Letters to Persons Who Are Engaged in Domestic Service. Catharine Esther Beecher
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company would be obliged to work to make more. As a matter of convenience and economy, therefore, he inquired whether it was not for the general good, that those who did the hardest work should take the plainest apartments and the strongest clothing. This all decided would be best, and yet, some said that it seemed hard, that those who had to do the least agreeable work, should have the least agreeable rooms and the plainest clothing too. But they all concluded that it never would do to wash dishes and cook and plough and dig, in muslin and satin dresses; and so they concluded that the arrangement which would make their clothes and furniture last the longest should be adopted.
But then the question came up, How shall we decide who shall do the harvest work, and wear the plainest clothing, and take the least agreeable rooms?
In this dilemma, the minister recommended that they should appeal to God, who was the wisest Being, and a Just and Holy Judge. He told them the way to appeal to God was, by casting lots. To this all agreed, and so when the lots were prepared, the company all stood up and uncovered their heads, while the minister then called upon God.
“Oh Thou, who art our Father, our Judge and our King, decide for us by these lots, what our portions shall be, and when thou hast thus decided, incline our hearts to submit to thy will, and with patience and cheerfulness, to perform the duties of the station in which we are placed.”
After this prayer they all drew their lots to decide their employments, and then took the clothing, rooms and conveniences, as they had before decided, would be for the good of all.
The minister then pointed out the necessity of having overseers to each kind of work, who should direct and superintend others. He described the waste, confusion and trouble that would follow, if every one went to work on the farm where he pleased, and did his work in any way he pleased. And so in the housekeeping, he showed what discomfort and confusion would follow, if each one did her work at any time, or in any manner she liked, with no system or order, and with no one to plan or direct.
It was then concluded, that it was for the general good, that each kind of work should have an overseer, and that the overseers should spend their whole time in planning and directing others about their work, while the rest should obey their directions. Some seemed to think that it was rather hard, that some should have nothing to do but go about and see that other people kept at work, but after some talk, they all concluded that the work never would be done properly any other way, and so they consented that this arrangement should be made. Then came up the question, who should be the workers and who the overseers. On talking this over it was agreed, that those who knew the most, should be appointed to direct the rest. Accordingly the best cook was made overseer of the cooking, the best gardener overseer of the garden, and thus in every kind of work, the one who understood the most about it, was appointed to direct the rest.
It was then proposed, that as there would be sickness among the people, there should be some men selected to read and study about the diseases of the country, who should attend upon the sick, to see that they were properly nursed.
It was also decided, that those who were best qualified to teach and govern the children, should take charge of them, and spend their time in teaching them.
The minister then told them, that though now, after so much suffering for want of order, industry, and harmony, they were all willing to do as they had agreed, yet when they came to go to work, many would become discontented, and would not submit to these regulations. They would then declare that the king gave them this estate, on condition that all should be free and equal, that this rule was not obeyed, for that some lived without doing any hard work, and had the best rooms and the best clothes and ruled over others. They would then declare, that they would not submit to it, and would take the rooms and clothes given to others, and neglect their work. Then others would follow their example, and soon every thing would go back to the confusion and misery they had been experiencing. He told them also, that there were many cases which would arise, when they would need more particular rules than any yet agreed on.
After talking over this matter, they finally agreed to this plan. They chose out from among the company some of the best and wisest men, whose business it should be to make all the rules necessary in any emergency, and all these rules were to be written down, so that all could read them. These men also were to decide what punishment should be inflicted on any who violated these rules. They then appointed another set of men who were to be judges, when any one was accused of breaking these rules, to decide whether they deserved punishment. Another set of men were appointed as officers of justice, to see that these penalties were inflicted. After this, the whole company requested the good minister to spend his time in going around to all parts of the estate, to talk with every body, and to use all his persuasion and influence to lead all to be contented, industrious and obedient to the rules. When these arrangements were made, all went to work harmoniously and cheerfully. The fields were tilled and reaped, the food was cooked, the clothes were washed, ironed and mended, the rooms and furniture were kept clean and in order, and every thing went on pleasantly. Those who had the best rooms and clothes and the easiest work, tried to make it pleasant and comfortable to those who did the work. They felt that they had the best of every thing, not because they were better than the others, but because it was for the general good of all. And those who did the work, and had the least agreeable accommodations, felt that it was God who appointed their lot, and that it was as proper for them to be there as for any of the rest. And they all felt so pleased and thankful for having escaped from such scenes of misrule and misery, that every one was content with his lot. They felt that by submitting to rules that were made for the good of all, each one had his own situation made more comfortable than it could be by any other method. And so they went on, day after day, in comfort and peace.
LETTER II.
A conversation between the clergyman and a domestic.
My Friends:
In my former letter I told you how the good minister succeeded in persuading the shipwrecked company to adopt the rules given in the Bible, and the comfort and prosperity that followed this course. I also told you that the minister was requested by the company to spend all his time in visiting every part of the estate, to converse with all who were disposed to be discontented, or indolent, or unsubmissive to the rules.
I will now tell you a little about the way this good man managed to promote peace, contentment, and industry. In the first place they all agreed to come together one day each week to hear the minister explain those rules in the Bible that taught them the duties they owed to God, to themselves and to their neighbours. Many of them had never been properly instructed in their duties, and were entirely ignorant of the Bible. So, on these days of meeting, he used to spend a part of the time in reading portions of the Bible and in proving its Divine authority. He told them when it was written, and how it was collected and preserved, and how it was safely and correctly transmitted to them. He showed them too, that it contained not only rules for making them happy in this world, but that it taught them that they were to live forever after their bodies died, and that their eternal happiness depended on the character and habits they formed in this short life. He described the character they must form in order to be happy in the eternal world, and painted all the happiness that would follow to those who formed such a character, and the dreadful miseries that would come upon all who died without forming such a character. He also took great pains, at these times, to teach them how to perform all their daily duties properly, and showed them that this was one way to form that character that fitted them to die. Sometimes he preached on the duty and advantages of industry and economy; sometimes on the ways to promote cheerfulness, and contentment; sometimes on the duties owed to overseers and rulers; sometimes on the advantages of system, order and neatness; sometimes on the duty of taking proper care of the health, and the ways in which it should be done; sometimes on the duty of kind, courteous, and respectful manners; sometimes on the duty of improving their minds by reading and study. Indeed there was no duty which he found they were in any danger of neglecting, that he did not teach them the proper way of performing it. And after teaching any of these duties, he always knelt down with them, and prayed