The Van Buren press., 1896-10-24
RETTA'S GIRL.
BY MRS. nj. NJ BUcKNEB.

She came into the kitchen with an air
Of self=assurance which was half pert,
half pathetic, and wholly comical in one
who was a mere waif, with nothing but
the helplessness of childhood as pass
port into the houses she invaded. There
was nothing prepossessing in her APP
pearanee, unless it was the broad, good
natured grin which seemed TO proclaim
that she was on good terms with all
The world. She had an cid, pinched
looking. yellow face, her head bristled
with little eight braids pointing in every
direction. and her broad teeth reminded
one at once of the keyboard of piano.
Hits cole ter-day," she said, by way
of Introduction. as she spread out her
bird-claw-looling hands at the stove,
md looked up at me with friendly
glance.
Her assertion was very self-eyident
fact, as ii was a raw November day
with drizzling rain, and my reply was
intended as a gentle hint that her visit
could have been made more opportune.
at is indeed a cold day. Not the
right kind of weather to be out in, un-
less one has urgent business. What is
your name?'
am Retta's GIRL she replied, smil
ing still more confidently.
Surprise quite took my breath away.
had heard so much of my queer-look-
ing visitor. and never anything good, |
could say nothing but: .0h, are you.'
IL want some newspapers, please
ma'am ter stick up in our house ter shet
ont de win. Ma ses kin come an bresh
de ya'd fer yer sat'day. an she ses she
wisht yer would give her an ole froek."
| was getting out dinner, and when l
got through babe the girl follow me TO
The sittiBg-room. where | hastily bun
died up some old papers and some cnst-
of garments, and gave them to her, toll
ing her TO run on home before she got
wet. Pulling her wrap, which was a
mans seersucker coat, over Der head,
she turned TO leave. and there was a
sound OF some one coming up the steps
with much noise of cleaning muddy
shoes. and Aunt CLANCY hustled in with
q basket Of groceries.
Hey, who dat?" she asked. "Dis
hain't-yas, hit shorely is dat imp O.
satun, Retta's gal, as sho as Use a nig
ger. What fur yer here, gal?" she
asked. frowning darkly.
II been in de sto', an seed YOU jes' a
bit age" replied the girl, evasivcly, with
her amiable grin.
dat hain't what ak yer" said Aunt
CLANCY, growing wrathful. 81 knows
yer failn', an hope yer hain't gotnuth-
in dar' looking suspicicusly at the
bDadle of papers, "dat b'longs ter other
folks
Let the child go, Aunt Clancy" /
said, wondering il this privileged old
servant was really hard-hearted to her
own race. "she's done nothing wrong"
Law, Miss Ida" you dunno dat gal
she's jes de sicles' rogue in dis country
Ill be boun' she didn't tarry long in dis
house 70 dem light fingers o. hern close
on suinp'en o yourn. She can't fool dis
chile, fur | done larnt her 70 dis day
When | was on de Ballard ole place
bout two year ago, her trifin' onery
nanny ulster stay in my house, an dat
gal gin me a sight o. trouble, an eff |
hadn't got lock put onter my do, an
my box, too, rally b'leeve she'd err broke
me up in de world, root an branch She
jes' toied my clothes an dishes outen my
room when she llnowed | gwine ter
ketch her. In course she'd try to git
outen it by story tellin', but Il didn't
wuck, fur knowed her by heart, an de
truf hain't in her Oar never was les
sich low-down merlatter brat as Ret
ta's gal. She is de stealenes', lyines',
idles'. grinnines', no-count gal dat ever
cumbered up de yeth."
I've heard that Retta vas a smart
woman, and perhaps she will teach this
girl to be more useful after awhile"
''Retta kin wash an iron good as l
kin; she kin do mos kind O. house
wuck, but she amt gwine ter wuck
Tegler, an as fur her larnin' dat gal
ter wuek, OATS outen de question. fer
nobody is gwine ter put up with her
long enough, dat's shore. Miss Bette
Lott done give her good trial, an had
ter give her up as bad job At first
she done sorter like dar was hopes of
her, but de longer she stayed de wusser
an foolisher she got At las Miss Bet
tie sent her back 10 Retta. She stole
lot Of silver spoons, and all de doilets
an hand'chiefs she could git at. She
even took de COLE buttons outen de
baby's frock. She want ftten to be
a mss, fur she naturally would learn
de chillen ter lie an steal an be up
10 all kind O. tricks. She let Miss
Bettie's bird outen de cage, jes' fur de
fun O. seem de cat ketch hit, an she
got down de family Bible one day an
unused de chillun by cuttin' out de
picturs fur scrap-books. O my lam
sakes Miss Ida, You best not low dat
gal ter come in your yard. Best nip
biz in de bud a. onet. honey and
with a sage toss OF her turbaned head.
significant Of volumes more on the same
subject. which she could impart when
occasion required, Aunt Clancy disap-
peared into her realm Of the kitchen.
had heard Aunt Clancy hold forth
many times on the iniquities of Retta's
misguided girl, till the last TRADE made
50 little impression on me that I had
quite forgotten that she had offered