The memoirs of Cissie Ewen

After working at the hospital for about two years, I fancied a change and wrote after a job in a private house in Alona Place. They were very big three-storey houses on one side of the street, and ordinary ones on the other. I got the job in this big house, which had a very long path from the gate or street entrance to the front door. When I told the girls at the hospital where I was going to work, one of them said "You'll never stay. I've been there and they're terrible." One of the nurses had an aunt living opposite, who told her that they changed their maids every week; no one would work for them. I soon found out why they could not get anyone to stay.

They were real slave drivers. There was a widow and two daughters, the eldest one was very nice but away from home all day working. The mother, and younger daughter, who was engaged to a doctor, were the ones I had dealings with. They were wealthy fishing boat owners and as mean as sin. I had to use six sticks and one match to light the fires in the mornings; after that I had to light the gas ring from paper spills I had made in the evenings. The mats in the kitchen were taken up in the mornings, even in winter, so I spent most of my time with a cold bare floor. The mats were put down again shortly before I went to bed, for I had to wait till I was all finished which was near bedtime, before being allowed to put them down.

The other people in the big houses employed men to clear the snow away from their paths to the street entrances; I had to do ours. The old lady said I was to call her Madam, and she said they could not afford to give me bacon and egg each morning as they had, but I could have it once a week. I had to wear two different uniforms. One in the morning and change for afternoon and evening, which took my wages for the time I stopped there. I had to get one shilling and sixpence from Mam to make up the difference. I worked a week then put in a week's notice. They were really mad that I left.

John was waiting out the front to carry my case, but the Madam got annoyed that he'd come to the door, and said I wasn't allowed to go out the front door where the neighbours could see. I was to go out the back. With it being a terrace house, I had to carry my case from the back of the house to the end of the street, around the corner to the front of the street, then wait until John turned around and saw me waiting.