The Banner-Democrat., 1892-12-10
FROM MISTRESS TO MAID.


FROM MISTRESS TO MAID. ;
Slayeholder's Daughter Who Became
seamstress to Her Former Servant.
There are two women in San Fran
cisco who can tell a story of ups and
downs that would astonish q novelist
One of them is q refined, well-educated
woman. She is widow and she lives
with her mother in house that shows
unmistakable 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 COM
forts to warm the chill Of age. Yet
that woman was once the mistress of a
splendid home. She dispensed the OPEN
handed hospitality of the old south and
never knew what care and anxiety
meant.
Way back in the days before the war
there was rich Kentucky family
named Montgomery. They lived on a
beautiful plantation near St Joseph,
Mo- Mrs. Montgomery had over fifty
slaves. One of those was a mits of a
roly poly black baby, whose parents
were dead. Mrs. Montgomery had a
little daughter 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 plantation and
little Miss Montgomery 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
family in the neighborhood. He had
only ono name then. He was called
Bristol He used to come over to- the
Montgomery plantation once a week to
see his wife. Things went on smoothly
for the young negroes for awhile.
Their owners were friends, SO they saw
each other quite often. At the end of
three 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 aud finally all the slaves were
gone. Miss Montgomery's maid and
her three children went to St Joe, and
the woman went to work out by the
day. She did not know where her hus-
band was. Early in the beginning 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, trying to gain
q living for her children. Finally she
drifted westward. She lived for several
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 Will
son, 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 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
1ss2-that the little slave girl and her
husband met and found themselves
free and prosperous. They bought a
pretty little home 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 adj
vertised for a woman to come and sew
by the day. Her old owner answered
the advertisement She was no longer
the pretty, light-hearted Miss Mont
gomefy. She was married. Her name
was Mrs Sweeney. 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
woman. but she worked steadily away
and said nothing. One day Mrs Wilson
was in a chatty mood, and the two
women talked over the days before the
war. Then the truth came out The
Montgomcrys had been ruined by the
war, and they had come west to try and
recruit their shattered fortunes They
failed miserably. Mother and daughter
chung 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