The complete Indian housekeeper & cook : giving the duties of mistress and servants, the general management of the house and practical recipes for cooking in all its branches / by F.A. Steel & G. Gardiner.

  • Flora Annie Steel
Date:
1902
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The complete Indian housekeeper & cook : giving the duties of mistress and servants, the general management of the house and practical recipes for cooking in all its branches / by F.A. Steel & G. Gardiner. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    mouths of the upper servants wlien new-comei's give trouble. In short, without kindly and reasonable devices of this kind, tlie usual complaint of a want of hold over servants must remain true until they are educated into some sense of duty.^ Of course, common-sense is required to adjust the balance ot rewards and punishments, for here again Indian servants are like children, in that they have an acute sense of justice. A very good plan for securing a certain amount of truthfulness in a servant is to insist that any one who has been caught out in a distinct falsehood should invariably bring witnesses to prove the truth of the smallest detail. It is a great disgrace and worry, generally ])roducing a request to be given another chance after a few days. These remarks, written ten years ago, are still applicable, though the Indian mistress has now to guard against the possibility of impertiuence. It should never be overlooked for a,n instant. To turn to the minor duties of a mistress, it may be re- marked that she is primarily responsible for the decency jxnd health of all persons living in her service or compound. VVith this object, she should insist upon her servants living in their quarters, and not in the bazaar; but this, on the other hand, is no reason why they should turn your domain into a cara- vanserai for their relations to the third and fourth generation. As a rule, it is well to draw a very sharp line in tins respect, and if it be possible to draw it on the other side ot the mothers-in-law, so much the better for peace and quietness. Of course, if the rule that all servants shall live m quartei-s be enforced, it becomes the mistress’s duty to see that they are decently housed, and have proper sanitary conveniences The bearer should have strict orders to report any illness ot any kind amongst the servants or their belongings; indeed, it is advisable for the mistress to inquire every day on this point, and as often as possible-once or twice a week at least —she should go a regular inspection round the compound, not forgetting the stables, fowl-houses, &c. With regard to the kitchen, every mistress woithy the name will insist on having a building suitable for this use, and will not put up with a dog-kennel. On this point the --‘uthore cannot refrain from expressing their regret, that where t power exists of forcing landlords into keeping their houses in repair, and supplying sanitary arrangements, as in canton-