The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-03-22
THE UPS AND DOWNS OF FORTUNE.
A Shareholders Daughter Becomes Seam
stress for Her Former Servant.

There are two women in San Fran
cisco who can tell story of ups and
downs that would astonish novelist.
One of them lives out on Noe street.
She is refined, well-educated woman,
with a pretty way of numbering her
RS that beurays her Southern origin.
She is widow, and lives with her
mother in house that shows unmls-
taxable signs of penury and want:
She goes out to sew by the day, and
she manages to make just enough mo-
ney to keep the breath of life IN her
old mother and to purchase a few COM
forts 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 rich Kentucky family
: named Montgomery. They lived on
beautiful plantation near st. Joe, Mo.
Mrs. Montgomery had over fifty slaves.
One of these was mite of a roly-
poly black baby, whose parents were
dead. Mrs. Montgomery had little
daughter just the age of the little roly-
poly mite, and as soon as the children
grew old enough. the black girl be-
came the maid of the little white girl.
Life was very gay in those old days;
there were lots of visitors to the old
plantation, and little Miss Montgom-
cry had nothing to do but grow and
be happy. When she was 13 years old
her maid married likely young fel-
low who belonged to q family in the
Ineiohborhood. 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
lyoung negroes for while. Their
Iowners 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 Montgom-
cry family suffered like all the rest OF
the South. They lost all their prop
Ierty, they were compelled to give up
their home, and finally all their 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 hel
husband 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, 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 tt
find out what had become of her hus
= lo cd Ii
self Wilson-Bristol Wilson-after hi
new master-and she knew that Col
Wilson came to the coast.
One day she heard that he was il
San Francisco. She wrote to him. HI
was delighted to get trace of his wifi
and family, and at once sent for her
When she arrived she found that hel
husband had prospered in California
At the close of the war his master Sc
him free and he managed to accumu
late quite sum of money. This wa
only few years ago-some time il
18S2-that the little slave girl and tn
husband met and found themselve
free and prosperous. They bought
pretty little home, and there they liv
today They often wondered wha
had become of the Montgomerys an
Mrs. Wilson never forgot her youni
mistress.
About two years ago Mrs. Wilso
wanted some sewing done. She ad
vertised for woman to come and seN
by the day.
Her old owner answered the advel
tisement.
She was no longer the pretty light
: hearted Miss Montgomery. She wa
married. Her name was Mrs. Swee
ney. She was wan and pale fror
oyerwork and anxiety. and the tw
women did not recognize each othel
Mrs. Sweeney was surprised to fin
that the advertiser was a colored We
man, but she worked steadily away
and said nothing. One day Mrs. Viii
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.-jSo1a Francisco EGanaiaae7;
4