Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-07-02
BARBER COUNTY INDEX
WEDNESDAY. JULY 2, 1890.
LOVELY PARTHENIA.
A Jewel OF Girl, But Somewhat Given to
EccentrIcIty.

A Jewel OF a Girl, But Somewhat Given to
Eccentrlclty.
II you want Parthenia you can have
her and welcome. She is a Jewel of q
lady, save that she is apt to go of on
tangents that give rise to suspicious Of
drink. do not think that she does
drink, only that her brain is a trife
warped in the making or preserving,
and i would not dare to swear that she
may not get up some morning and MUIR
der every member Of the family. She is
such joker, and if it occurred to her
that it would be funny to put the whole
family to death Parthenia would be the
one to do it.
Parthenia is black lady. She is the
blacklist lady Q Jer saw. Unlike most
black ladies, she does not care to be
called colored out of a mere mistaken
sense OF politeness.
Call me a Niger" says Parthenia.
That's what am, and don't see why
] should object to being called it any
more than you would object to being
called white folks"
And then she will go out into the
kitchen and shake with laughter for ten
minutes over her own witness.
Parthenia can cook clear around Del
monico and still have room to spare
that is, when she wants to. She is eco
nomical to a degree. and it is the won
der of the house what she eats, for meat
comes back to the table just as it went
of, and sweets are as safe in her keep
ing as il they were locked up in a safe
deposit vault The washerwoman who
comes on Tuesdays complains bitterly
that she has trouble in getting enough
to eat out of Parthenia, and this has no
connection with the woman of the
house, who is generosity personiied.
The latter has put up with great deal
from Parthenia, partly because she be-
lieved she had good heart and partly
because she was a willing worker and
would sit up till midnight over the iron
ing Of a very large and extravagant
family. But some of her little Jokes it
was hard work to stand.
For instance, sometimes it would not
suit her fancy to make bread or desserts.
When asked why she had not done So
and nine times out of ten her failure
followed distinct order with company
reasons why she should not neglect
them, she would laugh and say she
didn't feel like it--or hadn't time. If
her mistress ever went into the kitchen
to help her out by making cake or pud-
ding she always suffered, for the next
time that this was ordered it would not
come. The family would reach the ice
cream stage of dinner and there would
be no cake to go with 1t.
"Why, Parthenia, " her mistress would
exclainh, "why did you not make cake,
as l told you? You know we always
want cake with ice-cream, and 1 told
you specially this morning to make it."
Il s'posed you always wanted to make
it." was all the satisfaction given, and
then the diabolical creature went to the
kitchen and was found there ten min
utes later, her head buried in sheet
and her long, slim body shaking with
silent laughter.
At last her mistress lost all patience
and made some vigorous remarks which
Parthenia overheard. The latter nursed
her feelings in silence for long time.
She took an evening paper and read it
assiduously at nightuntil she fell asleep,
the gas burning full streak all the time.
On her afternoon of, as soon as the din
ner dishes were washed, she would
mount to her room and go to sleep. By
these presents you may know her.
Still she nursed her resentment in
silence until it was almost time to break
up for the summer. Then one day, when
it was so late that q decent girl could be
got with the greatest difficulty, she sud
denly told her mistress that she was 60
ing to leave the very next day.
When asked for reason: "You DOM
like me, !" she said. Her mistress tried
to assure her that she fairly dotted or
her, but it was no go.
'You don't love mei you only like
what you get out of me-"
II like You we'll enough to want you
to stay" said the other.
eyes" she replied, lust because yor
don't want the trouble of hunting up an
other girl"
And so this jewel, with the great biz
flaws, went her way and left house IL
mourning. II you want her you can hav'
her so far as am concerned, and hops
you will be happy with her.
What is the moral of this story?
don't know that it has one. 1t is fai
example of what the slave Of house
wife has to put up with on the girl CUES
tion. Some day, when 1 get smar
enough and have little leisure on m.
hands, am going to invent an automa
ton girl and make my everlasting for