OLIZEI-BEHOeRDE

+--+------------+-------------+---------+--------+--------------+-----------
A | B | C | D | E | F | G
+--+------------+-------------+---------+--------+--------------+-----------
1 |Wittwe |Dienstmagd |Den 20ten|Den 2ten|Veraenderung |Gesehen
|Auguste | | Oktober | Januar | halber. |
|Knoblauch | | 1901 | 1902 | Betragen |(_Place and
| | | | | gut |date, with
| | | | | |official
| | | | | |stamp and
| | | | | |signature_)
| | | | | |
2 |Boretzky, |Dienstmaedchen|Den 2ten |Den 2ten|Wird entlassen|Gesehen
|Restaurant | | Februar | Oktober| weil ihr |
|zur Post, | | 1902 | 1904 | Benehmen mir |(_Place and
|Baerenstrasse| | | | nicht mehr |date, with
|2 | | | | passt. Sonst |official
| | | | | fleissig und |stamp and
| | | | | ehrlich |signature_)
+--+------------+-------------+---------+--------+--------------+-----------

It will be seen that the characters given tell nothing about a
servant's qualities and knowledge; while the vague complaint that Anna
Schmidt's behaviour no longer suited her mistress might mean anything
or nothing. In this case it meant that a son of the house had annoyed
the girl with his attentions, and she had in consequence treated him
with some brusquerie. But ten minutes' talk with a lady who knows the
best and the worst of a servant is worth any _Dienstbuch_ in Germany.
And when English servants write to the _Times_ and ask to have the
same system here, I always wonder how they would like their failings
sent with them from place to place in black and white; every fresh
start made difficult, and every bad trait recorded against them as
long as they earn their daily bread.

Wages are much lower in Germany than here. Some years ago you could
get a good cook for from L7 to L12, but those days are past. Now you
hear of a general servant getting from L10 to L12, and a good plain
cook from L15 upwards. These are servants