Never reprove Servants unless you are quite in a Good Temper; the best way to ensure which, is,—Never to Lecture them, till at least One Day after they have offended you.
Never forget to Commend them when they are Right; nothing can cherish the desire of pleasing in Them so effectually, as to shew them that you are pleased:—it is a much pleasanter, and a more effectual mode of proceeding, to Praise them into good conduct, than to Scold them out of bad.
There is a Perversity in poor human nature which sets itself against Correction, and is restive to reproof, but is pliant and yielding to the least expression of Kindness. Pride is like the Rust that seizes and stiffens the Spring of an Engine, and checks its motion, so that no force can set it to work; but Kindness is like Oil, which smooths the machinery in such a manner that the parts move almost of themselves. This Gentle method of dealing with our fellow-creatures is God’s own method of dealing with mankind, who “delighteth not in the Death of a Sinner, but rather that he should turn from his Wickedness and Live;” and chooses rather to lead us to Repentance by his Goodness, than to drive us to it by his Wrath.
PUNCTUALITY
In a Coachman is indispensable,—if he has 15 or 20 Minutes’ notice that he will be wanted, there is no excuse for his not being ready by that time; for a regular Coachman gets his Harness and Carriage clean and ready to put to, early in the day.
In establishments where it is not known at what hour a Carriage will be wanted, but when it is, is wanted at a minute’s notice, the Horses are kept ready Harnessed.
Desire him always to be at your Door, Five Minutes before the time he is ordered, especially when ordered at an unusual hour;—when you are going out “on actual Service,” his being ready at the desired moment, is infinitely more important than when you are going out at the usual hour merely for Amusement. One Minute of Your Time, is often worth an Hour of His.
Tell your Coachman, that “The Oracle has declared that—He who sometimes comes Before the time he is ordered, manifests respect for his Employers and a laudable Anxiety to obey Orders.
“He who never comes till the Last Moment, presents presumptive evidence that he is disposed to do no more work than he is obliged to do.
“He who comes After the Time, would not come then, unless Fear flogged him: