Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-12-27
THE STORY OF A CARPET.

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 it down again:
He had told me that be would be on
hand "bright an airlv, and even hint
ed at the possibility of his coming by
daylight.
If you are here by half-past seven, it
will do. / said.
.'Ha'-pas' seben, ladyi Dat am mon
s'tous late TO man to begin days
wuk. Use mo- likely to be roun' 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, Jerryp" l asked. sYou
said you would surely be here by half
past seven.n
so did, lady, SO 1 did; an how
happened to ober-sleep myself dis
mawnin' is de mos main circum-
stances Mos gin'rally Use up TO- day.
But I'll hab dat kyarpet up an out'n
de back ya'd less'n no time
ITS so late. you'll have to hurry if
you get it all done to-day"
''Sho, lady! Hits jess play TO me to
take up kyarpet like dat. clean hit
an put hit down in free hours
A little after nine l went into the
room. Jerry had the tacks out on three
sides OF the carpet. and was lying fiat
on his back staring up at the ceiling.
''pcla, lady, he said. ..dat's de put
tiest wuk on dat ceilin' cher saw!"
Use tyyin' an tryin' to make out if hit
am RELY 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. Hill be out o. hyar in free
shakes oh dead sleeps TAIL" he said.
At ten o'clock / again went into the
room. Jerry had folded the carpet up
in the middle of the room and was sit
ting 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 any help in clean
ing small carpet like this" said.
ia, no, lady! / could clean dis
kyarpet wild one hand tied behind me. :"
1t was eleven o'clock when Jerry got
the carpet on the line. Ten minute
later he had disappeared. My little
boy found him two blocks away, in a
perfect ecstasy over hand-organ and a
monkey.
81 'clar, ma'am. dat am de smartsst
monkey! Hit do beat ALI WINNER if
hit makes much money!" he said, when
he came back.
He gave the carpet few listless
strokes with an old broom-handle and
then laid himself down on the grass
"clean tired out"
Ten minutes later found him initiat-
ing my little boy into the mysteries of
"Mumble-the-peg"
Jerry" said, pointing majestically
to the carpet.
Eyes, lady, hits all cleaned. I'll
put hit down in ten minutes"
at is not half cleaned" said "You
have not beaten one-tenth of the dust
out of it."
"All right, lady, all right" he said
ominously. Hits yo' kyarpet, an
reckon yo' can STAN de loss if beats
hit to rags. Use pounded dat kyarpet
all hit'll STAN lady, but hits yo' kyar-
pet"
But why write more? At five o'clock
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 him and "git
dat kyarpet down quicker'n wink the
next day."
Ipaid him for half days work, babe
him good-by foreve and put the carpet
down myself the next day.-1he Youths
Companion.