University of Virginia Library

1. CHAPTER I.
THE CONSULTATION.

“My dear,” said Mrs. Harley to her husband
one morning, “I have been thinking we
had better make a change in our domestic department.
Nancy, I find, is getting quite impertinent;
she wants to go out one afternoon
every week, and that, in addition to her nightly
meetings, is quite too much. Shall I settle
with her to-day and dismiss her?”

“Why, wife,” said Mr. Harley, “you really
astonish me. This changing of help is enough
to make one wearied of living. Nancy is a
very good girl, for aught I can see. I am sure
she is an excellent cook, and you had better
take into the account how much you would

miss her in arranging your supper-table now
and then, and her economical habits in the use
of every article, not excepting wood, wherein
she has saved full half her wages the present
winter.”

“Oh, husband, you know nothing about her.
To be sure, she is careful about some things,
and methodical and neat, I will allow; but
she wants too many privileges. There must
be a fortnight every year set apart for visiting
her mother, and that hateful aunt, that plagued
us so last summer with `coming down' to do
her shopping, as she called it. Besides, there
is Friday evening for the lecture, and she is
not always as pleasant as you take her to be
when you are out of the house. I only wish
you had to manage one week in-doors. I suspect
making out invoices and examining bales
of merchandise would be easy work compared
with it. But tell me, had I not better dismiss
Nancy before we give our party? There is a
fine housekeeper who is about leaving Mrs.
Hunt, whom I could obtain for two dollars a
week, and with her I could get rid of overseeing
forever from morning till night. However,
I submit it to you whether she shall go

or not; I want to words as an afterpiece.
Say all now, just as you think.”

“As you ask my advice, my dear, I will
give it you; but you know, beforehand, you
will act as you please, notwithstanding. I
make it a rule with myself, when I obtain a
clerk who is honest and faithful, to overlook
the many disagreeables by steadily fixing my
eye upon the predominating good qualities,
and to retain him in my service. As there are
no faultless beings among the employers nor
the employed, I account it a good thing to be
forbearing—to overlook what we cannot avoid;
and when we do reprove, let it be done mildly,
yet firmly. I should try this course with Nancy,
and if she is really incorrigible and impudent,
I should dismiss her; if not, by all means
keep her; for our frequent changes of help
may lead people to call us very particular persons,
to say the least. As I have already remarked,
you can talk with Nancy, and if you
find her desirous of staying, I would show a
disposition to retain her, for where there is
one better you would find many worse, as we
have had frequent experience.”

“I don't know about that, Mr. Harley. Susan

Miles was a great deal pleasanter tempered,
and kinder to little John. Ellen Sawyer
was very good, although she was slack;
and there are things I do not like in Nancy;
and as I have all, comparatively, to do with
her, I must say I am the better judge about her
good or bad qualities.”

“Well, wife, I see, after all, you mean to have
your own way. My place is in the store,
yours in the house; and I leave you to manage.
I will bring home some small notes at
dinner-time, and if Nancy has her dismission,
she can be paid and go, I suppose.”

Mr. Harley made his way to the store,
thankful, as we may infer, that he had one retreat
where the din of fault-finding was not
heard. As Nancy came up to take the breakfast
dishes, Mrs. Harley began to interrogate
her.

“I find, Nancy, of late, you require many
privileges. I have just been talking with husband,
and he thinks if we can keep together,
we had better; if not, we will separate. You
know your wages are high, and my demands
upon your time are proportionately so; if,
therefore, you can give up your weekly afternoon

visit and your visit yearly, and be content
to take care of little Johnny and do the
work when I am out, always laying the table
with one extra plate—provided husband brings
somebody home to dine—and do the other duties
about the house cheerfully and willingly,
why, you can stay with me; if not, I know a
most perfect housekeeper, whose services I
can obtain, and whose wages will be but a trifle
higher than yours; and with her I can
have all these requirements, besides many other
excellent things, such as my common sewing
done, little John's clothes cut, and Mr.
Harley's shirts made. This person does all
such things, Nancy, and you know these alone
would be a great saving to my time.”

Nancy stammered; she had not known but
that she gave satisfaction to her mistress; she
had endeavoured to do her duty, make herself
obliging, and earn her wages. This sudden
attack, therefore, almost overpowered her;
still, she commanded a little independence, and
made out to say, “If my services do not suit
you, Mrs. Harley, I will not stand in the way
of your getting better help; but if you require
me to give up my lecture and my visit to my

aged mother, I must tell you I cannot do these
things, because I look upon them as duties,
and most ladies would consider them as such.”

“Then it is of no use for us to try to keep
together,” said Mrs. Harley, quite piqued at
Nancy's last remark. “I will pay you this afternoon,
and you may look elsewhere for a
place. In the mean time, I will go out and secure
the woman I spoke of. I dare say she
will answer my purpose better.”

Thus was a faithful domestic “turned off,”
in the vain hope that a better could be obtained.