Shorter Notices
The Seven Chars of Chelsea. By Celia Fremlin. (Methuen.
IT is possible that this book's somewhat catchpenny title, toger with the comic charwoman on its dust wrapper, may cause peu to dismiss it unread, as a collection of reprinted articles fr. Punch. In fact, it is a study, both important and extremely an- ing, of domestic service in England today. The author, a taking a degree at Oxford, decided to study the servant problem at first hand, and accordingly took a succession of posts as scullery- maid, charwoman, milk-bar assistant, waitress, and general servant. The first half of the book contains accounts of three or t - selected jobs in representative households. Miss Fremlin ha. nice gift of description and humour, and she succeeds in bring:ng the drab life of the average servant-girl all too vividly to our not She gives a splendid account of how nine servants were regul mobilised for the evening ritual of one old lady's dinner, wh consisted of a cup of Benger's Food and a digestive biscuit ; and a highly spirited description of below-stairs life in a cheap boarding- house. Then, having aroused our lively sympathy, she clearly and skilfully analyses the causes of the present shortages and discon- tents, discusses the almost universal preference for industrial rather than domestic work, and makes tentative suggestions for general improvement. Her chief advice to employers, present and prospective is that they should support the recently formed DomesticWorkers' Union. But first of all they should every one of them read this book : they will certainly be entertained and in all probability chastened.
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