New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-20
RACHEL, OF VIRGINIA.
HER PHEASANT EccENTRIcI1IEs.

"Hrvo you ever kept house in Virginia. inquired ar
acquaintance when Informed that were about to set
up our Larcs and Penates In that State
The George Washington principle that shonid an
innate tho heart the sorl OF every true American,
forced us to respond IN the negative.
Then l advise you TO go slow. You VIII give IL
up In two months
As lncal descendant Of Mother Eve, what more
natural than for us to calculate Immediately almost
before the sentence ended, that one shsrp huic
word OF three letters which always posed on
the very tip OF a woman's tongue ready to lose It's
balance and tOpple over and OUT the instan' INC up
cato unatchos-" Whyl"
Because you Will be discouraged and disguised.
You VIII find out In less time than have naihea inse
you know nothing about housekeeping In Virginia. Win
Virginia coored servants
"Can they be any worse than some OF inc foreign
element that have sonspred to mako henscEcep'ns
burden ana life cry OF pair In the dozen years
have been mistress OF my Own homo In Ae"-ho'h'
lncredulousiy inquired.
"Worselp my tormenter CALCULATED; those irish
erls tho very poorest and most Unsatisfactory you
ever had I'm your kitchen angels, yes, angcs Win
uncppcd wings Just ready TO soar, compared with "ha'
Won can find here. Two months Is all the tmo giyo
you'
"Wcllp I announced TO Ecodemns, as VIC left the
sefconstituted Jobs Comforter, he Is southerncr'
with Southern prejudice against the blacs, WHO l.
rs a Nothcrner born and bred, believe thst VIC aio
responsible for most OF their faults ana shortcohs'
thai the enduring If and suffering for them Is part
Of the Justice and eternal or enrhy fitness OF ,nnss'
our punishment for so long allowing tho institution
of slavery to exist. Strange II cannot be patient
with and willing to teach poor ignorant black when
wo white people are responsible for said ignorance anu
degradation"
II was about four weeks ago that the above con-
versatIon was held and that the sentiments or pflhc
pies then enunclacd wcrc, supIosei firmly Implanted
I'm my breast Possibly the principles SIN roman
I hope so, and that they viii never be uprootea OF
" choked OUT
Rachel inquire from communicating ROOM as
hear her voice raised angrily and suspicious bang
ing Of tin ware, what is it you arc sayingi'
"Ise only tawkln' ter dc PAM comes the answer,
but conclude the girl Is also chastlslng the same in
animate, unorcndlng object, as tho sound OF DO"
uron tho metal from heavy hst reaches US.
Rachel seems principlei against laying down any
snoon. or knife or piece of china even. She stands
over tho table and suspcndng the article from TWO 10
five inches above lets 1t fall To all circumstances ano
fears expressed lest small store OF Kitchen ana
dlnncroom utensils will speedily be nil, as warnings
received aided partially in lettering US from compcte
furnishing Of our abode, she only says
al didn't throw IT, It jes' dropped cawnt help dc
fishes droppln ef dey wants ter an dar caunt nobody
else"
"Racbeln I remark, al am sure 1t need not take
you quito two hours to do up the breakfast dishes ior
only three people,
III ANYBODY hes ter DO onter dar feet all day, dey
doan' feel much like hurryn' up an gttln through
spIy," she informs us.
But Rachel, II yOu would do the work quickly,
YOU could have plenty of time in which to sit down
and rest.'
Oar caun't nobody do moar dan ter keeps at II
all de time
The argument IS unanswerabe, and wc are, for the
time at least, silenced
did you sweep off the front porch and steps this
morning before breakfast l told you to do every
morning Rachel is inquiry prompted by the untdy
appearance Of the aforesaid porch and steps.
"rse he'd time ernur fur ter do II, an went out an
looked at IT, but didn't nawthn that needed no
sweepln' Of" was inc response
When engaged, every other Sunday was given on
which to be away. But before the second sunday
came around although she had been out three days In
the week for from to two hours each tme she
boldly asked for every Sunday, hant never usern
mysclf ter ben' confined inter dc holsen so stiddy
Ike an doan jes know how Isc a-gulne ter do H..
Rachel receives letter from her father who owns,
she says a seventy 1vc aero peanut farm but his
craps doan' pay him no moar, an seeR as Use ne |
yuongcs Of his chrcrn hese loohn fur me ter sen |
hin, some money an so I'd Ike moar pay.7
We expect the climax will be reached shortly when
vye shall probably see Rachel coming in the house
bearing yaer cheer on her head. The last party
for whom she worked has not paid her what was owing
into a quarter and though she makes frequent pill
crmaces after the money she scorns to ask outright
for 1t, but
g. tawks rpun' about fur Il, an dat man he knows
well nuff what means. tells his wife dat I'sc mos
barefoot an hes got ter hav my shoes mendid, an
haint got no kwarter ter pay fur en- AN CT he doan
glib me dat kwarter pooty Use agwinc ter tote OIL
one o. dem yallcr cheers OBJ hisn, fur lse boun
fer git satsfakshun outem Tim some way
Rachel l wish you would close that outside door
when YOU 60 in and OUT mildly request, as the
searching spring winds sweep through this lily built
Southern house.
"Icawn't take de time ter a-op'nin an ashettin'
no doah arer me- eb'ry time goes out nor In haint
never ben usern ter 1t an cawnt do it, Is the calm
answer
aRachel. will you take these wraps up stairs ~ wo
ask
"Ise a,gwine up pooty soon, an den kin take
EN- haint a-gwine up jes' now, an my hands haInt
clean"
But they ought to be taken up now. Rachel; can't
you wash your hands!'
II s'poso kin"
An interval of fifteen minutes passes. then In
quire
I. Rachel. haven't you had time yet to wash your
handsl'
O. s'poso Ise he'd tlmo, but hant a done IT,
ado It now, then, and taEc the wraps up immedi |
ately' We calculate, patience at a low cob.
Rachel soon appears takes The wraps, and we hear
her tawkin ter dem wraps ar dem steers as she |
proceeds on her way.
else twenty year ole,' Rachel remarked over the |
breakfast table tic other morning TO her co-laborer
Parme brightfaced, smart spoken" young mulatto
girl an Isc tirIdn' dat Ise OLE nun tor get mar
RED ef l kin git man. dunno II wants young |
man or an ole man. ESQ gwine ter fin out dough- |
poorly soon which It II be, or eff Isc gwne ter dle"
"Goin' die yor, II yer doant Git marrled''
hac haan
TO school three years " In the stone building and
being naturally bright and quick wittcd has improved
much I'm Der conversational and grammatical powers
"Yas Is. l know how to I'm out whether Use
ter gift marrd no ole woman she tole me-
Parmel laughs scornfuy, and Rachel continues