She would make pudding using good eggs, when we were out of freshly made cookies.
She was always grabbing dish towels for everything, throwing them toward the cellar door when they were too dirty, along with others that had been used maybe once. She left ashes around in all sorts of dishes, such as the salt dishes.
Then she went and recommended a maid who was too old, feeble, and deaf for the job.
Mrs. D’s Work Habits
Mrs. D likes to start work as early in the morning as she can. Once the children are taken care of, she sits down at her typewriter and begins to type. She types fast and steadily, and the sound is loud, the table rattling and the carriage bell ringing at the end of every line. There is only an occasional silence when she pauses to read over what she has just written. She makes many changes, which involve moving the carriage back a little, x-ing out the word or phrase, rolling the carriage down a little, and inserting an emendation above the line.
She makes a carbon copy of each page, and she types both her first drafts and the copies on cheap yellow paper, aligning a piece of yellow paper, a piece of carbon paper, and another piece of yellow paper, and rolling them together into the carriage. Her fingers, with their carefully applied clear nail polish, sometimes become smudged with ink from the typewriter ribbon or with carbon from the carbon paper.
Mrs. D sits at her worktable with good upright posture. She has full, dark-brown, medium-length hair with gentle curls in it and combed to one side. She has dark eyes, round and naturally rosy cheeks, an upturned nose, and nicely shaped lips to which she applies lipstick. She wears no other makeup except, occasionally, some powder when she goes out. She looks younger than she is. She dresses nicely, usually in a skirt, blouse, and cardigan, even when alone at the typewriter.
Mrs. D Makes Another Attempt
Mrs. D writes:
We are in the throes of trying to get a maid to take with us to the summer cottage.
The Summer Cottage
Mrs. D has found a reasonably cheap cottage close to the sea where they can spend the summer. It is not a very long drive from the college town. Mrs. D goes out to the place ahead of time and puts in a good-size garden. Because of the garden, they are allowed extra gas for the move out there. Gas has been rationed because of the war.
Once they are settled, Mrs. D urges friends to come stay with them. But these friends will probably take the train: there is now a ban on pleasure driving because of the shortage of gas. They are allowed to use the car if they are going to buy food, so they may plan a food shopping trip around picking up a friend at the station. They are also allowed to use the car if they are going clamming.
Later in the summer, the ban on pleasure driving will be lifted and they will immediately drive to the ocean for a swim.
Drafts of a Letter to an Agency, Written From the Seaside
My dear Miss McAllister,
I find it impossible to keep Ann Carberry whom you sent me through Gertrude Hockaday last week. She has tried, and in many ways she is quite satisfactory. She keeps the kitchen in fine condition and enjoys figuring out ways to use the available food to make tasty meals. But this about uses up all her time and energy; she does not step out of the kitchen on some days except to take her afternoon rest.
Which leaves, of course, the main need unsatisfied: the care of the baby.
It has been necessary for me to do all the washing, and all of his care except for giving him his meals. And she is seventy years old.
Her age, her feebleness, and her deafness combine to make her quite unsuitable for this job
nor did she ever notice a full wastebasket standing at the head of the stairs.
She is a very sweet person, very eager to please. She seems to enjoy cooking. She likes to cook her specialties, such as Parker House rolls, and I think she would suit an elderly family who could afford to pay a high wage for the light work of which she and in a place where there were no other more pressing duties
would be very welcome in a house where other pressing duties need not be neglected to make these treats, such as Parker House rolls. Because of these weaknesses which made her obviously very fluttery and apprehensive, I had not the heart to break the news to her suddenly. I thank you for your kind cooperation with Gertrude in finding me any maid at all.
Two Weeks
Ann works for one week and is then given a week’s notice.
Some Other Annoying things about Ann
She became dizzy-headed if she kept going all day.
She snored.
She panted when serving at the table.
Ann’s Parting Wisdom
Ann comes in with a very small tray and remarks: “They say an ounce of help is worth a pound of pity.”
The Brava
Mrs. D writes:
We now have a little Brava girl aged fourteen. She is colored, but not regarded as Negro — she must be treated as Portuguese.
She is wonderful with the baby and can do dishes and other simple things. So far, however, she has been very irregular in her comings.
But After the Brava
Mrs. D is distressed. She has no help. She cannot write. Her family requires a great deal of work, and she is with them too much. She confides to a friend:
I am without a smitch of hired help. I cannot even behave myself like a civilized being, much less do any writing. The main reason of course is over-work on my part.
And to another:
I am in a complete state of jitters, due to the search for a maid.
And to another:
We have been intending to get in touch with your friend but haven’t had company for quite a while because of our maid crisis. I should improve greatly this next year if I can only get some help. I am not too sanguine about that.
Family Finances
Mr. and Mrs. D, always short of money, have debts they must pay. One of their debts is to a friend named Bill. Bill himself is now in straitened circumstances and politely tells them that he must have the money back.
The two children are now enrolled in the same private school, one in fifth grade and the other in nursery school. Mrs. D asks the director for a tuition reduction, and he grants the children half scholarships.
Mrs. D Tries a High School Girl
Mrs. D writes:
We got a little High School girl but she was worse than nothing.
Mr. D Does Not Have Time to Write
Mr. D teaches three days a week, and on each day he teaches three classes. He has 150 themes to correct each week. His students are very bright.
The Englishwoman
One of Mr. D’s colleagues recommends a cleaning woman. Mrs. D writes:
With his tips as to her temperament, I was able to apply the right pressure when I called up, and now she is with us. Our fingers are crossed as we say it. She is — if I can believe my luck — exactly what we need. She likes to go ahead without any instruction and she adores to work for disorderly people because, as she says, “they appreciate coming in and finding things clean and neat.” She is English, experienced, quick and able. Her name is Mrs. Langley.
All Goes Well, for a Time
Mrs. Langley is downstairs in the playroom ironing.
But Mrs. Langley Will Not Stay
Mrs. Langley has left us.
Miscarriage
Mrs. D has been trying to have another baby, but she miscarries early in the pregnancy. It is her third miscarriage. But she will not give up.
Our Splendid Marion