But the maid for a debutante in the height of the season, between the inevitable “go fetching” at this place and that, and mending of party dresses danced to ribbons and soiled by partner’s hands on the back, and slippers “walked on” until there is quite as much black part as satin or metal, has no sinecure.

Why Two Maids?

In very important houses where mother and daughters go out a great deal there are usually two maids, one for the mother and one for the daughters.  But even in moderate households it is seldom practical for a debutante and her mother to share a maid—­at least during the height of the season.  That a maid who has to go out night after night for weeks and even months on end, and sit in the dressing-rooms at balls until four and five and even six in the morning, is then allowed to go to bed and to sleep until luncheon is merely humane.  And it can easily be seen that it is more likely that she will need the help of a seamstress to refurbish dance-frocks, than that she 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.