New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-06
THE RIDING PASSION STRONG IN DEATH.
JENNA WAS CIVIL SERVANT, BUT TRUTH
KNEW HER NOT.

Il sometimes think l will write book ana cal
it Servants Have Had,'" said New-fork house
wife the other DAY g snow 1t would be success IL
| could make the char ,ters half as interesting as
they were IN real life ! have had goou many
sci wants In my time. and each one mas mao her
pecullarlties. Perhaps the one who cnerossed me
most in the study OF her character was Jemlma. she
cave me no end Of trouble. but had q queer li1he
for her that never turned TO resentment even wheh
She died in my house. and that is saying good deal
Jemima tall. lanky, PALE washedout'
delicate, useless creature. who cried at inc Ieast
rcbuke or mishap and had backing cough and a
hectic nush on nigh cheek bone. She answered
an advertisement had put in paper for strohs'
capable woman. to do general hOuscwork, and she
assured me that she had filed such places all her
life She offered me a number Of references, and as
wanted help that minute took her into the Kitchen
right away, and reserved the references for some
future occasion.
Well. that girl had not worked for me one
day before discovered that she knew next TO moth
ing of general houscwork, and for strength, my
self was an Amazon to her. accused her Of de-
ccving me. and she began TO cry. Then she began
TO tell me her story. she Lad not gone far before
| perceived she lying. In fact. Jcmima turned
out to be the champion liar OF all my acquaintance
| never person who seemed so utterly lhcapaDie
of telling the truth. never learned her past history
believe because she never told the same
some days that. NAV have heard
her true history one day without knowing il, but
an not able to place it now. The reason lay so
much stress her past history. is because she was
never done talking of it, and it gave me lot OF
trouble after she died.
WELL kept that useless girl for more than year.
threatening every day to discharge her and as often
Ielcntng She was fond OF me and was always civil,
a rare virtue in American servants. My husband uScd
to say that the only reason kept her was because
could give her piece of my mind whenever hheu
without fear OF her talking back However, one morn
ing the poor creature collapsed. SLOW consumption
had had her for years, and now the end came all AT
AS sat by her death bed, she began 70 tell me a
story of how she made success on the stage a..
melodramatic star before i'll health deprived her "i
her good look>. | Knew she never como nav m'u
had listened to her for a time In pity, icu II NY
@.Sow Jcmma.' said, 'you have only
Your past history rest. and prepare little Tor 'he
i've always been a good girl she replied calmly.
eyes. Jcmima' said. but You're an awful story
Yes she answered weakly, 4 suppose am, but
| never could help il. Do YOU think they VIII 90
against me in the other world ,, .., co,.. ,o,,,
".Wci' She replied after long pause. evidently
over it now. But tell yon what VIII DO VIII
tell yqu . ,4e ee . iTHn Sf' STfS!e w S farmer
England. ! ran away from home when vounE. IN
i,gracc and never returned. Nv father died some
wears ago. and left me two hundred pounds. never
claimed II. because ! did not want 10 be discovered
Hut if yOu would promise 10 claim II for me dnd
invest il for my little daughter, in the orphans Home
at l., | could die easy.
she closed her eyes and expired. and nv husband
and told each other that Jeninis had got OF one Of
the biggest lies of her life. still when | came t. eN
anime her trunk found letters that led me 70 thlhK
that after all the girl had repnt"d am told ne truth
for once. on her death bed. - wrU" t. LAWYER IN
the English village she said her father died IN. AID
after a vast amount of trouble and som" eNpcll-e'
found that legacy had rcall" been left 10 Nriadne
smith Then 70 prove her identity with my Jclnima
was the difficulty. Nothing but the thought of that
poor child In the orphan asylum and how much
81 900 would do 10 educate il and perhaps save II from
the hard lot its mother had. Spurred me on in my
efforts and opened my husbands purse for the
necessary fees.
"Finaly had the satisfaction. after much red tape
and legal beating about the BUSH Of knowing that
Jcnima's claim had been recognized. Then 10 prove
the Identity OF the little heir came next
Imagine my disgust to find that there was no
little heir and never had been. In her dying
moments Jcmima had told the truth about the legacy.
hut had unable to resist the temptation e. lie
about the child. Her legacy reverted T. the Crown.
and my husband has let me hear the last Of
IT, Still ! cannot bring myself 10 think harShy Of
Jemima. ! don't believe she could help it, aud then
she always so civil 10 me.