The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-01-01
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BOY INSTEAW 5GIRL.
A NEW BRUNSWICK WOMAN SOLVES
THE SERVANT QUESTION.

Housework as Wen as StrI.
'T think" said Mrs. Henry Archibald,
as she settled herself in one of the comfort
able seats in the ladies' parlOr Of the parish
building to wait for the opening of the
meeting of the New Brunswick Married
Women's guild, "that 4 have got right
down to the bottom Of the hired girl ques-
ton"
"Oh, dear, wish l could say as muchW
responded Mrs. Oxtoby, with sigh
"Have you secured that perfect jewel of
girl we have been looking for all our livesY
mo, have not. y have got down so far
that have no girl go all"
"No girl at all"
"None at all. i've got n boy--a little col.
ored boy"
Good gracious' why, of what earthly
use to you is little colored boyY What
can he do"
"Well, that b pretty hard to say. l
have only had bin three days, and during
that time | find that he can do anything /
tell him to do, and q good many more
things that don't want him to do. But,
do you know, | rather like the little
molSe' as my husband calls him. He is q
new sensation and keeps us all alive"
"Where did you get him."
"The other morning when Mr.. Arclri-
bald was going out said TO him; Henry,
that last girl has gone off. wish you
would send me a little boy to carry coal
and sweep the pavement Neither Ma
tilda nor | is able to do such things. and
we wouldn't want to If we were able
About o'clock that morning little,
short chubby, bullet headed, bright eyed
colored boy came into the out kitchen
where Matilda was making an effort to
wash the breakfast dishes. The flrstthing
! heard was Matilda in argument with
him
TAKEN UNDER PROTEST
AT have nothing for you. Get away
from here
al doesn't want muffin
"'Well, clear out, then
"T's gwine to wuk.'
"'Clear out, / tell your Whackl Whackl
"'Now, you jess let me alone, You gal.
Ef you don't, afoh de Lawd s'prise yer
al thought it was time TO interfere, and
went out. Matilda had broken the broom
over him, and the boy was backed up in a
corner preparing to ward off an attack
with the rolling pin. l told Matilda to de-
sist, and asked the boy what he wanted.
"'Gemman downtown done tole me to
come heah TO wuk.'
"@Was it Mr.. Archibald?
"'Dunno, ma'am. He were .. fat, four
eyed man, an he had done slipped froo his
har.'
"'That must he your father | said to
Matilda. She glared at the boy, who
lodged and threw UP his hands as if ex.
pecting blow.
"'What is your nane;'
"'Silas Moorehouse. ma'am. My mann,
| my lives on Cream ridge, an I,se a strong
| boy for IL years old, he ratified off as If he
were saying a lesson. 'I'll do anything
| you wants, ma'am, cose Pse willin' to wuk
| an Use oflle hungry
"'Poor little soulp said Matilda, he
shant be hungry around here and in q
minute she had big piece of pie in the
| boys fist.
"Well, the boy ate his pie, carried coal
| finished washing the dishes, sweIG up the
| kitchen and cleaned up the yard. Then he
| had his dinner, and was washing up the
| dishes again when there came prolonged
whistle from the alley alongside the house
""Scuso me minute, said Siias and
! ran out In a second there was a terrible
| fight going on outside the alley, with noise
enough for "A dozen people in a row.
nearly tainted, thinking somebody was 90
| ing to be killed from the noise they were
making, but Matilda went out and leaned
on the fence. In five minutes Silas had
sent his adversary bowling out of the alley
and Matilda came in holding SiIas at arms
| length to keep his nOse from bleeding Cr
| her dress She put his head under the
| hyGrant, washed his face, bathed his nose
and finally got the bleeding stopped.
| MAKES HIMSELF SOLID.
'Silas, you're young hero,' said Ma
tild&aoothingly. 'You licked him, didn't
your
"'Course did. ain't gwine to have nc
| wu6lsss young niggahs a fO0lin' aroun' my
place OF business
"From that time SilAs was Matil6a's
| friend. He did his work well. and appe ar
ed happy over IL for he whistled until he
| made my head ache, and when he polished
the stove he did it with two brushes, beat
| ing time with noise enough for a drum
corps
| "Tbs first night when the work wa
done said to Silas: That is all tonight
You can come back about 2 o'clock in the
morning. and gaze hin; fifty cents. lie
gave me a strange, rHistful look, and say
| ing Good night, ma'am,' went out, shut
ting the kitchen door softly after him.
| thought nc more o1 the matter until
came down in the morning to find Silas
sitting in front of the>stove with his feet in
| bucket of hot water and Matilda giving
| him hot coffee.
"What Is the matter with SiIas p ] askec
! Matilda.
"'Nothing much, mother she answered
! only | found him nearly perished with
| cold out in the woodshed, where he has
| been all night
"'Why, child,'T said, why did you moi
so homep
"I isn't gwine home no noah
"'Why, SilasS Why won't you go homer
'Ef go back to de ridge deyll club ms
and take my fifty ce2ts away
"G1.adually / got the boys story from
| him. His father and mother were botl
| dead, and he had no home in reality. This
story he had told me about his mother OF
! Cream ridge had been taught him by the
| idle and worthless colored people who sent
| him ouU To hunt work and took his money
| from him whenever he earned any. The
| second night Silas slept in warm bed il
| the garret, and was the first one up il
| the house in the morning When Matilds
came down he had roaring fire in the
| kitchen, the kettle boiling and the front
pavement swept He told her confdenti
ally as he took bis half dollar out of his
mouth and handed it to her;
"'Pse nevvah gwine away from heab nC
noah. Use done 'dapted you and you
mother an you fodder, an dou't need nc
wages. 'n--New York World.
a Lucky Fellow.
Bilkins-So Goodheart, who was once
engaged 60 you, has married Miss Sweetie
| ehf Well, he's a lucky fellow.