“A girl prepared for her work in this way, would feel a self-reliance that would tend very much to keep her from letting herself down to anything low. She would also be in a condition to make, what is called, ‘her own terms’ with her mistress. By this, I do not mean to ask for high wages,—there is no fault to be found with the amount of wages given at the present day; but to ask for those privileges, without which a servant cannot long continue to keep herself respectable. I will tell you what I think a girl, who could faithfully perform her part of the contract, would be justified in asking.
“1st. That she might have as much of the Sunday to herself as the general arrangements of the household would permit. The commandment which tells us all to ‘remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy,’ has especially said that servants are to rest on that day. No one is likely long to go on right who has no time to read the Bible—that great chart intended to guide us through life,—without time to attend the public means of grace, and without leisure to prepare for that world where the serving and the served must stand side by side, to give up their account to the great Master and Judge of all.
“2d. She has a right to ask for the punctual payment of her wages on the quarter-day.
“3d. She has a right to ask that some little portion of the day may be considered her own time. The precise time must depend upon the habits of the family. Generally, after eight o’clock in the evening would be convenient; but when the dinner-hour is late, and much company is kept, some other hour must be fixed. Sometimes—with nurses, for instance—it has been found better to let them take all the needlework time, on one or two days of the month, for their own work. Some time there must be, or a servant cannot do credit to her place, by keeping herself neat and respectable. But the time should never be stolen: a mistress pays for time, and it is her right. There must be a distinct understanding between the mistress and servant; and I do not hesitate to say, from my own experience, that such an arrangement would be found mutually advantageous.”
After the meeting was over, several little groups might be seen in various parts of the room, engaged in earnest conversation. I heard one of them say it was “a sight clearer to her than ever it had been before.”
About two years after this conversation, a woman called at my house, one morning, bringing her two daughters with her, apparently about seventeen or eighteen years of age. I remembered she had formerly attended our meeting, but she had since removed from the immediate neighbourhood. After the first inquiries had passed, she said—
“I don’t know whether you remember, ma’am, about two years ago you talked to us at the Mothers’ Meeting, one evening, all about servants and missuses, and such like. I was there, and these two girls. We had been puzzling ourselves a deal, for some time before, to know what was best to do; and we understood what you said, and liked it; and it seemed to make us see things better than we had ever done before. I had heard of some places for them; but we were afraid they would be overworked, and all that. As we were going home, the girls said they would try for it: they didn’t want to be ‘gingerbread people,’ either. So they took heart, and went to work, and they have been hard at it ever since. They ar’n’t very stout, you see, ma’am; for they’ve had plenty of work, and none too much to live upon. But she’s a cook (pointing to the eldest), and I’ll be bound no master’ll ever send for her to say she’s spoiled his dinner; and she’s been in the nursery (pointing to the youngest), and learned to do needlework well, as I can shew you (producing a piece of work). There, ma’am, ar’n’t that something like it should be? She won’t have to bargain for what she can’t do, that’s certain.”
There stood these two girls, looking rather pale and worn, but by no means unhappy. They were very plainly, though neatly, dressed; for no finery could have been afforded out of the small wages which they had received. There was dignity about them, arising from a feeling of conscious worth, and a sense that they were not simply asking for employment as a favour: they were prepared honourably and truthfully to give back in labour, the value of what they received in board and wages. The contract would be advantageous to both parties, proving that our wise and kind Father has allowed and designed all these distinctions for good; that, by mutual dependence, we may be led to cherish those feelings of respect and regard for each other which are the strongest cement of society.
“For the body (of society) is not one member, but many.
“And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of thee.”