MrPunch's history of modern England . se who offered inadequate wages mustexp>ect neither character nor efficiency. But he draws a cleardistinction between the domestic slave and the flunkey, hold- 30 High Life Below Stairs ing that snobbery in employers was the chief cause of itsprevalence amongst highly paid servants. Punch was thechampion of theslavey — immor-talized in Dickenss Marchioness —even of the much-ma 1 i g n e d char-woman ; the relent-less critic ofJeames, his plushand powder andcalves. As earlyas 1847 we findhim supporting areversal of the oldregime : the mis-tress must be a
MrPunch's history of modern England . se who offered inadequate wages mustexp>ect neither character nor efficiency. But he draws a cleardistinction between the domestic slave and the flunkey, hold- 30 High Life Below Stairs ing that snobbery in employers was the chief cause of itsprevalence amongst highly paid servants. Punch was thechampion of theslavey — immor-talized in Dickenss Marchioness —even of the much-ma 1 i g n e d char-woman ; the relent-less critic ofJeames, his plushand powder andcalves. As earlyas 1847 we findhim supporting areversal of the oldregime : the mis-tress must be ap-proved by the ser-vant, and furnish asatisfactory charac-ter. The plea isnot surprising,when advertise-ments for a kitchen-maid, wages £sa year, appearedin a fashionablepaper and earnedPunchs , henever spares thearrogance of ser-vanlgalism, theassumption of my lady the housemaid. „^ ^ ,^ ...^,.^^ ^^ a school for servants at Bristol, where lessons on thepianoforte were given, but if servant girls and nurses. Coachman: Why—whats the matter. JohnThomas ? FOOTMAN: Matter enuff! Heres the mar-chioness bin and giv me notice because I dontmatch Joseph, an I must go, unless I can get my fatdown in a week ! In this Spirit Punch makes game of 31 Mr. PiiucJis History of Modern England were neglectful of their duties and their infant charges,mistresses were equally to blame for their indolence anddisregard of parental responsibilities. But the keenest arrowsin Punchs quiver were reserved for Jeamcs. He quotesfrom the columns of The Times the advertisements of a foot-man, tall, handsome, with broad shoulders and extensivecalves, who prefers Belgravia or the North Side of thePark, while a little later on another of this type insists onsix months a year in town, and if in an unfashionable neigh-bourhood, five guineas extra salary. If I refrain from quotingfrom Thackerays constant variations on this theme in the pagesof Punch, it is only because they are so famili
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