The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-08-12
"MAID.OF.ALL-WORK."

sMAID-OF.ALL-WORK."
Rachel Ramsay looked very pretty,
indeed, as she came down the narrow
wooden staircase of the little brown farm
house, that afternoon, dressed in a white
muslin dress. strewn all over with tiny
pink rosebuds, and fresh lace frin
around her neck, tied with pink ribbon,
while her pretty feet were buttoned into
new pair of boots, with high, French
heels, and her hair was curled in loose,
glossy coils of shining bronze.
ssEhr' said Granny Ramsay, looking
up from her everlasting knitting-work,
over which she was half-asleep; ''goin'
to church, hey?"
ut isn't Sunday, grandma" ex-
planned the girl, laughing and coloring.
I'm going to the Tower. to see Miss
Calhoun. She has often invited me there
she and Miss Bell,
ssPshawr' said Granny Ramsay, who
was one of those venerable people priv
LEGGED to speak their minds on all occa-
sions; what do the fine city ladies at the
Tower want of a farmers daughter like
your
ssBut. grandma, they've invited mer'
lit reminds me-" said grandma,
shrewdly, 'sof the old story Of the iron
pot and the china pot swimming down
stream together; and they didn' nowise
suit.r
Rachel said no more, but escaped out
into the shady lane, where the naples
were beginning to turn pale yellow in
the first September frosts.
..Grandma is always criticising every
body" she thought. Il know the ladies
at the Tower will be glad to see me.
Miss Alice wants to sketch my head for
Elaine and Miss Bell asked me to sing
duets with her. She said had voice
like lark. And perhaps Mr.. Harold
Haroldson will be there! ForI know he
often visits at the house,"
And Rachel smiled to herself, as she
crossed the rustic bridge and went
through the woods to the Tower, fan
tastic wooden cottage with semi-cir-
cular front, which was let for the sum-
mer, the owner thereof preferring to live
in a square brick structure in the village.
The little side door was open and Ra-
chel went in. From the left of the pas
sagc-way, adoor opened into the kitchen,
and there, to her infinite amazement, she
saw Miss Alice Calhoun herself. in an
aesthetic dress of pale sage-green, and
roses in her hair, contemplating a pair
of decapitated fowl which lay on the
table.
miss Aliceiar' she exclaimed
lis it you, Rachel ?' exclaimed the
city young lady, bouncing on her, as a
drowning man ppunces on the nearest
floating straw. 30, 1 never was so
glad to see anybody in all my life /! These
horrid hens Bridget has gone away in
a rage because l presumed TO find fault
with the coffee, this morning, and we
have company to dinner. and haven't
an idea how to get the feathers off these
creatures. But now that you are here,
everything will be right p
And she took off the big bib-apron,
and stepped back. with sigh of relief.
Rachel looked perplexed. She had
come there, not to enact the role of
kitchen maid, but to visit Miss Calhoun,
to sit in her drawing-room and enjoy the
conversation of her guests, and she did
not exactly relish this summary dismissal
to the kitchen.
There is no soup stock" went on
Miss Alice, "and salad, and delicate
piece of halibut, and with the fowls
roasted. and pie or pudding, or some
thing which dare say you can make,
we shall do very nicely. I'm particu-
larry anxious about the dinner, because
we are to have company. You'll excuse
me now, because have to Dress
And away tripped Miss Alice, selfish
and smiling as ever was Queen Cleo
patra's self.
Poor Rachel She stood a minute in
the hot kitchen, the tears springing to
her eyes, pang of disappointment at
her heart. She knew all about it. Har-
old Haroldson and Mr.. Dallas were to
dine there that day, and she-she was
TO be cook. waitress, maid-of-all-work-
what significd it what she called herself?
She remembered what grandmallad said,
and for once in her life gave that vener-
ablelady credit for discrimination.
There was no help Tor it, however.
She ted on the bib-apron, tucked the
curls back OF her ears, and went to work
toprepare the chickens for the roasting
pan, now and then pausing to brush
away the round bright tears which rolled
down her cheeks.
These young ladies evidently intend
ed to make her useful. She might have
known that they did. beforehand. She
could hear the soft sound of Bell Cal
houn's guitar; the sweet. subdued tinkle
of Alice's laughter; the deep, monoson-
Gus under-current of gentlemen's voices.
and then she glanced down at her pretty
muslin dress and bows of pink ribbon,
and began to think that Miss Calhoun
had taken an unfair advantage of her.
II she could only have heard the rapid
and energetic collouuv which transp;rel