Housekeeper and Cook
85
the Indian ayahs are singularly kind, injudicious, patient, and
thoughtless in their care of children ; but to expect anything
like common sense from them is to la}' yourself open to certain
disaj)pointment.
Unless you can get a woman from a regular ayah’s family,
the Mahomedan ones are apt to be a nuisance ; and the
reason which leads many ladies to employ them, viz., the
dislike to a sweeper or low-caste woman, is in itself foolish.
For no one who has lived long in India can fail to see that
the sweeper is very often cleaner in his ways, and certainly in
his house, than the Mahomedans. Nor does it follow that
because a woman belongs to the sweeper caste she should
necessarily do all the dirty work of the establishment. But
to whatever class she belongs, the ayah’s household duties are
virtually the same, except that she will not condescend to the
broom it she is a Mahomedan. In this connection it may
be remarked that the degradation which attaches to the
mere act of cleansing anything in India is mainly responsible
lor the inconceivably filthy ways of its inhabitants. Most of
them cannot afford to pay for a cleanser, and so learn to live
on contentedly in dirt.
We will begin with the 'duties of an ayah as housemaid
and lady’s maid. At the time specified by her mistress, she
should knock at the door of the bedroom and bring in the
early tea, placing the tray on the table, or wherever her
mistress directs. She should never forget to salaam to her
mistress, and ask if anything is wanted, and what time her
mistress desires to rise. She should then draw back the
curtains and leave the room, remembering to take away the
lamp, dirty boots, &c. Having unbolted the bathroom door
whilst inside, she should now go round to the outside, and
put everything ill order, taking special care that the water is
liesh, c'lnd the jugs, basins, &c., scrupulously clean.
At the ajjpointed time she should bring in the hot water
carefully close the outer door, and after putting towels, soap"
&c., in order, go into the bedroom and collect such clothes as
her mistress may want. She should never place these in the
bathroom till the water has been brought in by the bheesti,
and he outer door closed. When all is ready, she should
take hti mistress s dressnig-gown and slippers to her. Duriinr
the bathing time the ayah should be arranging and dustinfr
86 The Complete Indian
the dressing-table^ and carefidly putting away everytliing
that is lying about. The bed should also be turned down,
and the dress which her mistress is to wear carefully looked
over, and hung ready on the back of a chair. Whether the
ayah does her mistress’s hair or not depends upon individual
capacity and custom ; but most ayahs have to do the brushing
of the hair, and they generally do it very gently and well.
Page 58
Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Housekeeper and Cook
the Indian ayahs are singularly kind, injudicious, patient, and thoughtless in their care of children ; but to expect anything like common sense from them is to lay yourself open to certain disappointment.
Unless you can get a woman from a regular ayah’s family, the Mahomedan ones are apt to be a nuisance ; and the reason which leads many ladies to employ them, viz., the dislike to a sweeper or low-caste woman, is in itself foolish. For no one who has lived long in India can fail to see that the sweeper is very often cleaner in his ways, and certainly in his house, than the Mahomedans. Nor does it follow that because a woman belongs to the sweeper caste she should necessarily do all the dirty work of the establishment. But to whatever class she belongs, the ayah’s household duties are virtually the same, except that she will not condescend to the broom it she is a Mahomedan. In this connection it may be remarked that the degradation which attaches to the mere act of cleansing anything in India is mainly responsible for the inconceivably filthy ways of its inhabitants. Most of them cannot afford to pay for a cleanser, and so learn to live on contentedly in dirt.
We will begin with the 'duties of an ayah as housemaid and lady’s maid. At the time specified by her mistress, she should knock at the door of the bedroom and bring in the early tea, placing the tray on the table, or wherever her mistress directs. She should never forget to salaam to her mistress, and ask if anything is wanted, and what time her mistress desires to rise. She should then draw back the curtains and leave the room, remembering to take away the lamp, dirty boots, &c. Having unbolted the bathroom door whilst inside, she should now go round to the outside, and put everything ill order, taking special care that the water is fresh, and the jugs, basins, &c., scrupulously clean.
At the ajjpointed time she should bring in the hot water carefully close the outer door, and after putting towels, soap" &c., in order, go into the bedroom and collect such clothes as her mistress may want. She should never place these in the bathroom till the water has been brought in by the bheesti, and the outer door closed. When all is ready, she should take her mistress's dressing-gown and slippers to her. During the bathing time the ayah should be arranging and dusting
86 The Complete Indian
the dressing-table and carefully putting away everything that is lying about. The bed should also be turned down, and the dress which her mistress is to wear carefully looked over, and hung ready on the back of a chair. Whether the ayah does her mistress’s hair or not depends upon individual capacity and custom ; but most ayahs have to do the brushing of the hair, and they generally do it very gently and well.