The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-02-13
A EAITHEuL Ex-sLAvE.
How He Secured Position for the Daug
ter of Former Master.

How He Secured Position for the Daugh-
ter of Former Master.
The superintendent of census comes
nearer the throbbing heart of poor hui
manity than any other official in Wash
ington. Of all the departments his alone
is not governed by CiYil-Service laws,
and consequently that class Of people
whom Victor Hugo sweepingly described
as Lies Miserables" turn to the census
bureau. Some who apply are gentle
women of middle age who can not pass
civil-service examination, because
when they were young, girls were taught
to be housewives and no provision was
made for a widowhood or adverse cir
cumstances when they would be forced
to earn their own and their children's
bread Mr.. Porter, the uperintendent,
says there is always one question that
he is forced to put to applicants that
goes through them like knife. 1t is
the simple and legitimate question,
"What can you do?" Marvellous it is
the number of people in the world who
have no definite idea of their own capa-
bilities. When the question doesn't
bring tears it is usually followed by a
wringing of the hands and helpless
81 an not tell" but rarely by direct
confident answer. One of these cases
is unmatched in pathos. Mr.. Porter
boarded for time after coming to the
capital at a hotel where he noticed that
his waiter was unusually attentive. The
man did not seem to care for fees, nor
did he ask ask any thing for himself.
For month or two this dumb admira-
tion was carried on until finally Mr..
Porter said:
''What is it, Wallace? You seem to
have something on your mind"
eyes, sab; Ise been studyin', sab, as
how like nuff dey mout be some place in
the census for my young missis. She's
desarvin' but is too proud to ask foh any
thing. Ise been studyin' nigh yeah
how Wallace could get somethin' foh
de missis, rand when de head waitah,
sab, put you to my table, I jest said, de
Lawd will provide"
''Who is the woman, Wallace?" Mr.
Porter asked.
''She's de only chile of my ole massa
10 de wah. Massa was killed an missis
an de chile came norf when dey los all.
Dey lib above Great Falls, an doan tell
it, sab, but dey's YER poah.''
As Wallace finished some one came up
to talk with Mr.. Porter and the matter
was forgotten. Wallace knew how to
wait, and it was not until another fort
night that he said, hopefully:
my young missis, sab, fohgot to
say dat she YER intellectual an do every
thing consciously"
Wallace had the darky's aptitude for
sounding words and passed among his
colleagues as that mysterious Titan, a
college graduate" There was a ludi-
crous pedantry about him that made one
think he must have been born college
graduate. 1t was his elect destiny. Mr..
Porter received further condolences from
the honest fellow, who could do what
few white people would do in this selfish
world-ask favor for some one else
before himself, and, in this case, for the
daughter of the man under whom he
had suffered bondage.
Promising to remember the young
missis," Mr.. Porter left and might have
forgotten her ifit had not been for the
faithful, ever-watchful Wallace. Finally
one Saturday night he said:
"Well, Wallace, have something for
your young mistress. Tell her to come
around to the census bureau next week
and there will be some work for her."
Later he learned from the lips of the
''young missis" that Wallace had walked
fourteen miles through the rain that
Saturday night after his work was done
to tell her the good news of her appoint
ment. She had not known that he was
seeking the place for her, although for
some weeks he had remarked mysteri-
ously ''De Lawd am providin'. Cor. N.
Y. Tribune