English essays -- 19th century; Great Britain -- Social life and customs; London (England) -- Description and travel
There, Mrs. Toddles, what do you think of that, and did you ever? Well,
no, Mrs. Doddles. Upon my word now, Mrs. T., I don't think I ever did.
A respectable young woman--as head kitchen-maid--under a man-cook, will
only take a place in a very good family, where she can improve, and
stay two years. Just note up the conditions, Mrs. Toddles, mum, if you
please, mum, and THEN let us see:--
1. This young woman is to be HEAD kitchen-maid, that is to say there is
to be a chorus of kitchen-maids, of which Y. W. is to be chief.
2. She will only be situated under a man-cook. (A) Ought he to be
a French cook; and (B), if so, would the lady desire him to be a
Protestant?
3. She will only take a place in a VERY GOOD FAMILY. How old ought the
family to be, and what do you call good? that is the question. How
long after the Conquest will do? Would a banker's family do, or is
a baronet's good enough? Best say what rank in the peerage would be
sufficiently high. But the lady does not say whether she would like a
High Church or a Low Church family. Ought there to be unmarried sons,
and may they follow a profession? and please say how many daughters; and
would the lady like them to be musical? And how many company dinners a
week? Not too many, for fear of fatiguing the upper kitchen-maid; but
sufficient, so as to keep the upper kitchen-maid's hand in. [N.B.--I
think I can see a rather bewildered expression on the countenances of
Mesdames Doddles and Toddles as I am prattling on in this easy bantering
way.]
4. The head kitchen-maid wishes to stay for two years, and improve
herself under the man-cook, and having of course sucked the brains (as
the phrase is) from under the chefs nightcap, then the head kitchen-maid
wishes to go.
And upon my word, Mrs. Toddles, mum, I will go and fetch the cab for
her. The cab? Why not her ladyship's own carriage and pair, and the head
coachman to drive away the head kitchen-maid? You see she stipulates for
everything--the time to come; the time to stay; the family she will
be with; and as soon as she has improved herself enough, of course the
upper kitchen-maid will step into the carriage and drive off.
Well, upon my word and conscience, if things are coming to THIS pass,
Mrs. Toddles and Mrs. Doddles, mum, I think I will go up stairs and get
a basin and a sponge, and then down stairs and get some hot water; and
then I will go and scrub that chalk-mark off my own door with my own
hands.
It is wiped off, I declare! After ever so many weeks! Who has done it?
It was just a little round-about mark, you know, and it was there
for days and weeks, before I ever thought it would be the text of a
Roundabout Paper.
ON BEING FOUND OUT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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