It was Somerset Maugham who observed that American women expect to find in their husbands a perfection that English women only look for in their butlers.
Written by Georgennetto
2 min read
Whatsapp
Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
It was Somerset Maugham who observed that American women expect to find in their husbands a perfection that English women only look for in their butlers.nbsp;Little wonder then that the British memsahibs of Munnar expected much of their Indian butlers. The butler of that era usually began as a domestic help and worked his way up. En route, he picked up English, good manners, cooking skills, besides an unerring ability to sense his employer8217;s unpredictable mood swings.
Many an aspiring but uninitiated butler had his baptism by fire under British housewives who were sticklers for perfection.nbsp;If the eggs and bacon for breakfast were not properly 8220;done8221; or if the beef roast was 8220;botched8221;, memsahib would promptly fly off the handle.nbsp;However, the stolid aspirant took all this in his stride, adapting admirably to the memsahib8217;s whims.nbsp;He had little choice. Hence the usual faccedil;ade of unflappability so typical of butlers.nbsp;
You’ve Read Your Free Stories For Now
Sign up and keep reading more stories that matter to you.
Yet, many butlers developed into true professionals prized for their culinary skills. Some were versatile enough to take on tasks beyond their normal duties.nbsp;Sporting a hand-me-down tweed coat or pullover, a few even chauffeured the memsahib around Munnar.nbsp;In the dining room, however, the Indian butler was truly in his element 8212; a role model much like his British counterpart, always hovering in the background at mealtime without being intrusive and anticipating the needs of each family member.nbsp;And, apparently, there was mutual tolerance of each other8217;s foibles.nbsp;As one Scottish bachelor wryly observed, 8220;My butler and I smoke the same brand of cigars and drink the same brand of Scotch 8212; the only difference being that I pay for both!8221;nbsp;
Nevertheless, the long and loyal service usually paid off for the butler.nbsp;Every Christmas, some still receive a small remittance from their appreciative former employers or their children in 8220;Good old Blighty8221;.nbsp;
