Judge, 1916-03-18 · page 14 of 28
Judge — March 18, 1916 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous domestic story, not political satire. It concerns a servant named Segrid (apparently Scandinavian, from her broken English) who repeatedly quits her job with Mrs. Mumpower, then returns contrite and hardworking. Mrs. Tuthill, a rival society woman, becomes jealous of Mrs. Mumpower's ability to retain this excellent maid and attempts to steal her away via telephone. The satire targets early 20th-century domestic servant dynamics and female rivalry among employers. The joke is that Segrid's one flaw—refusing to clean cobwebs for superstitious reasons—ultimately makes her unsuitable despite her other talents. The story illustrates period attitudes toward immigrant servants and the competitive tension between wealthy housewives over household help.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ur maid has come back,” said is is the cepted the compliment with a slight, knowing smile, Mrs. Mumpower’s jewel grid—alw came back. It made no difference who lured her away nor on what pre- text—whether that of shorter hours, more pay, or even the seductive promise of entertaining her gentleman friend in the dining-room—Segrid, after a few days, always came back. “I bane back,”’ Segrid would announce in the broken language of her northern home- land, appearing at the back door with a suitcase and a smi “T bane sorry. I go work more hard t’an effer.” Mrs. Mumpower would smile wisely and send her to her dormer room, not even having made a pretense at securing an- other serving person. Mrs. Mumpower had lost three or four days, but the re newed energy with which Segrid threw herself into. her work more than made up forthe lapse. One thing Mrs. Mum- power knew and that was that repent- ant Segrid would return aftera few days more humble and more industrious than ever—but her secret reposed only in her own bosom. “Yes,” said Mrs. Mumpower in an- swer to Mrs. Tuthill. “It’s the third time,” and switched the conversation to cooking butter. “Howdo you manageit?” asked Mrs. Tuthill pointedly, who did not stoop to indirectness to find directions out. But Mrs. Mumpower would not tell. She murmured something about letting Segrid get away early on Thursday mornings and asked, without pretense aukee ? Minister—The Chicago call is a trifle—er—louder. | SEGRID, jusronertaw By HOMER CROY of making a gradual shift of subject, how the Belgian sewing was getting along. Mrs, Mumpower had worked too long and too hard, had striven too mightily to bring Segrid to her present high state of domestic efficiency to risk her secret. Now that Se- grid could make and bake perfectly and could speak a little picturesque English, she was almost legal tender. “Cat!” said Mrs. Tuthill to herself after she had gone on. ‘She won't tell how she keeps her maid, she deserves to have her taken away—and I'll do it myself! HIS DOUBLE CALL But Mrs. Mumpower suspected, when a voice called up over the telephone and asked for Segrid; Mrs. Mumpower explained that Segrid couldn't understand over the tele- phone, but that she would gladly deliver the message to her. So Mrs. Tuthill had to catch Segrid Thursday morning down by the trolley track. At the end of the week Segrid came down with her straw suitcase and a guilty expres- sion, but the fact that she took a street in the opposite direction from Mrs. Tuthill’s did not mislead Mrs. Mumpower. Mrs. Mum power managed to pass about the time the postman rang and came away satisfied. he was a gem with just one flaw,” Mrs. Tuthill told Mrs. Rohn in an across-the privet confidence. “She was a splendid worker and always turned out the lights, but she would not sweep down the cobwebs. She would wipe right up to a cobweb and then go around it as if it was sacred. I could tell her time after time and she'd *Bery well,” and then leave it alone as if it would bite. You know very well, Mrs. Rohn, you can’t have a house hung with cob- webs—no amount of explaining will keep company from smiling knowingly and going out and saying, ‘Mrs. Tut- hill’s house is a sight, with spider traps in every corner. No wonder her husband never invites anyone over.’ You know how they always pity the husband. But Segrid positively refused to touch ’em. She'd just stand there and shake her head and say, ‘1 bane ready to die first,’ so I had to let her go. Icouldn’t have her get the upperhand like that.” “Where did she go?” “Back to Mrs. Mumpower’s. She always does. ‘I bane back and I will neffer leave again,’ she would say sheepishly and Mrs. Mumpower would take her back with open arms. Her house must be a sight. I should think Minister—I have just received a call to Chicago which | that poor Mr. Mumpower would feel think I shall accept. awfully humiliated when—” but she did Parishioner—1 thought you had received one to Mil- A not finish. When Mrs. Tuthill called unneces- comicbooks.com