The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-11-19
[From the Youths Companion.I
CHRISTINA A
BY MRS. REBECCA HARDING DAVIS.

Mother and I lived alone in the dear
| old homestead, just outside of a drowsy
village in Delaware. Old Sanders
worked the farm, and lived in the tenants
house, as he had done for thirty years,
| but he was getting old and cranky, and
threatened every month to leave us. But
our great misery the messenger Of
Satan sent to buffet us was the girl :"
who was not in the kitchen.
With all the neighborhood, we depend
ed for servants on the free negroes, who
invariably decamped in a body, to the
fields or the great canning-houses, as
soon as the peach crop came in.
We tried wandering Irish woman;
she drank. A genteel American who
had seen better days; aud she disap-
peared with my one silk dress.
During the whole spring and summer
mother and l worked, cleaned, canned
berries, MIXED and churned and "tried
a succession of poor creatures who left
us with our patience worn to the last
thread
One night mother announced, 81 am
going to try an experiment. [ shall be
with foreigner who can't speak word
of English, who never heard of priv
ileges, of canning houses, of the fash
ions of the beer-shop. Eli go to Phila-
delphia tomorrow. board an emigrant
ship and carry off an unframed savage
Il woman Friday"
[ laughed at it as joke, and was a
good deal startled that night when moth
er, at prayers, asked that " she might be
successful in her undertaking" adding,
after little pause:
"May the woman [ shall bring be
of help to us, IN making our daily life
more peaceable and cheerful, and may
we help her upward in her way through
life"
well, mother" said I, doubtfully,
as we started up to bed, 81 never knew
you before to ask the Lord to control
the kitchen affairs"
"SOme people," ste said, gravely,
"think it an insult to the Almighty to
suppose that He concerns himself about
our little worries. Perhaps He has His
messengers for such small work in the
upper world, just as He has III this. [
don't know. But do know that He does
attend to all the things that [ ask Him
about"
Mother was as simple and direct as a
child, even in her religion
The next day she visited the city, went
aboard a Bremen vessel, and brought
home-Christina. She was about Is,
fat and round as churn; with clean
skin, blue eyes, funny little knob of
hair atop of her head, a white muslin
waist, short gray wooden petticoat and
heavy shoes.
"She cannot speak a word of Eng
lish," said mother, looking half scared.
"She is a Norwegian. The agent said
she had dreadful history. But her
honest face tempted me. / seemed to
hear voice saying, Take this one. ~"
''She is an escaped convict, no
doubt, | said. ''That guiding voice of
yours, little mother, induced you to
| bring in Blue Peter ont of the aims
house, who set fire to the barn. Well,
I'll show her about the supper.
| Christina followed me-dumb and
watchful-from kitchen to dining
while I laid the table, prepared the
mullins. fried chicken and made coffee.
She did not offer to touch anything,
or to help me. But the next morning
when / went down to make ready the
| breakfast, there was the table laid, aud
the chicken, mullins and coffee, precise
" as she had seen them the night be-
fore.
She was faithful and initiative as a
Chinaman, and sue was already a good
cook and dairy maid. She learned few
words of English, and with them she
showed her gratitude for any simple
kindness shown her. We fancled, too,
that she took pleasure in the beautiful
country about her. ,., :.
It never looked more beautiful than 1t