§ II. On The Obligations Of Servants

448. • Servants are bound to furnish to masters:

1° Reverence; for thus the Apostle:² Let servants count their masters worthy of all honor. From this they can sin even gravely who ridicule masters, spurn them, or manifest their hidden defects.

2° Service and obedience in all those things to which they have obligated themselves by force of the contract, and in those things which look to good morals. Thus to the Ephesians:⁴ Servants, be obedient to them that are your lords according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to Christ. - And St. Peter:⁵ Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

Hence by reason of matter they sin more or less who, when something is prescribed to them, murmur, answer insolently, are accustomed to be unteachable, neglect to carry out the prescribed labor, or fail in the office imposed on them; and in one word, all who do not furnish the service such as is ordinarily able to be exacted and furnished from such persons.

3° Fidelity; according to the words of Paul:⁶ Servants to be subject to their masters, ... not defrauding, but in all things showing good fidelity.

Hence they sin, and often gravely against justice, who do not take care of the things entrusted to themselves; who from their own fault permit them to become worse; who steal precious victuals, or those not customarily given to them, either to eat, or to give or sell to outsiders.

449. • Quaer. What do our laws generally establish concerning the obligations of masters and servants?

Resp. 1° The "relation of master and servant rests altogether upon contract," express or implied.¹ If this contract is lacking, nothing is owed by civil law to a servant.²

2° "If the servant hired for a definite term leaves the service before the end of it, without reasonable cause, or is dismissed for such misconduct as justifies it, he loses his right to wages for the period he has served. A servant so hired may be dismissed by the master before the expiration of the term, either for immoral conduct, wilful disobedience, or habitual neglect."³

3° The power of the master of giving "moderate corporal correction to his servant ... may safely be confined to apprentices and menial servants while under age, for then the master is to be considered as standing in loco parentis."⁴

4° "The master is not bound to provide even a menial servant with medical attendance and medicines during sickness."⁵

Concerning servants whom they call "apprentices," see, if you like, Kent.⁶