The Irish standard., 1886-12-11
EDunphy. who has been for several
years curate in Fer,ybank, Arklow, in
the parish Of Avoca, County Wicklow,
parish priest of tile Maui.
INDUSTRIOUS JERRY.

a yvhite Lady's Experience with Coll
ored- -Carpet-Cleaner.
The proverbial Incidence of the coll
ored man in certain parts of the coun-
try may be an unfortunate gift of he
redity. If so, it is a gift in which
many negroes find much enjoyment
A lady gives the following account of
her experience with negro man
whom she had engaged to take up
and clean a carpet, and put 1t down
again.
He had told me that he would be on
hand "bright an airly," and even
hinted ct the possibility of his coming
by daylight
eff you are here by hsf-past seven,
it will do" I said.
.'Ha'-pas' seben. lady! Dat am
mons tous late fo' man to begin q
days wuk. Use mo- likely to beroun'
by ha-pas' six, lady,"
Half-past seven came and went the
next day, and no Jerry. Eight o clock,
and no Jerry. At half-past eight he
came leisurely sauntering into the
yard.
'.How is this, Jerry?" asked. .'You
said You would surely be here by half
past seven"
so l did, lady, so I did; an how I
happened to obersleep myself dis
mawnin' is de mos 'mazin' circum-
stance. Mos gin rally Use up fo' day.
But I'll hab dat kyarpetup an out'n de
back va d less n no time"
''It's so late, you'll have to hurry if
you get it all done today
''Sho, lady! Hits jess play fo' me
to take up a kyarpet like dat, clean hit.
an put hit down in free hours"
A little after nine I went into the
room. Jerry had taken the tacks out
on three sides of the carpet, and was
lying flat on his back staring at the
ceiling.
Il clar, lady," he said, '.dat's de
rse tryin' an tryin' to make out if hit
am reely painted on dar, or if hit am
only papered on.''
you'd better let the ceiling alone,
and get this carpet out on the line right
away" said. sharply.
'.Don' yo' min bout dis kyarpet,
lady. Hit'll be out O. hyar in free
shakes oh dead sleeps tail, {" he said.
At ten o'clock l again went into the
room. Jerry had folded the carpet up
in the midcle of the room, and was
sitting on it.
"Takin' up kyarpets is kind O.
waxin' wuk,'' he said. Il mos allus
has some one to help me-"
.You don't need anv help in clean
ing little carpet like this" l said.
.La, no, lady! 1 could clean dis
kyarpet wild one hand tied behind me. :"
1t was eleven o'clock when Jerry
got the carpet on the line. Ten min
ates later he had disappeared. My
little boy found him two blocks away,
in perfect ecstasy over a hand-organ
and monkey.
81 'clar, ma am, dat am de smartest
monkey! Hit do beat all! Wunner if
hit makes much money!" he said,
when he came back.
He gave the carpet a few listless
strokes with an old broom-handle, and
then laid himself down on the grass
''clean tired out"
Ten minutes later 1 found him in
itiating my little boy into the mysteries
of ..mlmble-the-peg."
"Jerry!" said, pointing majestical-
ly to the carpet.
Eyes, lady, hits all cleaned. I'll
put it down in ten minutes"
''lt is not half cleaned" l said.
"You have not beaten one-tenth of the
dust out of il"
/" ii right lady, all right" he said,
ominously. ::Hit's yo' kyarpet: an
reckon yo' kin stan de loss if l beats
hit to rags. Is pounded, dat kyarpet
all hit'l stan, lady. but it's yo' kyar-
pet" !,
that carpet was still on the line, and
Jerry was leaning over the back fence
watching two boys playing at marbles
in the alley. At six o'clock he dragged
the carpet into the house, and wanted
his pay for that day, saying that he
would get man to help hlm, and ''g,t
dat kyarpct down quicker'n wink the
next day."
1 paid him for ha.f a days work,
babe him goodbye forever, and put
the carpet down myself the next day
-Youth's Companion.