The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-10-08
4 STORY or MISTRESS AND MAID.


A Shareholders Child Becomes Seam
stress for Her Former Servant.
Away back in the days before the war
there was rich Kentucky family named
Montgomery. They lived on beauti-
full plantation near ST. Joe, Mo. Mrs.
Montgomery had over fifty slaves. One
OF these was a mite Of a rolypoly black
baby whose parents were dead. Mrs.
Montgomery bad little daughter Just the
age OF the rolypoly 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 beau
tiful plantation, and little Miss Mongom-
cry had nothing to do but grow and be
happy. When she was thirteen years old
her maid married a likely young fellow
who belonged to a family in the neighbor-
hood. He had only one name then He
was called Bristol. He used to come over
to the Montgomery plantation once week
to see his wife Things went on smoothly
for the young negroes for awhile. Their
owners were friends, and SO they saw each
other quite often. At the end of six years
the woman had borne her husband three
children.
Then came the war. The Montgomery
family suffered like all the rest of the
south. They lost all their property; they
were compelled to give up their home and
finally all the slaves were gone. Miss
Montgomery's 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 be-
ginning Of the great struggle he had been
sold to a Colonel Wilson, who went away
with him she knew not where So she
struggled along as best she could, trying
to gain living for her children. Finally
she drifted westward. She lived for sew
eral years in Salt Lake City. All the time
she was trying to find out what had be
come Of her husband She knew that he
called himself Wilson, Bristol Wilson,
after his new master. and she knew that
Colonel 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
fumily, and at once sent for her. When
she arrived she found that her husband
had prospered i0 California. At the close
Of the war his master set him free, and he
managed to accumulate quite little sum
of money. This was only a few years ago
some time in lss2-that the little slave
girl and her husband met and found
themselves free and prosperous. They
bought a pretty little home out on Guer
zero street, and there they live today
They often wondered what had become of
the MontRomerys, and Mrs Wilson never
forgot her young mistress.
About two years ago Mrs Wilson wanted
some sewing done She advertised for a
woman to come and sew by the day.
Her old owner answered the advertise
ment.
She was no longer the pretty, light
hearted Miss Montgomery. She was mar
ried. Her name was Mrs Sweeney She
was wan and pale from overwork and
anxiety, and the two women did not rec
ognize each other
Mrs. Sweeney was surprised to find that
the advertiser was colored woman, but
she worked steadily away and said moth
ing. One day Mrs, Wilson was in chat
| ty mood, and the two women talked over
the days before the war,
Then the truth came out. The Mont
| gomerys had been ruined by the war, and
| they had come west to try to recruit
their shattered fortunes. They failed
miserably. Mother and daughter chung
together and fought fate with failing cour
age.-San Francisco Examiner.