Dorothy Kraus Memoir - At the Manor

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Dorothy Kraus Memoir

At the Manor
Grandmother's kitchen backed up against the manor's servant quarters and if we listened we could hear what was going on there. When the baron was in attendance, I was at times invited in. I was given candy and patted on the cheek.

An Incident at the Manor
Once on my way to the manor house, I was wearing a pretty red coat, and I ran into a flock of turkeys. They came after me and began pecking at my head. I started yelling until someone rescued me. I was the laughing-stock for a long time! Mother explained that it was my red coat which had attracted the turkeys.

Visiting the Servants
To the servant quarters I was a frequent visitor. They let me help with the stringing of fruit which was hung from the rafters to dry. They let me help in sorting potatoes. They were always working. The young girls would talk, tell stories and laugh a great deal. The elder women would scold them but they paid little attention. Besides talking and laughing there was always singing. One of them would start a song and the rest would join in, and soon it was a chorus.

I had long pretty hair which was a source of great trouble to my mother and me. I wouldn't let her comb it often, but for the peasant girls I submitted even to this torture. One of them would comb, pull and untangle the knots and make long braids with pretty ribbons at the ends. I never wanted to leave them but mother's voice would come, demanding my return, heard through the wall. “I don't want to!” I replied and the peasant girls would laugh hilariously. Then I felt embarrassed. In the end, my favorite, Danushka, would take me back to our door. I was always angry at these interruptions and would punish mother by refusing to eat.

A Shameful Pregancy
Natasha, one of the servant girls and another favorite of mine, cried a great deal and was often scolded by the elder women. I felt sorry for her and would beg her not to cry. She would kiss me and stop for a while. This went on for days and I began to ask questions. The older women would answer, “Never mind your questions, do something useful instead.” I climbed as high as I dared and kept my ear close to the wall of the servants' quarters. I could still hear Natasha crying. She would wipe her nose on the hem of her dress. I asked mother about her and her answer was, “You don't have to know everything.” Some time later I was told that Natasha couldn't remain on the farm. She had to go away to another place to have her baby.

Editor's Notes: The Manor: Prior material refers to the dairy farm, whose location Dorothy did not specify. It seems practical to conclude that the dairy farm was located adjacent to the manor, and --in turn-- that this refers to the Patocki “Palace” in the Wysokie Suburb, as it is the only know working estate in the vicinity of Wysoke. long hair: Apparently long hair was often impractical, as lice were a common problem. Perhaps Dorothy's family managed to maintain a higher-than-ordinary standard of cleanliness, which discourages lice.

This material is from Original Page 9, Original Page 10, and Original Page 11.

Page Last Updated: 17-Nov-2012