was stored meanwhile in an attic at
the top of the house. The wash itself and the drying and ironing all
took place up there with the help of a hired laundress. In most German
cities this custom of washing at home still prevails, but in these
days it is usually done once a month. The large attics that serve as
laundries are engaged for certain days by the families living in the
house, and one servant assisted for one day by a laundry woman washes
and irons all the house and body linen used by her employers and
herself in four weeks. It sounds impossible, but in Germany nothing
involving hard work is impossible. All the differences of life between
England and Germany, in as far as expenses are concerned, seem to come
to this in the end: that over there both men and women will work
harder for less money. On the monthly washing day the ladies of the
household do the cooking and housework, and on the following day they
help to fold the clothes and iron them.

"I am very tired," confessed a little maid-servant who had been sent
out at night to show me where to find a tram. "We got up at four
o'clock this morning, and have been ironing all day. My mistress gets
up as early, and works as hard as I do. She is very _tuechtig_, and
where there are four children and only one servant there is a good
deal to do."

Yet her mistress had asked me to supper, I reflected, and everything
had been to time and well cooked and served. The rooms had looked as
neat and orderly as usual. The _Hausfrau_ had entertained me as
pleasantly as if she had no reason to feel tired. We had talked of
English novels, and of the invasion of England by Germany; for her
husband was a soldier, and another guest present was a soldier too.
The men had talked seriously, for they were as angry with certain
English newspapers as we are over here with certain German ones. But
the _Hausfrau_ and I had laughed.

"When they come, I'm coming with them," she said.

"We will receive you with open arms," said I.

CHAPTER XIV

SERVANTS

The first thing that English people notice about German servants is,
that they are allowed to dress anyhow, and that the results are most
unpleasing. In Hamburg, the city that gives you ox-tail soup for
dinner and has sirloins of beef much like English sirloins, the maids
used to wear clean crackling, light print gowns with elbow sleeves.
This was their full dress in which they waited at table, and fresh
looking country gir