Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-02
The Many WcaLnesscs of Coiored
Domestic Help fin the South--Shift-
Notes from Alton. i8..SS,ii

'as two peas in pod
'T am puzzled TO know" said q northern
woman 10 me- ''how you southern women
told your servants apart in slavery; they
look alike 10 me now. except in shades
Of color. and then 1 believe they were
eli fat and black"
II that freedom emancipator could know
the average negro servant girl Of these
days she would think their physical like
ness nothing beside the similarity OF their
inward ways and methods.
THE SUMMER CHANGES.
About the lst Of May the country house
wife roarranccs her domestic menaee.
The one Firl kept for the winter is pro-
NOTED 10 serve in the house and aunt
Dinah. or Picnic as the case may be.
settles I'm the Out-kitchen as head cook
for the summer. because here we re-
verse things. and our gay season begins
with the influx OF city friends and rela-
tives. I don't belize the Scion ever lived
who could thoroughly understand the
genuine negro character. 1 never saw
q colored woman. however destitute.
ragged. and starving, who did not seek
service as II the whole obligation was
upon her part
You send for Dinah once. perhaps twice.
She shows no alacrity whatever in re-
spending. bat comes loisureiy along, in
a day or two. and II you give her half a
chance. talks of every thing under the
sun but hiring out" until you ask her.
After that the process never varies.
"Can you cook?'
"Nessull"
"Make ight-bread?'
"Yessum."
Pastry"
"Nessum."
"Bake cakeT'
Lady ! lib wild in stanton bake her
own cake"
"Can you MILK"
"Yessum; kyar'n drive dc cows from
pastor kase my back weak"
"Churn?'
''Yessum."
"Can fruit2'
Lady I lib wild in Basic can her own
fruit"
The bargain is at last made. Dinah
sets IN 10 work, and If you let her alone
and are not overparticular about small
perquisites, turns out fairly well, while
she remains Beside the tenure in SER
vice oc these Old Dominion darkies, the
staying qualities of the Eighty ofIice-boy
runs like clock-work.
SHE QUIETLY STEALS AWAY.
just as everything gets in apple-pie
order. and you are delighted with your
new cook she asks you quite casually
one day n she may step way little piece
this evening
Consent Is readily given. In the fulness
OF your heart, you give her also basket
o. cakes and cold biscuits for the chill
dren. Dinah goes. Like the snip IN the
song. she never retrrrs." y week later
her sister comes by TO tell "Dinah
mighty porely; she think she shore been
conjured. kase she stop 90 de green
s-riug dat same ever ng she lef' here,
an sam. wills gib her er drink or water
outen er code. Dinah say she 1oun' er
little bag in de bottom or dat code an
suthin' in dar buzz jes' like er humble
bee"
You are expected TO duly commiserate
this misfortune. while the TRADE con-
cludes: Pear Ike she bin SICK ever
sense; don spec Dlnah be able TO come
back er tall"
Tbe main form q negros conjuring SUI
perstltion takes is in a small bottle illled
with hcrsehairs. If placed about their
nrenises they believe these turn 10
worms ana "eat up all DER insides"
A FAMOUS CONJURER.
An old negro woman named Roxy
Brown. who lived near here, was Ia
nous "conjure Doctor; the colored peo-
rle had unbounded faith in her incanta-
lions. and the hottomless pit held not
more terror for them than Roxy, II she
'put a spell" on any one.
Fortunately. Roxy was mortal, and a
year or so ago went the way OF all nesn.
To diagnose q country darky's all
ments. one needs to be psyenic' OF 10
see through solids like an A-ray' a
prominent young physician tolu d lulhy
s.orv about an old Uncle who was sulieF-
90 fror, a pronounced case OF cramp-
coIic "Weu Uncle" he sad. you are
t,6 ofg What have you been eating
.s,-otbin' Doctor; clar ter God /
"o6i come. that won't do. what dld
YOU eat for breakfast
"Pread an bacon, sah! -.
.Tjm, what did you eat for dinner?
"De same. sah!'
con. must have been your supper then.
What did YOU eat for SUPPER
"Bacon an bread. sah.'
Dr. w prescribed an antidote Tor
roke weeds and potato tops which the
negroes gather about here IN SPRING anu
the old man survived.
"Fate cannot harm me. I have dined.
have a big idea that this remark
was uttered IN "A city within lh,ee
so,,ores Of a nrst-class market, and thai
,be dining referred 20 had been spe-
ofeilv surDcrvlsed by a retinue OF com
LINT servants. Alas, quite often IN
mi soiitudes. the refrain might easily
read: Fate IS unkind-I have dlneo'
ON the country" expresses volumes
on the servant-girl question; whore the
concoction Of vlands by one maio-oi-ah-
work Is sometimes symposium or coioi
that would staggcr an artist WIN .ne
bread yellow and the butter whl,e' ."s
cofee an ashen gray. and the bIoleo
t.no or steak tinted 10 match her com
piexion. -, .s,,o,,.oa
the same ceaseess. wearing round OF
dauy toll for. l guess, twenty years
called upon a younger matron VINO hao
istelv moved in the neighborhood ana
,,as reproached for not having pald her
.syvell" size replied, 81 have so much
a. Az, What, with the cooking and the
s,ul,ng and the washing II Keeps me
"a .he children busy. j haint the uHle
"a visit much
put" said the other. i thought you
kept a girl. Mrs. smith ~ s.,,o..o,
.syyho mel Land sakes, I'm dehcate'
,,i,,t the strength 20 watch after
-. ,,t,gould clean beat me out
Ana thafs lust Il. 1t Is as much 'epor
o. Keen up with careless, Incompetent
n.s and greater loss ia ones
,o.sst and patience, than 70 do the Work.
g lsr. there must be a limit The trouble
=. ,hot many mothers OF large familles
n,,e &c, 70 accomplish too much. They ind
~ ,ha,ose,ves inadequate to these seif-im-
posed tasks. and knowing their strens s
y 6at,v falling. will yet persist, until the
,aread OF life r. sadly broken ana 'aSen
,,p by others, who can never carry on
with the same loving ana pa'ien' hanos'