Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-06-14

ants lnLenQ 10 De mistress In my
own house. and 1 want servants and
not companions and friends
'..All right, you have my approval
there; but thought the trouble was.
you were not mistress. They obey just
far enough to enable to keep their
places and draw their wages, and they
have no conception of any other kind
keeper. should try these girls; GER
tainly you couldn't be worse off.
.'If you were a housekeeper, you
would do just as the rest of us do
bear the ills we know, rather than
tempt the unknown"
Perhaps so; I'm profoundly thank
full that I'm not woman, to 60 on do
ing thing to all eternity. because my
grandmother did it before me. and my
peighbors would think it so queer of
me to try any new way"
What are you going to do about the
letter? You really ought to answer
it,
so shall. I shall tell the minister
have forwarded the letter to Mrs. E.
L. Howe who will correspond with
him if she decides to pursue the
matter"
If the editors letter, proving that
Mrs. E. L. Howe was no myth, created
deep and profound excitement in the
little circle of three. what can be said
of the effect produced by letter adj
dressed to Miss Matte Harper, offering
to her and her sister service in the house
of the writer. with wages and condi-
tons very carefully specified? To be
sure. it was signed Mrs. Frederic
Lattimer. but of course, one would
use a fictitious name in paper. The
letter was written in plain terms; it
said servants not ''hired girls" which
was supposed in bingham to be title
of greater respect, and stipulated that
the engagement was only for a month
of trial, at the end of which time, if
Mrs. Lattimer was not pleased, she
would pay their expenses home.
It'll come pretty tough on you, Mar
thy Harper, being looked down on as a
servant" said the kind old house
keeper. You won't have no 'sociation
with the family"
81 don't care to associate with the
family;we don't associate with the men
we make shirts for" said Matte. l
shall have Dolly, and Dolly will have
me, and we will both have the babies.
don't think we shall care for much
more"
1t was only at Mattie's earnest en-
treaty that the minister forebore to ac-
company them to their new home.
''It would look as if we expected to
be received as something more than
we are," she said to Dolly. "And
want her to understand that all we ask
is fair wages for fair work"
So they went alone. A smart-look-
ing maid answered their ring at the
door-bell, calculated their social stand
ing at a glance, and left them in the
hall while she went for her mistress.
Presently the girl came back and con-
Quoted them TO the kitchen. Matte S
eyes noted that the floor was unswept,
the range greasy and a pile of I'M
MISUNDERSTANDING towels lay on the
table; for Bridget had been gone a
week, and Il procession of supplies,
each one worse than the last, had held
brief possession of her kingdom.
II am so glad it isn't basement
kitchen, and see what nice large
yard" she said to Dolly, whose eyes
were ready to overflow.
Something came gathering along the
hall, and the door was pushed open to
admit beautiful boy of four. drawing
a tin horse after him.
"Oh. you darlingr' exclaimed Dolly,
rapturously.
But the boy drew back little. say
ing: where's Bridget?'
And in a minute the nurse bounced
upon him, and dragged him off. call
ing him ga little torment, and bad,
naughty boy
Mattie's first bread, rashly under
taken with Bridget's homemade yeast,
was an utter failure, and the baby
clung obstinately to Joanna in spite of
Dolly's Establishments. while Mrs. Lat
timer, knowing nothing of housekeep-
ing herself. had not II particle of pa
thence with ignorance in others, and
chung to her deep persuasion that moth
ing but the most vigorous putting
down could ever keep these girls from
disagreeable assumption. But long be-
fore the end of the month Dolly reigned
sweet and serene in the nursery, wore
her nurse cap without an uncomforta-
bic thought. and drank in delight from
the shaded park, with its flowers and
birds and fountains, as unconscious of
bitter servitude as the children she
loved and guarded.
LAS for Matte" Mrs. Lattimer con-
fessed to her brother, ''she's simply in
| valuable, and 1 shall never be able to
endure an ordinary servant again, but
if she hadn't known her mind better
than did mine, we should have parted
the very first week. There's one
blaSSad thin n, 1-o,,r old To.,rnnl hoe JoDa