“Well, I have a good deal to do, and Marta is in one sense a treasure, though, at the same time, I can see that many people would not get along with her. Her good qualities seem to be cleanliness (although she is not tidy), and an ambition to be a good cook; but for general work she needs constant watching and telling. Still, annoying as that is, I do not know that one can expect more in a girl like her than willingness to do the work laid out for her. If I were paying for trained service, I should be dissatisfied; but there are few trained girls who will undertake general work.” “That seems to me a matter of course. A girl who is anxious to rise is one who will try to learn how to do it, and it would be hard if one expected her to remain always in an inferior position. If we do that, I think we remove the strongest incentive to good work—the ambition to better herself. I think it is the general lack of such ambition among girls, the non-recognition of it as one of the conditions of service by ladies, that makes the great difference between our English servants and those here.” “I am sure you are right,” said Molly; “and that seems to me the true solution of the servant difficulty. Young girls must learn that high wages and lighter work are to be attained by proficiency; that they can look on first places, where low wages only ought to be expected, as apprenticeships, and every succeeding one to be a step higher toward the comfortable and well-paid position an accomplished servant of any branch ought to be able to command. But this is something that depends on the ladies themselves. So long as they pay the competent and incompetent nearly alike, and do not insist on testimonials, not only as to respectability and temper, but _proficiency_ in duties undertaken, there is not much encouragement to an ambitious girl, or at least she sees she can get along without making special effort, and that, if she does make it, she will meet with the discouraging fact that she is in competition with those who have made no effort.” “Still, one would think that is a thing that would cure itself. Every one would rather pay competent servants than incompetent.” “Of course, if they know it. But when two girls come well recommended, how can you or I tell which is the really competent one, if, as is often the case, a good-natured lady has taken her servant’s good qualities, her amiability and willingness, more into account than the efficient discharge of her duties? I have kept my eyes wide open on this subject, and find that a neat-looking, willing girl will nearly always keep a place, even if not competent for its duties, and be well recommended when she leaves; not, as justice demands, recommended for the qualities she actually has, but also for general competence.” Mrs. Welles looked slyly at Molly. “And what character would you give Marta?”