Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-08-23
A MORMON WAY.


'oosNcN w W ho hpi ioi ils 4 Hhb III Wall l
neuralgia and the baby GROSS, and cook |
had vanished like the silently
stole away"-only the articles she took |
we're OF more value than the sway"
Janet presented herself, and looked the
treasure that we soon found her to be.
She had Just landed, she said, from the
Old Country, and heard from an old
friend, Mrs. Baker, that | was in need of
a servant, and lost no time in applying
for the situation. OF course she had no
references, and II there had been smooth
sailing at our house | would not have
been 80 rash az to engage her at once.
But | did it, and within month had
decided that | had done wisely. Janet
on her part made one stipulation, and
that was that | keep no other servant.
She said she was willing and able to do
all the work of the house. She had
resolved long ago to never serve in any
family where she could not be entirely
alone In doing 1t. It was such an extra
ordinary event for person to want
extra work, that | was surprised but only
too willing to aocede to her terms in that
respect. We lived in a small city about
one hundred miles from the seaboard, and
AoAP 100 Ao'OA wv IAoANys
Janet brought up the rear OF long
series Of incapsbles who oondesoended to
accept our wages in consideration of their
own inoapacity, and We did not at first
believe In her virtuee-we called her,
between ourselves, the "new broom
but as time wore on she became treasure
In every sense OF the word, We came
finally to look upon her az the devoted
friend of the family. She appeared TO
have no other object in lite than our
comfort and well-being. Not that she
ever said 80, or that she was at all de-
monstrative. She was far from that-in
fact, no one could be- less so--but all her
actioIs went to show it. She was a
woman Of, should Judge, 40 years of
age when she first came to us. She had
been a servant in first-olass families in
the cold Country" and had that look of
concentration in her face that we 30
seldom see in the countenanoes OF do
mestics in America. She told me on first
coming that she could neither read or
write, which thought great pity, but
she did not seem to care about it. She
said she had more time TO see about her
proper business than those who were in
the habit OF reading when they should be
working; but, II she could not read,
soon found her memory to be excellent.
Having read cooking recipe to her once,
never had to repeat it, even il it we're
months before | ordered the article again.
II anything was misplaced in the house,
it was Janet who always found it or could
remember having seen 1t. got In the
way of telling her great deal Of our Sins
and OUTS" and quite enjoyed conyersing
with her about any little affair was
interested in and her suggestions and
counsel, though never offered unless
asked, and then in the most modest and
humble way, were often OF great value tU
me. She never intruded on us with any
familiarity in consequence OF our parti-
ality for her.
But she was not an angel by any
means, as one might suppose after hear
ing this account of her. Her temper was
often on "high" for days together, aud
she made it quite uncomfortable for US
as every knowing servant eau do. No
by disrsspectful words or any inattentiol
to specified orders, but by eglsctlng tb
little things that ahe was 30 famous fol
remembering, and by frequently tossins
her head and mutteriDg unintelligihl,
phrases. She never broke any dishes il
my house, but the way she ratified then
about on her "daysh made me trembl.
for my china. When we were awakened
in the morning with the shutters bangin,
open, and the windows slammed, and al
the hosts Of the Chaldeans trampip,
about in the kitchen, we knew that one o
Janets tantrums was OIL hand, and yOt
ha ha M 1 4
domains for that day, We were a,
heartily fond OF het that these outbreaks
which In another servant would ha7,
been followed by dismissal we quietl,
ignored, and accepted the evil along witt
80 much good that its bsleful induenc
was scarcely minded. early found tina
to soothe or coax her In any way onl,
made matters worse, and The best remed,
ever hit upon was giving Ler littl
extra work to do. AZ she was the onl-
servant we kept, W. could easily 10 that
When my little hoy was i'll, an
gradually faded away from us, Janet
kind sympathy was pntlring. shal
never cease TO remember her devotio
during those s0rfowfnl times. II wa
into her faithful arms ! laid him whe
fatigue and exhaustion compelled me
take rest, and when the last moments c
his dear life had passed away it wa
Janet who sustained my fsinting form
and to whose prudence and are owe n
own safety after long illuess.
by these things snd q thousand other
she endeared herself to I'd, and we fel
That we could never be parted from he
while life lasted. Ny husband provide
Tor Janet, by will, in case OF his deaf
and mine, 30 that her future was safe
and when We told her of it shs did nc
thank us in words, but showed her graf
tude in her own peculiar manner, and
think she did not have another tantru1
for month.
Such was the condition OF things al Tia
beginning of her ninth year Of service
our family. She had been with us in 10
and IN sorrow, had fondled my new-bOr
DaDes, and had laid in his little coffin on
only son. Her interests and ours SCENE
Identical, and We could just a. soon hav
thought OF sending one OF our own littl
ones away from us az to part with Jane
her health was apparently good. sh
Seemed strong and well but had she b,
come helpless invalid her home woul
have been still with us. She had 4
relatives In America except a third q
fourth cousin, whom abe visited on Ia,
afternoons out, and on Sunday evening,
Her mother in the the Old Country die
when Janet had been with US about tire
years. She seldom heard from her fathe
and her sisters and brothers all had the
own little families, 30 that it reall
Seemed that her only home was with NJ
one memorable morning-memorab
for many day and year in the calspd O
OF our family history-she came into I'll
room while we We were at hreakfast ~,
placing some hot cakes at the side OF m
plate made this remark "Mfs. St. Ion,
am afraid, ma'am, these cakes or. n,
30 nice as usual, but hope you will fo
give me for all" It was a yery strara
thing for her to say, and looked 10
surprise. She had a most un1sual lOo
IN her face. II was mixture OF terrt
and resolve. 1t struck ne at the tin
because had dreamed such al odd thir
about her just before | awoke that Va,
morning. thought she was kneeling
an image OF brass and saying, "Oh, spa
me spare me ~ in sgonizing supplio
lion, and with the very look on her "a
that saw now. Thinking OF my dreal
| looked at her closely, but only sal
There's nothing amiss with the cake
Janet" and abe left the room. nj
cakes proved to be- more than usual
delicious, aud as l rang for more 7
marked to Mr.. st. John that Janet mu
have said that to get extra praise Tor b
cooking and We all smiled, and wait
to smile at her. We waited in val
She did not answer the summons, al
after ringing again ] stepped into 1
kitchen to ascertain the rpuas NJ (,