The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-12
Lees Most DimeuIt campnfrn.

When Lieut. Col Robert E. Lee Of the
second cavalry was ordered 10 West
superintendent of the United States Mill
tary Academy, says the Washington Post,
ne TOOK with him his cook from
Arlington she was Gordon blue
among Virginia cooks. She was a favorite
old family servant and a tremendous
stickler for all the rights, privileges and
perquisites appertaining untO the kitchen.
She was consulted and deferred to upon
the occasion of dinner party, and was
greatly looked up to by the other servants.
Inc future great general afterward told
with a great deal Of quiet humor his eX-
perience with Aunt Patsy at West
Point. Being a model of military punctu-
OF course, important at West Point TO have
his meals on time. Mrs. Lee and the fami-
~ were at Arlington and the superintend-
ent and Aunt Patsy" were running the
West Point menage on a basis Of mutual
concession, the sovereign autonomy OF
the kitchen being insisted upon by Aunt
Patsy as sine qua non. Aunt Patsy,
accustomed to getting breakfast ready at
later hours and not always to the minute
al Arlington, was dreadfuly ratified by the
military hours at West Point. Her master
whom she had known ever since he was a
boy and was devoted TO, derived no adQl-
tiOnal dignity in her estimation from the
fact of his being the Superintendent OF
the Military Academy. The hours Tor
breakfast and dinner soon got down 10 the
Arlington time, and Mars Robert felt
constrained to demonstrate mildly with
Il sent for 'Auit Patsy" he said,
and she came-iE evidently ruffied. Aunt
Patsy said /, now just TO. please me
won't you try and have breakfast on time
so that l can go about my work ana not
be detained here at my quarters? You
know the government expects me 70 40
il without my breakfast, do you?
she looked at me in hurt sort of way,
tied a fresh knot in her bandana head
handkerchief. and said:
Mars Robert. Use done the best kin
by you, and dar amt no correspondence
for you to be Fostering me bout yo' Wit
tails. Use de cook. i knows what Use
bout. What does des here boys want to be
gittin' up here at daybreak just like poor
white folks. De is a sassy set, hoWsom-
ever. you take EN-
But said I. don't you see Aunt Pat
sy, that the government pays me to look
after things here, and I've got to do it
breakfast or no breakfast Then the in
terview closed, and Aunt Patsy returned
very huffy to the kitchen, but there was
no improvement in the hours for meals.
She was not to be dictated to about any
her again. She came up hot and worried.
Mars Robert she began, what is de
matter wild you since 70 don cum here TO
dis West Pint? Amt vi gitttn' good Wit
tails; amt de bread and coffee, and de eggs
and de fried chicken, and de corn pone
and dem flannel cakes cooked to suit yo'Y
.ow. Aunt Patsy said l, I have been
trying to please you ever since we have
been in West Point. but it seems / can't
I'm afraid you are not happy here, so
expect I'd better set you free and send
you to Liberia. where you won't be both
cred with cooking fer me, and can do just
as YOU please
What's dat yo' allow, Mars Robert2"
said she set me freeI send me to Liber-
lam away from you and ole Mistis2 For
mercy sake don't yO' do that. / Speck Is
a cantankerous fool; an of yo' jes won't
sen me awy to dat outlandish Liberiam,
I'm gwine to git yo' dat breakfast every
mornin' before de chicken done crow, deed
an double deed; hope may die If
don't.
Peace" said he, was thus restored
and Aunt Patsy and ] lived like fighting
cocks thereafter with the meals always on
time -"