I will adopt your views, but you must not contradict me in
the presence of other people. Do not do it again." There is of course
much to be said for and against each system, and perhaps a blend of the
two would give good results. Anyhow, we can trace in American customs
that spirit of equality which pervades the whole of American society,
and observe the germs of self-reliance and independence so
characteristic of Americans, whether men, women, or children.

Even the domestic servant does not lose this precious American heritage
of equality. I have nothing to say against that worthy individual, the
American servant (if one can be found); on the contrary, none is more
faithful or more efficient. But in some respects he is unique among
the servants of the world. He does not see that there is any
inequality between him and his master. His master, or should I say,
his employer, pays him certain wages to do certain work, and he does
it, but outside the bounds of this contract, they are still man and
man, citizen and citizen. It is all beautifully, delightfully legal.
The washerwoman is the "wash-lady", and is just as much a lady as her
mistress. The word "servant" is not applied to domestics, "help" is
used instead, very much in the same way that Canada and Australia are
no longer English "colonies", but "self-governing dominions".

We of the old world are accustomed to regard domestic service as a
profession in which the members work for advancement, without much
thought of ever changing their position. A few clever persons may
ultimately adopt another profession, and, according to our antiquated
conservative ways of thinking, rise higher in the social scale, but,
for the large majority, the dignity of a butler, or a housekeeper is
the height of ambition, the crowning point in their career. Not so the
American servant. Strictly speaking there are no servants in America.
The man, or the woman as the case may be, who happens for the moment to
be your servant, is only servant for the time being. He has no
intention of making domestic service his profession, of being a servant
for the whole of his life. To have to be subject to the will of
others, even to the small extent to which American servants are
subordinate, is offensive to an American's pride of citizenship, it is
contrary to his conception of American equality. He is a servant only
for the time, and until he finds something better to do. He accepts a
me