+--+------------+-------------+---------+--------+--------------+----------- A | B | C | D | E | F | G +--+------------+-------------+---------+--------+--------------+----------- 1 |Wittwe |Dienstmagd |Den 20ten|Den 2ten|Veränderung |Gesehen |Auguste | | Oktober | Januar | halber. | |Knoblauch | | 1901 | 1902 | Betragen |(_Place and | | | | | gut |date, with | | | | | |official | | | | | |stamp and | | | | | |signature_) | | | | | | 2 |Boretzky, |Dienstmädchen|Den 2ten |Den 2ten|Wird entlassen|Gesehen |Restaurant | | Februar | Oktober| weil ihr | |zur Post, | | 1902 | 1904 | Benehmen mir |(_Place and |Bärenstrasse| | | | nicht mehr |date, with |2 | | | | passt. Sonst |official | | | | | fleissig und |stamp and | | | | | ehrlich |signature_) +--+------------+-------------+---------+--------+--------------+----------- It will be seen that the characters given tell nothing about a servant's qualities and knowledge; while the vague complaint that Anna Schmidt's behaviour no longer suited her mistress might mean anything or nothing. In this case it meant that a son of the house had annoyed the girl with his attentions, and she had in consequence treated him with some brusquerie. But ten minutes' talk with a lady who knows the best and the worst of a servant is worth any _Dienstbuch_ in Germany. And when English servants write to the _Times_ and ask to have the same system here, I always wonder how they would like their failings sent with them from place to place in black and white; every fresh start made difficult, and every bad trait recorded against them as long as they earn their daily bread.