“What do they do the last year, Mother?”

Mrs. Salisbury adjusted her glasses.

“‘Third year,’” she read obligingly. “’All soups, sauces, salads, ices and meats.  Infant and invalid diet.  Formal dinners, arranged by season.  Budgets.  Arrangement of work for one maid.  Arrangement of work for two maids.  Menus, with reference to expense, with reference to nourishment, with reference to attractiveness.  Chart of suitable meals for children, from two years up.  Table manners for children.  Classic stories for children at bedtime.  Flowers, their significance upon the table.  Picnics—­’”

“But, no; there’s something beyond that,” Owen said.  Mrs. Salisbury turned a page.

“‘Fourth Year.  Post-graduate, not obligatory,’” she read. “’Unusual German, Italian, Russian and Spanish dishes.  Translation of menus.  Management of laundries, hotels and institutions.  Work of a chef.  Work of subordinate cooks.  Ordinary poisons.  Common dangers of canning.  Canning for the market.  Professional candy-making—­’”

“Can you beat it!” said Owen.

“It’s extraordinary!” Mrs. Salisbury conceded.  Her husband asked the all-important question: 

“What do you have to pay for one of these paragons?”

“It’s all here,” Mrs. Salisbury said.  But she was distracted in her search of a scale of prices by the headlines of the various pages.  “‘Rules Governing Employers,’” she read, with amusement.  “Isn’t this too absurd?  ’Employers of graduates of the A.S.D.S. will kindly respect the conditions upon which, and only upon which, contracts are based.’” She glanced down the long list of items. “’A comfortably furnished room,’” she read at random, “’weekly half holiday-access to nearest public library or family library—­ opportunity for hot bath at least twice weekly—­two hours if possible for church attendance on Sunday—­annual two weeks’ holiday, or two holidays of one week each—­full payment of salary in advance, on the first day of every month’—­what a preposterous idea!” Mrs. Salisbury broke off to say.  “How is one to know that she wouldn’t skip off on the second?”

“In that case the school supplies you with another maid for the unfinished term,” explained Sandy, from the booklet.

“Well—­” the lady was still a little unsatisfied.  “As if they didn’t have privileges enough now!” she said.  “It’s the same old story:  we are supposed to be pleasing them, not they us!”

“‘In a family where no other maid is kept,’” read Alexandra, “’a graduate will take entire charge of kitchen and dining room, go to market if required, do ordinary family washing and ironing, will clean bathroom daily, and will clean and sweep every other room in the house, and the halls, once thoroughly every week.  She will be on hand to answer the door only one afternoon every week, besides Sunday—­’”

“What!” ejaculated Mrs. Salisbury.

“I should like to know who does it on other days!” Alexandra added amazedly.