New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-08-22
A Remarkable Colored Woman.

Being invited by friend in Virginia
to spend some weeks of the hunting
season with him, [ proceeded by steam
er to my friends residence on the beau
tiful Rappahannock. AS we elbowed
our way through crowd of hucksters
and loafers to the end of the wharf, my
attention was arrested by singular
specimen of the African race. A short,
stout woman, rs black Us ebony, and
weighing about 200 pounds, hurried by
quite breathlessly with a large covered
basket on her arm. She wore \ short
cotton dress, voluminous white apron,
long coat of dark cloth, and had a
bright colored bandana on her head,
which was surmounted by straw hat
with a very wide brim. Her feet were
incased in heavy brogues. Her beam
ing smile disclosed to view an enviable
white set of teeth
swell, Dolly called my friend as
we passed, "what have you got now?"
Chickens, master,'' she replied la
conically, and without breaking her
gait.
"a remarkable woman that said
my friend. Il must tell you about her. -
and accordingly, when seated in his We
hicle. rs we were on the way to the
house, reminded him of his promise.
s'Well, you know he began, ''after
the War when we were all broken up,
and poor as possible, we had to get rid
of the old servants unless we could at
ford to pay them wages, which few of
us could do. Dolly's mistress, Mrs.
Spencer, was left widow with several
children, and almost destitute. A suit
was threatened for debt she was un-
able to pay, and she would have been
turned out of house and home but for
Dolly. One day, several years after the
War, Dolly came to me and asked me
if her mistress did not owe her back
wages, as she called them. l knew
she had been an excellent servant, toll
ing faithfully for her mistress, and Oft
en- doing 4 mans work, driving the OK
cart, blowing, and the like. Yet l was
sorry to acknowledge the legal justice
of her claim. for knew that Mrs. Spen-
Ger would be totally unable to meet the
demand. Judge of my establishment
when Dolly's plan was unfolded. 1t
was to claim prior right to the prop
erty in lieu Of wages, and then settle
the amount on her mistress! 1t sounds
like a romance in these days, whose
motto is mphatically, Every man for
himself but assure you it is a fact,
and was faithfully carried out. The
amount due to Dolly actually covered
the value of the small property, and it
was awarded to her, and She immedi-
atcly had it conveyed in legal form to
Mrs, Spencer.
''Since then Dolly has remained with
them exactly on the old footing. gar
dening, working in the field, driving
the cart when necessary, and taking a
truly maternal interest in the children.
She raises bees and sells the honey, car
ries fruits and vegetables of her own
cultivation to the river boats, and often
devotes the proceeds of her labor to
buying clothes for the little Spencers,
having them cut out and made at her
own expense. Mrs. Spencer resigns ev-
erything into such efficient hands and
returns Dolly's devotion.
II heard story once of 4 negro who
aspired to marry this thrifty hand.
maid. He determined to try his luck.
" I've II gret min to 90 up and listen
to dat nigger, said one. 'pll bet he
and Dolly is settin' up on de hill now,
talkin'.'
'''Tll bet dcy amt dom no such
thing was the reply. Dolly ain't
takin' up no time wild him, nor wild nc
other niger.
'.To satisfy their curiosity they creep
up the brow of the hill and pccred over
to the new ground, where Dolly wa:
1T work. There she was, as the SECOND
speaker had predicted, grubbing away
with provoking diligence, while her dis
comlited sutton could not even induce
her to turn her head in his direction. ,