The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1892-10-22
A STORY OF MISTRESS AND MAID.
"A Shareholders Daughter Becomes Seam
stress for Her Former Servant.

There are two women IN San Fran
cisco who can tell a story of ups and
downs that would astunish novelist.
One of them lives out on Noe street.
She's a refined, well-educated woman,
with pretty way of numbering her RS
that betrays her southern origin. She
is widow, and she lives with her
neither in house that shows unmis-
taxable signs of penury and want.
She goes out to sew by the day, and
she manages to make just enough
money to keep the breath of life in
her old mother, and to purchase few
poor comforts to warm the chill of age.
Yet that woman was once the mistress
of splendid home. She dispensed the
open-handed hospitality of the old
south, and she never knew what care
or anxiety meant.
Way back in the days before the war
there was a rich Kentucky family
named Montgomery. They lvAl on a
beautiful plantation near St. Joe, Mo.
Mrs. Montgomery had over 50 slaves.
One of these was mite of a roly poly
black baby, whose parents were dead.
Mrs. Mont tgomery had a little daugh-
ter just the age of the roly poly mite,
and as soon as the children grew old
enough the little black girl became the
maid of the little white girl. Life was
very gay in those old days; there were
lots of visitors to the beautiful planta-
ton, and little Miss Montgomery had
nothing to do but grow and be happy.
When she was Is years old her maid
married a likely young fellow who be-
longed to family in the neighbour
hood. He had only one name then.
He was called Bristol He used to
come over to the Montgomery planta-
tion once a week to see his wife.
Things went on smoothly for the
young negroes for awhile. Their own
ers were friends, and SO they saw each
other quite often. At the end of six
years the woman had borne her hus-
band three children.
Then came the war. The Montgom-
cry family suffered like ell the rest OF
the south. They loot all their prop
erty, they were compelled to give W
their home, and finally all the slaves
were gone. Miss Montgomery maid
and her three children went to St.
Joe, and the woman went out to work
by the day. She did not know where
her husband was. Early in the begin.
ming of the great struggle he had been
sold to Col Wilson, who went away
with him she knew not where. So she
struggled along as best she could, try.
ing to gain a living for her children.
Finally she drifted westward. She
lived for several years in Salt Lake
City. All the time she was trying tC
find out what had become of her hus.
band. She knew that he called him
self Wilson, Bristol Wilson, after his
new master, and she knew that Col
Wilson came to the coast.
One day she heard that he was in
San Francisco. She wrote to HIM. He
was delighted to get trace of his
wife and family, and at once sent for
her. When she arrived she found that
her husband had prospered in Califor-
MIA. At the close of the war his mas
ter set him free, and he managed tc
accumulate quite a little sum OF
money. This was only a few years
ago-some time in 1SS2-that the lit
tie slave girl and her husband met and
found themselves free and prosperous.
They bought pretty little home out
on Guerrero street, and there they
live to-day. They often wondered
what had become of the Montgomerys,
and Mrs. Wilson never forgot her
young mistress.
About two years ago Mrs. Wilson
wanted some sewing done. She ad-
vertised for woman to come and sew
by the day.
Her old owner answered the adver-
tisement.
She was no longer the pretty, light
hearted Miss Montgomery. She was
married. Her name was Mrs. Swee-
ney. She was wan and pale from
overwork and anxiety, and the two
women did not recognize each other.
Mrs. Sweeney was surprised to find
that the advertiser was a colored wo-
man, but she worked steadily away
and said nothing. One day Mrs. Will
son was in chatty mood, and the two
women talked over the days before the
war.
Then the truth came out. The
Montgomerys had been ruined by the
war, and they had come west to try
and recruit their shattered fortunes.
They failed miserably. Mother and
daughter clung together and fought
fate with failing courage.
Now the daughter is sewing by the
day for the woman she once owned,
and she is paid for the work by the
man who was once the bond slave OF
her friends. Francisco Examiner.
How Scissors are Made.