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Authors: Beryl Matthews
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household.
‘Get washed and dressed quickly. Put on the striped frock and pinafore. Hurry, hurry!’ Edna urged.
Jenny had never been this rushed before but within ten minutes her roommate was inspecting her and nodding approval. They ran downstairs and presented themselves to the housekeeper.
Mrs Douglas handed Jenny a sheet of instructions. Every job was listed with the time beside it and she couldn’t help wondering how anyone could get through so much in one day.
‘These will be your duties. You must keep strictly to the times. Edna will show you today. Watch her carefully because you’ll be on your own from tomorrow. Is that understood?’
‘Yes, Mrs Douglas.’
‘Off you go, then.’
Jenny followed Edna as the housemaid hurried from room to room, cleaning out the fireplaces and laying them ready for the footman to light. After watching her do three, she asked if she could have a go, and received a smile from Edna when she’d finished.
‘The next job,’ Edna told her after they’d dealt with five fireplaces, ‘is to scrub the front step. You can do that while I take up the early-morning tea. You’ve only got ten minutes, then we’ve got to get the day rooms ready before the family have finished their breakfast.’
As Edna hurried away, Jenny tumbled down the stairs to collect a bucket of water, scrubbing brush and cloth. She was puffing by the time she reached the front door. The biting wind was blowing straight at her and it felt as if her hands were frozen around the scrubbing brush. She gritted her teeth and scrubbed with all of her might, determined to do a good job – and on time. The step was gleaming and her hands red and sore when Edna reappeared.
‘That’s good, Jen. Now take the water out the back, clean the bucket and come up here again. I’ll be in the blue sitting room.’
‘Where’s that?’
‘Third door on the right. Hurry now.’
Picking up the cleaning things, Jenny hurried down the servants’ stairs, rushed out the back to tip the water away, cleaned the bucket and put it back with the othersin the large cupboard. She was just hurtling towards the stairs again when she was called.
‘Jenny, no running.’
She slithered to a halt. ‘Sorry, Mrs Douglas, I didn’t want to keep Edna waiting.’
‘Very commendable of you. Walk quickly, don’t run.’
By the time the servants had their breakfast at eight o’clock, Jenny was already exhausted. The rest of the day was equally hectic. The list of things to be done was never ending. Dusting, polishing, making beds, cleaning bathrooms, laying meals in the servants’ hall, washing up, cleaning brasses – the tasks went on and on.
Ten o’clock that evening and bedtime found her numb with fatigue and close to tears. Her hands were so painful she could hardly move them.
‘Let me look at your hands.’
Jenny held them out and Edna tutted when she saw them. ‘Oh, dear, I can see you’re not used to hard work. I’ve got something to help.’ She fished out a jar and an old pair of gloves from the bottom of the cupboard.
‘What’s that?’
‘Cook’s special remedy. It’s got butter in it, but I’m not sure what else. It works, though.’
Jenny gasped in pain as Edna began to smooth the thick cream over her raw and cut hands. Her nose wrinkled at the smell, making her roommate laugh.
‘Shocking, ain’t it, but you’ll be glad in the morning.’ Edna eased the gloves on her, giving a sympathetic smile. ‘There, keep those on all night. You’ll soon get used to the hard graft. You did well today.’
‘Thanks.’ She jumped in bed and yelped when she hit something hard … but warm.
‘I put a hot brick in your bed for you. You’re going to need a good night’s kip if you’re to survive another day.’ Edna chuckled. ‘We’ve got all the beds to change tomorrow as well.’
‘I’m glad I was the fastest runner in my school.’
Edna laughed again. ‘Yeah, you can’t hang about in this job. What
‘Get washed and dressed quickly. Put on the striped frock and pinafore. Hurry, hurry!’ Edna urged.
Jenny had never been this rushed before but within ten minutes her roommate was inspecting her and nodding approval. They ran downstairs and presented themselves to the housekeeper.
Mrs Douglas handed Jenny a sheet of instructions. Every job was listed with the time beside it and she couldn’t help wondering how anyone could get through so much in one day.
‘These will be your duties. You must keep strictly to the times. Edna will show you today. Watch her carefully because you’ll be on your own from tomorrow. Is that understood?’
‘Yes, Mrs Douglas.’
‘Off you go, then.’
Jenny followed Edna as the housemaid hurried from room to room, cleaning out the fireplaces and laying them ready for the footman to light. After watching her do three, she asked if she could have a go, and received a smile from Edna when she’d finished.
‘The next job,’ Edna told her after they’d dealt with five fireplaces, ‘is to scrub the front step. You can do that while I take up the early-morning tea. You’ve only got ten minutes, then we’ve got to get the day rooms ready before the family have finished their breakfast.’
As Edna hurried away, Jenny tumbled down the stairs to collect a bucket of water, scrubbing brush and cloth. She was puffing by the time she reached the front door. The biting wind was blowing straight at her and it felt as if her hands were frozen around the scrubbing brush. She gritted her teeth and scrubbed with all of her might, determined to do a good job – and on time. The step was gleaming and her hands red and sore when Edna reappeared.
‘That’s good, Jen. Now take the water out the back, clean the bucket and come up here again. I’ll be in the blue sitting room.’
‘Where’s that?’
‘Third door on the right. Hurry now.’
Picking up the cleaning things, Jenny hurried down the servants’ stairs, rushed out the back to tip the water away, cleaned the bucket and put it back with the othersin the large cupboard. She was just hurtling towards the stairs again when she was called.
‘Jenny, no running.’
She slithered to a halt. ‘Sorry, Mrs Douglas, I didn’t want to keep Edna waiting.’
‘Very commendable of you. Walk quickly, don’t run.’
By the time the servants had their breakfast at eight o’clock, Jenny was already exhausted. The rest of the day was equally hectic. The list of things to be done was never ending. Dusting, polishing, making beds, cleaning bathrooms, laying meals in the servants’ hall, washing up, cleaning brasses – the tasks went on and on.
Ten o’clock that evening and bedtime found her numb with fatigue and close to tears. Her hands were so painful she could hardly move them.
‘Let me look at your hands.’
Jenny held them out and Edna tutted when she saw them. ‘Oh, dear, I can see you’re not used to hard work. I’ve got something to help.’ She fished out a jar and an old pair of gloves from the bottom of the cupboard.
‘What’s that?’
‘Cook’s special remedy. It’s got butter in it, but I’m not sure what else. It works, though.’
Jenny gasped in pain as Edna began to smooth the thick cream over her raw and cut hands. Her nose wrinkled at the smell, making her roommate laugh.
‘Shocking, ain’t it, but you’ll be glad in the morning.’ Edna eased the gloves on her, giving a sympathetic smile. ‘There, keep those on all night. You’ll soon get used to the hard graft. You did well today.’
‘Thanks.’ She jumped in bed and yelped when she hit something hard … but warm.
‘I put a hot brick in your bed for you. You’re going to need a good night’s kip if you’re to survive another day.’ Edna chuckled. ‘We’ve got all the beds to change tomorrow as well.’
‘I’m glad I was the fastest runner in my school.’
Edna laughed again. ‘Yeah, you can’t hang about in this job. What
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