River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-11-06

clean and 1resl, and there MAS some
thing suggestive Of strength and capa-
bility in her manner and attitude.
''Spect yer doan' know me, Miss Is
Aun' Susan Johnson Mis- Freeman
don sen me up we're"
''Oh, yes" I said; Mrs. Freeman
spoke to me about you. Do you want a
situation?7
"a wukin' place. yer mean, Miss?'
she said. inquiringly.
Yes. I've had half a dozen girls
since We came here TO Virginia, and it
seems 10 m that each new one is lazier
and more worthless than the last I'm
utterly worn out with trying 20 teach
them, and after all having most of the
work TO do myself sent the last one
of yesterday"
Williams She don't know nuf' n
with a scorntul sniH-
''Mrs. Freeman told me that yOd are
very good cook and laundress, Aunt
Susan" | said.
mis- Fcceman know all bout me,
honey; done wul5 fer her many day.
ben a-washin' fer der ladies down / der
hotel dis summer, bus now l reck'n I'll
cook fer a spell. I doan' mean ter be
chOicy, Miss Nellie. but l suttinly does
like cOOkin' better'n washin', deed
does"
Have you family?' l asked.
Got four chilIun, Miss, all grown.
De boys dey all settled in dey own
homes. an my gal, she's in service, jes
gone ter lib ter Cap'n HOlden's. Use a
settled woman. Miss. n now ct my
Jimmy's gone ter wuk. l dOan' keer ter
stay all lone te- home"
Twas Oaly too glad to secure Aunt
Susan. and she was speedily installed
in our kitchen. Then ensced one of
those blissful periOds-sO rare. alas
when the household machinery moves
on without noise or friction.
Such rolls and beaten bise :. such
cOrn-pOne and fried chicken as those
sable fingers could prepare. And Oh.
the delicious cleanliness of that old
kitchen, Tables. and chairs and floor
speedily took on that milky whiteness
that only constant scrubbinC can i'm
part 10 pine boards, and as 10 the tiEs
they CLEANED and gIittered like bur
nished silver. and woe 70 the luckless
wight who ventured to touch one OF
them. Securing and scrubbing were
Aunt Susan's ''catch-up" work.
Deed. does like ter scrub, Miss
Nellie" she said one day; but | mem
Der when I use ter hate it. OATS when
lib on de Of plantation fob dc wah,
Ny ~ Mis- use ter keep a big pine b0de
pupp.S fer me ter scrub-ter keep me
out 'er mischief, she say; n member
one hot day 81 got tired er scrubbin
n pull de bode under de big oil lay
lock bushes in dc yard. N den Istretch
myself out on it = go fas' ersleep: hut
oil Mis- she wake me mighty suddin,
she did. She wake me wild a strap n
he'd ter scrub dat bOde twel dark. deed
did"
Aunt Susan dearly loved TO talk. and
her tongue was never still when went
into the kitchen Ono day she said
Miss Nellie. why you ain nebber git
ma-'ied2r
why. Aunt susan l said. what
would brother Henry do without me:
I'm going to be an old maid and keep
house for him always"
''Oh. yes said Aunt Susan, with a
TWINKLE in her eye, Il use ter say Is
goin' ter be Of maid, too. n when any
TELLER KEN ter sec me ! say: Oh. yer GO
long. I doan' wan none o yOu;' but dcy
KEEP a comm Yer see wasn't nehb"r
very hahnsOme. but dey was aller.
somepin kinder takin' bout me. n
bymbye sOmepin token place, Ior,
token place. n dat's les de way twel
be wild yOu, Miss Nellie. Yer's toe
good lookin' ter he a OF maid. l suttin-
" does like she went on. ter lib wild
gOOd-lOokin' folks. 10 / had or bad.
lOok'n' missus n anybody as me: IL
dat YOU missus, AUn' SusanF ! say