will have any time to devote to her young
lady's mother--who in "mid-season," therefore, is forced to have a maid of
her own, ridiculous as it sounds, that two maids for two ladies should be
necessary! Sometimes this is overcome by engaging an especial maid "by the
evening" to go to parties and wait, and bring the debutante home again.
And the maid at home can then be "maid for two."

_Dress of a Lady's Maid_

A lady's maid wears a black skirt, a laundered white waist, and a small
white apron, the band of which buttons in the back.

In traveling, a lady's maid always wears a small black silk apron and some
maids wear black taffeta ones always. In the afternoon, she puts on a
black waist with white collar and cuffs. Mrs. Gilding, Jr., puts her maid
in black taffeta with embroidered collar and cuffs. For "company
occasions," when she waits in the dressing-room, she wears light gray
taffeta with a very small embroidered mull apron with a narrow black
velvet waist-ribbon, and collar and cuffs of mull to match--which is
extremely pretty, but also extremely extravagant.

=THE VALET=

The valet (pronounced val-et not vallay) is what Beau Brummel called a
gentleman's gentleman. His duties are exactly the same as those of the
lady's maid--except that he does not sew! He keeps his employer's clothes
in perfect order, brushes, cleans and presses everything as soon as it has
been worn--even if only for a few moments. He lays out the clothes to be
put on, puts away everything that is a personal belonging. Some gentlemen
like their valet to help them dress; run the bath, shave them and hold
each article in readiness as it is to be put on. But most gentlemen merely
like their clothes "laid out" for them, which means that trousers have
belts or braces attached, shirts have cuff links and studs; and waistcoat
buttons are put in.

The valet also unpacks the bags of any gentleman guests when they come,
valets them while there, and packs them when they go. He always packs for
his own gentleman, buys tickets, looks after the luggage, and makes
himself generally useful as a personal attendant, whether at home or when
traveling.

At big dinners, he is required (much against his will) to serve as a
footman--in a footman's, not a butler's, livery.

The valet wears no livery except on such occasions. His "uniform" is an
ordinary business suit, dark and inconspicuous in color, with a black tie.

In a bachelor's quarters a valet is o