Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-06
FORAGING FOR THE SICK ROOM.

FORAGING FOR THE SICK ROOM.
How . Lady In Georgetown Was Supplied
With seaseaahls Luxuries.
THERE Is A LADY OVER IN GEORGE
- town who possesses perfect treasure of .
servants colossal colored woman of an age
unguessed at, who performs miracles of
strength without thinking anything Of them.
carrying her invalid mistress, no light weight
upstairs and down stairs, as IL the latter were
child, and otherwise playing the part Of an in
dispensable domestic Samson in petticoats.
The faithfulness Of this mighty female is not
less than her muscular proves, and from morn
to night her mind is bent, while her body
works, upon schemes to make her mistress
happier.
Next door to the house in Georgetown lives
q pleasant-faced woman who is addicted to
chickens. Any one who has ever kept chickens
knows what such an addition becomes This
woman loves her fowls and her fowls love her
at feeding time at all events. Last summer
she complained to her invalid neighbor that
her spring pullets, raised early that year from
eggs priced as if they were SO many Jewels of
equal size, had been steadily disappearing. II
rats were responsible it seemed extraordinary
that they should have waited until the young
birds had attained respectable broiling dimen-
sion before devouring them. But alas! the
lovely pets-so fascinating in their downy,
new Matched plumpness and reared with such
difficulty through the perilous stages Of weak
knees and 'pip"-went somehow. When the
last two had gone their owner found her only
consolation in the sympathy of the sick lady
next door, who said that she could appreciate
the loss SO well lnasmuch as she enjoyed moth
Ing to eat nearly SO much as tender young
chickens, having had one every day for dinner
Tor some time past.
The wound had well nigh healed over by the
time that August came and a beloved and long
tended peach tree in the pleasant-faced
woman's back yard had begun to develop its
hrst real crop of fruit. How anxiously she
watched each little green knob develop and with
what delighted eagerness she saw the verdant
nue. OF lmlnaturity softened to yellow and
rounded pinkness. One dozen of them there
we're altogether-5only twelve in all, but such
beauties In promise. She sat up late at night
for week to watch them for fear lest their
beauty should prove too great q seduction for
certain small and very bow-legged children in
the neighborhood whom she suspected Of q
predatory inclination. But one morning when
she arose and looked out OF the rear window
with joyous anticipation she beheld the little
tree no longer loaded, but bare as il had never
borne blossom. She could not realize the
calamity at tirst-that all her peaches, twelve
of them, were gone--but closer inspection be-
trayed the fact that there was not one left; all
had vanished. The blow was too severe She
wept and invoked destruction upon the heads
Of the heartless and presumably bow-legged
roobers. But there was no evidence, and SO
she went in to her invalid next-door neik hbor
and the two mingled sympathetic tears.
About week later the invalid neighbor was
supplied by her colossal colored attendant with
two beautiful peachesfor her dessert 'You must
not charge such costly fruit as this upon the
market bill, Melissa, l can't afford it," she
murmured, as she munched one Of them.
"Nebber you mind, Missy" replied the at
tendant, grinning from ear to ear as usual.
They won't cost you anything extry."
The next day there were two more peaches
for dessert equally exquisite.
I'm sure we can't afford them" the lady
expostulated
In response Melissa merely opened her mouth
Yah, YAH"
On the third day there were two more peaches
and the mistress said:
REALLY, Melissa, you must not buy any more
OF these. l am sure they are too expensive"
But Melissa deigned no reply other than to
double up her herculean frame over the back
OF chair and shout with laughter. 1t was i'm
possible to be offended at such innocent mirth
and her mistress only smiled. The next day
she had peaches, and the next and the next
On Sunday there were none. and the attendant
"
season was over" Then she doubled herself
once more over the chair back and INDUCED in
an exhibition of intense amusem ent that did all
but elicit reprimand.
But the peach season isn't over" protested
the mistress. II heard q man calling them in
the street yesterday afternoon
Its over wild us, missy, said Melissa. cram
ming large baudanns handkerchief into her
mouth.
and why SOP"
~ r. ia
ture, pulling the handkerchief shyly inch by
inch out Of her capacious NAV, you've ate EN-
ALL
ATE them alp
Eyes missy; you've ate up all them twelve
peaches that grew on the tree next door and
all the little chickens, too It's glad am they
did you good-'specIally the litde chickens.
that was mighty tender, bein' raised SO 'arly in
the spring OBJ the year. You ate EN- all, chick
ems and peaches, and blessin' it is, to be sho',
that yo' neighborE should be some good to you.
a pc sick woman. Ise hopin' that the chicks q
lady around the corner il raisin' will be good
n fat. Trus me fer gadderin' 'em In when
they're ripe"
Melissa, you are wretched criminalm
''Yes. missy" admitted the accused, grin
ming.
What on earth am going to do?"
wait until the chicks are bigger, missy;
they re too little now for to broil''
Further reproaches failed entirely to arouse
the conscience of the colossal domestic. She
could not be convinced even that they were
uttered in seriousness by the person who had
every reason to be thankful, having her self en-
joyed the fruits of the enterprise. As for the
mistress, she has been in quandary on the
subject ever since. being afraid to make con-
fession or attempt restitution lest her servant
be arrested for theft. Thus far she has done
nothing more than forbid any further foraging
"a restriction that excites Melissa's most pro-
found and undisguised establishment.
An Eieven-Year-Oid Incendiary.