Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1883-10-13
A Heroine in Ebony.

Hamilton Jay in Philadelphia Times
Who she was and where sho came
from WA Away o mystery to u.s. Her
coming was as unexpected as q summer
shower, and turned out to be as fully
grateful. y"
The circumstances of her arrival
umong us were out of the usual line,
and the result blessing in disguise.
One languid, sultry day in August
We We're all sitting on the wide,
roomy piazza, eager to catch every
futter of breeze that might arise,
when torn and dusty little
figure opened tho gate and came
down the path. Flinging herself weari-
ly before MS, she said: my names
Cah'line, an 1 want to stay wild you"
1t was child of about II years,
small and delicate looking, black as
the shadow of midnight, but with o
bright, pleasant face, and small features
almost Caucasian in their outlines.
The child was half starved and evil
IDENTIFY worn out by long and toilsome
journey, and her faculties ut first
seemed to DO in half benumbed state.
All that we could obtain from her in
he way of information was that her
lame WAS Cah1ine.
A good bath and n generous meal
created such wonderful transforms
ton in her that the head of affairs de-
cided to keep her, and so Cah'line be-
came the chore-girl of our little house
hold. She proved to be very faithful
and affectionate, quick and willing to
learn, very clean and neat in her per-
son and habits and exceedingly handy
in her small but useful sphere.
With the COWS and calves she early
made friends, giving names Of her own
invention to them all, which they read
lily learned to recognize, particularly
when slice of watermelon was the
reward.
She knew all the places where the
hens were accustomed to lay; would
crawl under the barn or other build
ings, through high weeds and brambles
in shady fence corners, and always
with success, meanwhile grooming to
herself song, whose burden was:
Get ye ready,
Get ye ready,
You'll have to take little more bread,
TUT udT no CltDDeT Heitl
Even the wisest old hen knew it was
waste of time to try and hide her nest
from the sharp, keen eyes of Cah'line.
The family dog, wise, well-bred and
very gentlemanly terrier, regarded her
at first with grave doubts and dignified
suspicion, but soon became her sworn
ally, and the two had many a happy
romp together.
Differing strangely from all others of
her race whom we had known, the
watermelon in the various stages of its
growth and beauty had for her no
charms; her palate barely tolerated
corn bread and rejected hominy alto
gether. But slice of cake was to her
glimpse of heaven and piece of
candy symphony Of surprising sweet
ness. Her love of finery was strongly
developed, and her pride and satisfac
ton unbounded in n pair of flaming
scarlet garters, although she did not
consider the usual accompaniment of
stockings at all necessary
She early learned to sew, and got
along very well in that line, with the
exception of an unusual parsimony in
regard TO stitches
Her language was replete with rich
SMILES and idioms of the most amusing
kind.
Her affection for her mistress was
genuine and intense. Sometimes she
would steal softly up behind and slip
her arms about her mistress waist, and
when the latter would mildly expostu-
late at the familiarity, she would say,
"Oh, Miss Lizzie, do let me alone;
you know love you so much"
Always bright and cheerful and talk
alive, she gave life an animation to our
household adults-and was treated
more as one of the family than as
servant and of the despised race
She was very liberal in regard to the
letters OF the alphabet and seldom used
the pronoun sit" without bestowing
upon it the extra letter "h" For in
stance, her mistress would ask the ques-
ton, "Cah'line, where is the water
pail?" and the answer would be,
"Yonner hit, right by de door"
In building fires she was an expert,
and in her hands few slivers of pine
would develop unusual powers of COM
bustion.
She was proficient also in the ruder
elements of cookery, such as frying
"hog meat" and making long collards
tender and succulent.
She was handy mixer and seemed
to possess faculty of reasoning and
power of seductive persuation that
would eventually bring the most re-
fractory and imponitent COW to terms.
To see her carrying watermelons to
her favorite COW was picture in itself
She would walk from the lower field of
the plantation to the house with a
melon under each arm and one bal
anced carefully on her head.
Going to the front gate she would
call the COWS by name and they would
run to meet her, stopping at respect
full distance to receive the delicious
morsels thrown to them.
Her special favorites among the
meek-eye kline were called by the GU
phonious names Of "Reddy" and slew
foot" The latter name was evidently
the inspiration of some innate spark OF
genius.
The plantation of which she was a
part and parcel was very near rail-