University of Virginia Library

2. CHAPTER II.
HIRING A HOUSEKEEPER.

The door-bell rang at Mrs. Hunt's, and Mrs.
Harley was announced as wishing to speak
with Mrs. Hopkins the housekeeper. Presently
a tall, rather genteelly-attired middle-aged
female entered. Her face was not altogether
prepossessing, for she had a terrible squint
and an occasional scowl; besides, she wore a
large mourning-ring on her forefinger, and
seemed very much at home in the parlour.
But Mrs. Harley called on business, and etiquette
required no preface with a housekeeper.
“I hear,” said Mrs. Harley, “that you are
about leaving Mrs. Hunt, and she has recommended
me to secure your services, if possible;
she gives you an excellent character for
faithfulness, honesty, and capability. Now as
I have had those in my employ entirely destitute
of all these last qualities, I am desirous of
procuring you without delay to superintend
my family. The work is light, the house very

convenient and pleasant; we have but little
company, live very plain, and a good, systematic
housekeeper would have full half the
time to herself. In such a place, what wages
would you expect, Mrs. Hopkins?”

“I suppose you have a girl `to wait and
tend,' and a man to make the fires?” said the
experienced housekeeper.

“Oh no,” said Mrs. Harley; “my husband
would not have so many people about. A
man I detest myself. They are in the way
in small families more than their services are
worth. I make it a point to do nearly all for
my little boy myself. Mr. Harley does his
own waiting, and we have never kept but one
girl.”

“Then,” said the housekeeper, “I should not
like to engage. I have the offer of three good
places now. Mrs. Ogle sent for me yesterday:
she keeps a man, two girls, and a washerwoman,
and has only three in the family. She offers
me every privilege and three dollars a
week for my services. Mrs. Perkins does the
same; and in either of those places my work
would only consist of a simple oversight of
the establishment. Besides, they travel during

the summer, and the houses are both kept
open, and I can have access to everything—”

Here the delightful conversation was ended
by a violent coughing-fit which seized Mrs.
Hopkins, and terminated a recital of her high
expectations.

Now was the time for Mrs. Harley to improve
or lose the opportunity of securing the
treasure of an experienced housekeeper. She
saw that she was reduced to the necessity of
getting two instead of one to supply faithful
Nancy's place, and it might be that even three
would not do it! It occurred to her, very luckily,
that she could obtain a child for her “victuals
and clothes” (as the homely phrase is),
who would answer “to wait and tend;” and
as these were expenses she should not feel, it
seemed practicable to engage Mrs. Hopkins.
The wages were enormous. “Nancy did all
for ten and sixpence,” echoed in her ears; and
fearing a re-echo from Mr. Harley, she demurred
about the wages, and finally it was
agreed that the house should be kept by Mrs.
Hopkins for the sum of two dollars and a half
per week, provided extra help should be furnished,
and yet other assistance on washing

days, party nights, &c. Mrs. Hopkins was to
be installed in her new home the next week.

Mrs. Harley returned home, and finding
herself rather premature in her dismissal of
Nancy, overcame her natural dislike of yielding,
and begged her to stay till the aforesaid
housekeeper should enter upon her duties, it
being conceded that it might be a mutual accommodation.

It was now dinner-time. Mr. Harley came
home with rather a lengthened visage; perhaps
some little incident in a business transaction
had ruffled his temper; perhaps he
dreaded continual changes at home! At any
rate, it was an unguarded moment to consult
with him respecting such a movement. Married
ladies should never consult their husbands
upon important changes when their spirits
are disturbed by vexatious out-door proceedings.
Mrs. Harley had not learned this.
She accordingly gave a spring with little John,
whom she held in her arms in the nursery, as
she heard the door open, and, seating herself
in the dining-room, she began: “Oh, husband,
I have talked with Nancy, and she says she
cannot give up her lectures and her visits, &c.

The long and short of the story is, that she
is going away—not this afternoon, so don't
scowl so; but when Mrs. Hopkins comes, and
that will be next Friday—one week hence;
and after dinner I want you to go with me to
the society where they keep poor children
`to let or give away,' if people want them,
and we will select a little girl, one that can
take care of little Johnny, and do a great deal
of light work, for Mrs. Hopkins has not been
accustomed to that. She has had the offer of
ever so many places where they keep men,
and women, and children, and she could get
high wages just for an oversight in such places,
so I know she is a first-rate housekeeper;
and I thought we had better begin with her indulgently;
and I promised to get a girl to assist,
which, you know, will really be a great
service to us.”

“And what wages,” inquired Mr. Harley,
“does the new housekeeper require? As she
is to assume the character of mistress,” he said,
rather sarcastically, “I suppose she expects
high remuneration?”

“Only two dollars and a half a week, husband!
Do you think that high, considering

how much sewing she is to do? Besides, she
will prepare nearly all for our party; she is
excellent at blanc-mange, custards, and ices;
she dresses ham beautifully, can make as good
chicken-salad as Ude himself, and scallops oysters
to a nicety. Now, considering all these
things, is it not better to pay a little more, and
have one person do all?”

“These are all expectations, Mary; perhaps
the reality will prove that she is not as
good as Nancy, after all. I have seen people
highly recommended who proved no better on
that account; and I must say, I think we shall
go on rather extravagantly.” A fortune in a
wife, and a fortune with a wife, are not synonymous
terms, thought Mr. Harley.

There are men in the world who are willing
to yield to their wives a carte blanche as
to expenses and in-door management for a
time, to show them their own incompetency
for the charge, even though they be sufferers
thereby: such a one was Mr. Harley. They
accordingly went to the society before mentioned,
and made choice of a girl, who was
to do the housekeeper's bidding at the very
cheapest rate, and hurried back to afford Nancy

an opportunity to go out in pursuit of a
place.

It so happened that a cook was wanted in
one of our opulent families, and advertisements
had been inserted in the newspapers to
obtain one. Nancy had read them, and, neatly
attired, she made her way thither. Her
modest face was a passport to her reception,
and an agreement was immediately made, provided
she could enter upon her labours the
next Monday morning. “Mrs. Harley will
not refuse this privilege,” thought Nancy; “and
as my dismission is sudden, she will not deprive
me of a good place to befriend her a few
days.”

Justice to Mr. and Mrs. Harley require me
to add that she predicted rightly.