You must just
say, "She _has_ got it bad," and go on and learn as much about Altruria
as you can from me. Some of the things were hard to get used to, and at
first seemed quite impossible. For one thing, there was the matter of
service, which is dishonorable with us, and honorable with the
Altrurians: I was a long time getting to understand that, though I knew
it perfectly well from hearing my husband talk about it in New York. I
believe he once came pretty near offending you by asking why you did not
do your own work, or something like that; he has confessed as much, and I
could not wonder at you in your conditions. Why, when we first went to
the guest-house, and the pretty young girls who brought in lunch sat down
at table to eat it with us, I felt the indignation making me hot all
over. You know how democratic I am, and I did not mind those great,
splendid boat-girls hugging and kissing me, but I instinctively drew the
line at cooks and waitresses. In New York, you know, I always tried to be
kind to my servants, but as for letting one of them sit down in my
presence, much less sit down at table with me, I never dreamed of such a
thing in my most democratic moments.
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