While it was certainly considered important for a servant to understand his or her duties, most of these articles aren't actually aimed at servants. They are aimed at mistresses! If a mistress didn't understand what her servants were supposed to do, what skills they should have, and how they should be trained, she couldn't be expected to manage them. If she couldn't manage the servants, her household was likely to be in a state of constant chaos. These articles help instruct the Victorian "housewife" on what to expect from servants, what to require from them, what wages to pay, how to hire them, how to assess their character, and more. They make it clear that "service" isn't just about being served; there are obligations on both sides!

Our Old Sally: A Portrait from Life (Leisure Hour, 1860)

A portrait of "a genuine specimen of the old servant genus."

The Revolt in the Kitchen, by Patience Price (Godey's, 1868)

A fictionalized look at servant problems.

Good Cooking and How to Secure It (Peterson's, 1872)

An editorial on the problems of acquiring good "help."

Talks with Women: Household Service, by Jennie June (Demorest, 1873)

An interesting look at the modern servant, how she behaves and how she is treated - and the observation that with so many new appliances in the home, a lady will soon be able to do without servants altogether!

How I Managed My Servants (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1875)

How I Engage My Servants (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1877)

"Before any steps are taken to inquire into character, a definite understanding should be come to between the mistress and servant. On this careful and definite agreement, most of the future comfort of both depends."

The Average Servant (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1878)

"Are not the too common faults of the average modern servant inefficiency and indifference? This inefficiency and indifference must arise from some distinct and tangible cause or causes. It is time, therefore, for thinking people to look the vexed servant question, which is one of growing importance, fairly and sternly in the face, and seek diligently for an explanation of the difficulty, with a view to the suggestion of some practical remedies."

The Duties of Servants, by Sophia F.A. Caulfeild (Girl's Own Paper, 1881)

Part 1 offers a detailed explanation of the tasks expected of each type of servant in a household, as well as an overview of the wages to be paid to different types of servants. Part 2 examines the responsibilities of the mistress toward her servants as well as the tasks of the servants themselves.

A Letter from a Kitchen, by Jane Cooper (Girl's Own Paper, 1881)

This letter written to the editors of The Girl's Own Paper gives an interesting view of the lives of servants.

Servants and Service, by Ruth Lamb (Girl's Own Paper, 1883, 1885)

The Law of Mistress and Servant (Girl's Own Paper, 1886)

The relationship between mistress and servant was one of mutual obligation, with specific rules and rights governing each.

Bunch, by Edward John Hardy (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1887)

On the training of a servant.

Domestic Service in America (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1887)

Two papers on the "servant problem" in the US.

How to Wait at Table (Girl's Own Paper, 1887)

The key to a successful dinner party is servants who know just how to "wait at table" - and this article provides a detailed explanation of all the rules and requirements!

The Mistresses' Union; Or, How We Solved the Servant Problem, by Henry Frith (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1890)

A Servant's Wedding Outfit, by Maude Robinson (Girl's Own Paper, 1891)

The cost of putting together a complete trousseau for a servant.

Between Mistress and Maid (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

Several short articles on dealing with servants, including "The Evolution of the Hired Girl," "Who Are Our Best Servants?" (a look at nationalities), "Untruthfulness of Servants," and "Recommendation of Servants."

From a New Inkstand, by Robert Burdette (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

A look at servant issues and the servant’s bureau.

Our Friends the Servants, by Emma Brewer (Girl's Own Paper, 1893)

In Fear of the Servants (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1894)

The Modern Servant Girl (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1894)

"I do not want to complain of servants in general... it is against the raw, untried, unapprenticed article that I inveigh... They have been of all kinds: quick, slow, active, lazy, pleasant, sulky; but one and all incompetent to do the work they professed to do."

Do Servants Marry? (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1895)

My Daily Round (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

The five top-winning essays in a competition for working girls, including entries from girls in domestic service, dressmaking, factory work, and farming.

A Young Servant's Outfit, and What to Buy for It (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

Includes a complete breakdown of costs.

Wages of Domestic Servants, by Emma Brewer (Girl's Own Paper, 1901)

How much do servants earn? How about servants under the age of 15?

• See also Work: Servants & Service