There is also no excuse for “correcting” either a servant or a child before people.

[Illustration:  “THE PERFECT MISTRESS SHOWS ALL THOSE IN HER EMPLOY THE CONSIDERATION AND TRUST DUE THEM AS HONORABLE SELF-RESPECTING AND CONSCIENTIOUS HUMAN BEINGS.” [Page 157.]]

And when you do correct, do not forget to make allowances, if there be any reason why allowance should be made.

If you live in a palace like Golden Hall, or any completely equipped house of important size, you overlook nothing! There is no more excuse for delinquency than there is in the Army.  If anything happens, such as illness of one servant, there is another to take his (or her) place.  A huge household is a machine and it is the business of the engineers—­in other words, the secretary, housekeeper, chef or butler, to keep it going perfectly.

But in a little house, it may not be fair to say “Selma, the silver is dirty!” when there is a hot-air furnace and you have had company to every meal, and you have perhaps sent her on errands between times, and she has literally not had a moment.  If you don’t know whether she has had time or not, you could give her the benefit of the doubt and say (trustfully, not haughtily) “You have not had time to clean the silver, have you?” This—­in case she has really been unable to clean it—­points out just as well the fact that it is not shining, but is not a criticism.  Carelessness, on the other hand, when you know she has had plenty of time, should never be overlooked.

Another type that has “difficulties” is the distrustful—­sometimes actually suspicious—­person who locks everything tight and treats all those with whom she comes in contact as though they were meddlesomely curious at least, or at worst, dishonest.  It is impossible to overstate the misfortune of this temperament.  The servant who is “watched” for fear she “won’t work,” listened to for fear she may be gossiping, suspected of wanting to take a liberty of some sort, or of doing something else she shouldn’t do, is psychologically encouraged, almost driven, to do these very things.

The perfect mistress expects perfect service, but it never occurs to her that perfect service will not be voluntarily and gladly given.  She, on her part, shows all of those in her employ the consideration and trust due them as honorable, self-respecting and conscientious human beings.  If she has reason to think they are not all this, a lady does not keep them in her house.

=ETIQUETTE OF SERVICE=

The well-trained high-class servant is faultlessly neat in appearance, reticent in manner, speaks in a low voice, walks and moves quickly but silently, and is unfailingly courteous and respectful.  She (or he) always knocks on a door, even of the library or sitting-room, but opens it without waiting to hear “Come in,” as knocking on a downstairs door is merely politeness.  At a bedroom door she would wait for permission to enter.  In answering a bell, she asks “Did you ring, sir?” or if especially well-mannered she asks “Did Madam ring?”