma,'I like to see my people now and then.'

"'There are better things,'says my lady,'than seeing what you call your people,and I should not care to take a girl into my 'ouse as put 'er pleasure before 'er religion.You are not engaged,I 'ope?'

"'Walking out,ma'am,do you mean?'says Emma.'No,ma'am,there is nobody I've got in my mind--not just at present.'

"'I never will take a gal,'explains my lady,'who is engaged.Ifind it distracts 'er attention from 'er work.And I must insist if you come to me,'continues my lady,'that you get yourself another 'at and jacket.If there is one thing I object to in a servant it is a disposition to cheap finery.'

"'Er own daughter was sitting there beside 'er with 'alf a dozen silver bangles on 'er wrist,and a sort of thing 'anging around 'er neck,as,'ad it been real,would 'ave been worth perhaps a thousand pounds.But Emma wanted a job,so she kept 'er thoughts to 'erself.

"'I can put these things by and get myself something else,'she says,'if you don't mind,ma'am,advancing me something out of my first three months'wages.I'm afraid my account at the bank is a bit overdrawn.'

"The lady whispered something to 'er daughter.'I am afraid,on thinking it over,'she says,'that you won't suit,after all.You don't look serious enough.I feel sure,from the way you do your 'air,'says my lady,'there's a frivolous side to your nature.'

"So Emma came away,and was not,on the whole,too sorry.""But do they get servants to come to them,this type of mistress,do you think,Mrs.Wilkins?"I asked.

"They get them all right,"said Mrs.Wilkins,"and if it's a decent gal,it makes a bad gal of 'er,that ever afterwards looks upon every mistress as 'er enemy,and acts accordingly.And if she ain't a naturally good gal,it makes 'er worse,and then you 'ear what awful things gals are.I don't say it's an easy problem,"continued Mrs.

Wilkins,"it's just like marriages.The good mistress gets 'old of the bad servant,and the bad mistress,as often as not is lucky.""But how is it,"I argued,"that in hotels,for instance,the service is excellent,and the girls,generally speaking,seem contented?The work is hard,and the wages not much better,if as good.""Ah,"said Mrs.Wilkins,"you 'ave 'it the right nail on the 'ead,there,sir.They go into the 'otels and work like niggers,knowing that if a single thing goes wrong they will be bully-ragged and sworn at till they don't know whether they are standing on their 'ead or their 'eels.But they 'ave their hours;the gal knows when 'er work is done,and when the clock strikes she is a 'uman being once again.

She 'as got that moment to look forward to all day,and it keeps 'er going.In private service there's no moment in the day to 'ope for.

If the lady is reasonable she ain't overworked;but no 'ow can she ever feel she is her own mistress,free to come and go,to wear 'er bit of finery,to 'ave 'er bit of fun.She works from six in the morning till eleven or twelve at night,and then she only goes to bed provided she ain't wanted.She don't belong to 'erself at all;it's that that irritates them.""I see your point,Mrs.Wilkins,"I said,"and,of course,in a house where two or three servants were kept some such plan might easily be arranged.The girl who commenced work at six o'clock in the morning might consider herself free at six o'clock in the evening.What she did with herself,how she dressed herself in her own time,would be her affair.What church the clerk or the workman belongs to,what company he keeps,is no concern of the firm.In such matters,mistresses,I am inclined to think,saddle themselves with a responsibility for which there is no need.If the girl behaves herself while in the house,and does her work,there the contract ends.The mistress who thinks it her duty to combine the roles of employer and of maiden aunt is naturally resented.The next month the girl might change her hours from twelve to twelve,and her fellow-servant could enjoy the six a.m.to six p.m.shift.But how do you propose to deal,Mrs.Wilkins,with the smaller menage,that employs only one servant?""Well,sir,"said Mrs.Wilkins,"it seems to me simple enough.