The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-03-05
PULLY,s VENTURE.

figures among the negroes when they
gathered in the evening under the great
oak tree by the big spring-a tall, lean
mulatto, with a little piping voice and a
timid, irres0lute face. She always W re
huge clean apron of bed-ticSing, and a
red bandanna kerchief about her white
hair. She had one child, a girl of five,
who had the singular beauty SO often
found in quadroons. They belonged to
DR.. Blake. His only daughter Elsie had
no other playmate than little Polly, who
i was to be her maid when both girls
were grown. In the meantime, Polly,
who was as fair as her young mistress,
wore her cast-off clothes, ran and rode
with her, sat beside her when she took
her lessons and even slept on a cot in
her room. In consequence, when the
war was over and Aunt Betty, much to
her dismay, found herself free and
obliged to earn wages and buy clothes
for herself, and had a young girl of fifteen
on her hands, beautiful, full Of energy
and hope, and with the tastes and habits
OF refined white child. DIR. Blake was
dead; his widow and daughter left
the village, going down to louisiana TO
live. '.'f % 0''" " W1Hi "i ri"1d ii'
| ''You will go with us. of course, Aunt
Betty,n said Mrs. Blake 81 can not
afford to pay Polly anything; but she
will have her home with us until you
teach her to cook rs you do, and
then she can earn high wages in New
Orleans" ."H .,I 10 huf ..'d 's'i 1'
| Thank you, Miss Laura,'' said Betty,
''goodness knows it takes load off'n
my mind. / dunno muffin bout money,
N nebber bought picayune's WORT foh
de chile in my life" Polly, you suddenly
60 into de kitchen dis day." l". s'na.i'7
"BIiss Laura, dOan want to be cook, :"
said Polly, coming up to her mistress,
her voice hoarse with fright at her own
temerity. H r. I. HI"H EI "'a
Mrs. Blake stared at the girl, who was
usually gentle and timid 1t was as if a
mouse had started up to stop her path.
''Nonsense!" she said, do as your
mother bids you" .' "i
Mamma" said Elsie. II d. not see
why Polly need be cook. She could
earn as much money as laundress or a
lady's maid" ' .u i." a'
II don't know" SAID Mrs. Blake;1''I
think not" @ w ''. ,1 ..Il ai
Pm free, now,r gasped Polly, vehe-
mently. "Doan go away, Miss Laura.
Just listen to me. You are making all
my life for me in this minute. Lemme
bDtdh JubJ L Otttl lCttl dliu hltNO
same as Miss Elsie. can do sums and
play on the piano all her tunes. She
taught me-" rfu t By. "
"Yes, you learned quicker than ~
said Elsie, laughing. f .' ll ..'"E
"They say there'll be big schools for
us now. Why can't l stay here and
be like white folksP Why must l be a
COOKE ml ..".a,'s.. 80 Pong. .H. 90
She held out her hands, trembling.
For the first time Mrs. Blake noticed that
the girls face was strong and her eyes
full of intelligence. r ".... r'
81 have nothing to say in the matter,
child" she said with yawn. You be-
long to yourself now. But you can hard.
lly expect me to suppOIt you i'll your
collegiate course. Now, you see," she
continued, turning cOldly to Elsie, "the
imprudence of teaching these people
anything" ~. .....H -.- ...I.l
Polly, alone with her mother, terrified
the old woman with the vehemence OF
her threats. ' .t .' ..r.. "u'.N rt
1--WE are free-free!' she repeated a
hundred times. "There is to be school
where can learn just the same things as
Miss Elsie. If she was poor, she wouldn't
have to be cook. Why must II
Why can't l be like white folks,
mammy?" . r ....
Aunt Betty cried and scolded, and ther
fell to kneading her bread and praying al
the top of her voice, to quiet her soul
Her child was, after all, her child and Il
see her like white folks .a.
"Ef you go with Miss Elsie, she gil
you her cloes." she interjected with hel
prayer. How yoh gwine get frocks anC
silk apuns, to school, hey?n
The more | knows the more | car
earn!" said Paulina. There are hundreds
of ways of making money when you have
been to school" '. HH.. ".
Betty, of course, yielded at last. Mrs
Blake and Elsie departed to return NJ
more. Betty,whO was famous as cook
throughout the country, went out as an
expert to weddings, parties, ETC., ant
made marvellous pickles, jams and jellies
which she sold at high price. Will
!. the money thus earned Polly was sent t.
+ one of the universities established foi
, cOlOred people. She studied .aithfully
, the teachers were competent AT the enc
of four years she came home. Aunt Bett.
= looked with awe at the quiet neatly
dressed girl" . ..a ,... f.. r, !.
, ''You look like white folks, for shuah
dough dink YOU ought to veal
ludlI1s MIL dllOlu DbAO
some pink diamonds in de drug stor
windah.-" .. t..#. r.'n. .H- fi,.
Never mind them now," said Polly
All | need now is something to do
There was no place as teacher vacant
But want to begin at once. want t.
J see you at rest, nanny. You've worke'
: for me long enough. You are good b
+ earn the money and you shall have
long hol day." She lifted the withere'
yellow hands and kissed them. ..I
/ Aunt Betty's eyes shOne with deligh
= and pride in her girl. H.H ..-.l
! 'An' what'n you gwine to do, POllyp
she said. ....I IL. .-.. 0t'-.. .u
"Oh, / don't know. There are hun
: = dred way in which an educated woma
y can earn her living" f.. l. -r.r-Ln q.
ga white woman" muttered Betty
under her breath. But Polly did no
: hear her. The village had grown into
thriving town. Polly eager and hopeful
. set out the next day to look for work
1t was impossible for her to fin
: a place as teacher in the freedmen
. schools. ''
Z Twenty graduates of the universit
r are waiting for the first vacancy sal
4 the principal. '''.. ''
i She went to the large retail store {
I the town and met Peter Barr at I'll
. door. q - s.sss.s--7. ~ y~-.
S'Yon advertised for a, book-kcepct
: Mr. Barr s.$,A
III 81 did, did. Walk in, ma,am. rr
a going to trysa woman This time The
. come cheaper, aud L m in fayor.of givin
n the fair ones chance. Isnppose yo
NY YES, asii'SHsS1. am sure yan wilapd thor
!, sqtisfactory.n slie turned 70 open h'
9 eWIy, bless mysoul, ;, exclaimed Bar
> ''It's Betty's Polly. Hello, gal! AreyO
: bool1-keeper?' j z-
. ~ am shre you viii find me competen
e Mr.. Barr" she said earnestly, ...r
n 81 haiiPt doubt Of it, but impossible
i Your color, child: you hahn forgot tina
=. / couldn't give You work. Don't
. worried" he said kindly ''.'ai ail''.'
4 "You need saleswonen2 Try m
4 Mr. Barr. If you will not trust ii
i books to me, let me go behind yoI
"a counter" u6 u
y = face. 81 bet you'd be a sight nicer an
!, politer than them impudent wenchC
4 I've got therelr he broke forth. "But
i couldn't do it at any price. If you was b,
i, hind the ounter, not customer woul
y come before it', isf.,l.i. Il. lHrat
= Polly turued to 60 out. Barr, who ha
= known her since she was u child, VIZ
:, touched by the tears that rolled dow
. her cheeks.
! 81 need scrubbing done. 4 could Civ
\ you that, s-he said. EEsNH
S.If I can do no better, ] willescfub,
said Polly. But" she added, rcsolutel,
!" ''I am fit for better work. "
Mr.. Yeats, the lawyer, had advertise
for a copying clerk. She went to h
! loffice and showed him a page of Il,