Kate's story by Hopkins Billy 1928-

Author:Hopkins, Billy, 1928-
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Poor -- England -- Manchester -- Fiction, Poor, Social conditions, Manchester (England) -- Social conditions -- 19th century -- Fiction, Manchester (England) -- Social conditions -- 20th century -- Fiction, England -- Manchester
ISBN: 9780747268529
Publisher: London : Headline
Published: 2002-11-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

That first day at the Lamport-Smythes’ was typical of the days that followed. The only relief was a few hours after breakfast on Sunday mornings when Susie and I went to Mass at St Alban’s and listened to Father Carton’s sermons on the fourth commandment, ‘Honour thy father and thy mother’, which meant we had to obey everyone above us, including our lawful superiors, and how we were never to give old buck. We never managed to get to confession ’cos it was held on Saturday mornings when we were doing the obeying. Besides, we were so busy, there was no time for any sinning.

My early exhaustion passed and it wasn’t long before the work became routine. I developed an attitude of ‘one day at a time’ and learned to take things in my stride. Mrs Armstrong, who described herself as a plain cook, as opposed to a fancy one, turned out to be a good teacher and I learned how to deal with meat, fish, and poultry, and to understand the difference between such things as

roasting, braising, grilling and stewing. Most important,

\ *

she taught me about baking - cakes, scones, biscuits and bread.

Despite Madam’s occasional flash of temper, life at the Lamport-Smythes was pleasant enough though I found the routine on my first pay day strange. It was the end of

September, and one by one we were called to meet Madam in the dining room. She sat at a big table facing the large gilt mirror and I was told to stand behind her chair. She didn’t look directly at me but addressed my reflection in the looking glass. I was aware that Madam didn’t like addressing servants face to face but this seemed totally barmy. Naturally she was wearing gloves since handling money might have contaminated her. It’s all straight out of Alice in Wonderland , I thought.

‘You have been with us now for one month and generally speaking we are satisfied with your work though we can do without your singing and a little more elbow grease on the door brasses would not go amiss. Here is your pay of one pound.’

‘Thank you so much, Madam,’ I said. I curtsied behind her chair and collected the twenty shillings she had placed in a little pile. I was bubbling with joy for I’d never had so much money. I almost skipped out of the room but resisted the urge.

Downstairs, I couldn’t take my eyes off the fortune I’d earned. I spread it out on the table and let it trickle through my hands like Silas Marner. Twenty shillings, eight half- crowns, ten florins, forty sixpences, two hundred and forty pennies, four hundred and eighty halfpennies, nine hundred and sixty farthings! I was rich!

That afternoon, in my short break, I went to Macclesfield post office and opened a savings account with ten shillings. I sent a postal order of five shillings to Mam and I kept five for myself for personal expenses. The great advantage of domestic service was that you got free board and lodgings and so the wage was free of other demands.

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