The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-24
THEAWAKENING OF MANDY
NOW HER POWERS WE'RE MADE
KNOWN LFTER a TOTAL ECLIPSE

Inspired Her to Distinauish Herself-
Then She Retired, Refusing reward.
Mandy's arrival in the house was a shock.
That she was old everybody know. h she
had been I'll was also understood. But that she
was 30 old and had been so Ill was q surprise.
She landed at the door and crawled with difi-
Guilty down the steps Of the stage. Then with
q cane she hobbled across the piazza and an
nounced herself. 1t was a trying situation for
the housekeeper. One Of the young mattresses
who was standing near the door whom she ar
rived burst out laughing and ran down into
the kitchen to spread the news that the now
girl" had arrived. And girl" she crled.
with her eyes like saucers. why she's 70
years old II she's a day. and walks
with a stick" When Mandy. with the aid OF
her cane. got down to the cellar kitchen It was
seen that the advance reports OF her age and
strength had not been exaggerated. There
was a smile on the lips Of some Of the younger
women In the big, old-fashioned kitchen. They
were strong. lusty women. accustomed to the
hard work that the life OF the country boarding
house demanded. and they wondered what part
In that work the bent and withered woman who
was looking about tho room like a strange cat
that had strayed In could ever expect to play In
the economy OF the household.
Mandy's arrival had been preceded by some
unusual circumstances She had been recon-
mended to the maiden lady that presided over
this old house by a guest, who describedher as
Just the capable and energetic person to mako
herself indispensable In such an establishment.
1t was mentioned that she had been Ill
specifically the trouble was paralysis-but
there was no hint Of the extent TO which she
was disabled. That only became clear whom
the stage landed her on the piazza forty miles
from New York in point Of distance. and in the
ypaffar If firoa mora blatant afil1 Thar0
was nothing to be done at this juno
ture but to receive Mandy along with
her lameness and her weight Of years. Getting
her bach to town would be the work Of another
day. SO Mandy settled dow temporarily into
the life Of the house. She settled inconspiou-
ously and quietly there in q corner Of tho
kitchen. She could not walk. 80 cooking or
waiting was work she could not yet attempt.
I'VE have to wait on her ourselves" said the
girl who had been the first to see her. because
she can't move around. and she lust sits there
in the kitchen while we bring things to her"
Then she laughed as loudly as she had when
Mandy first arrived.
In the first few days Of her presence in the
kitchen she sat demurely Smelling peas, string
ing beans, and attending to other elementary,
II mental, duties OF the big kitch n. through
which the active women hustled the greater
part Of the day. 1t was her great reputation as
cook that had attracted her employer. But she
could have been as capable a steeple jack. Her
cane was absolutely Indispensable. and she
could never have moved through the group OF
women gathered in front OF the stove. So she
sat quietly in the corner and watched the
group. The muscular Irish woman laughed
and joked at her work, and sometimes threw q
word over to Mandy's corner. The girls handed
her the necessary articles willingly, and she had
plenty of kind words from, them, She was .
the Indifference to looks and the care for COM
fort which are characteristic OF them, She was
s s5ns %es IN ba maP9 frst but IN t6s - @opnine as s s6e
stumped down the steps, and she was up late at
| night. Between those incidents Mandy stayed
In hercorner and spoke to few people. She was
working theoretically and seemed to be think
ing. She was polite. but never beyond certain
it soon became apparent that Mandy's daily
contribution 10 the amount Of work done IN
the establishment was Th increasing. But Mandy NJ t6g
kitchen laughed at the mention Of her name
when they were far enough away 70 keep the
not have wounded her feelings. But the ar
rival Of an apparent scptuagenarian who
expected was a Joke, too good for the household
| to forget Immediately. There was plainly O re-
aG3!iTPnn' R R9iTe a few N d hSE f IoHscr." said the land
lady, and maybe she'll turn out better than
Mandy progressed slowly from that time. She
was able to throw away the stick after awhile.
and it was no longer necessary for the other ser
wants to help her at her work. She, moved
about the kitchen-majestically and slowly 10
be sure, but she moved. That was, an advance.
Inc s0un MOL OF H nds ea has al s she hUDGlGu 2 Her Inc
eyes were rolling as alertly as ever in her head;
and with her strength returning, her figure had
was a latent force about Mandy that would
demonstrate itself some day. 1t did appear
THAT hail will certainly have to be white
washed again" was the observation OF the
llGG land. ~ 9 MSd m9TnifE 1gI' tb aHG 1a / tays S Sbe d i9%f
tile walls critically; They have disappointed
me 'gS eyf S % time II The I'll w hnyS ss s s6d S2 the SFu5 il
are downstairs. but tho trouble is to get the
Mandy passed through the hall. She over
heard the complaint OF her mistress and saw
her start out OF the house to search for some
body to whitewash the walls. But she was 81
there was a pail IN her hand and q brush as
well. 1t was in the afternoon, and the hall was
Depended on il, II was so brisklydope that the
into snowy white spots as she finished her
work, She went back to the kitchen and vas
the landiady came home, But the news had
reached the other servants,
-" My laws! p said one of them as enc opened
An Inspection showed that she had. 1t was q
sionaGi from MoriristoWn could not have i'm:
proved on it. There were further evidences Of
Mandy's versatility during that week. One day
she laid a carpet. and when Michael was sick
she MIXED three cows. ,Mandy's physical i'm
provement was remarkable. After one of these
achievements she returned quietly TO her cor
ner to the humble, il necessary. job of Smelling
peas. stringing beans. or peeling, potatoes. But
that part was no longer assigned to her. She
ton, The household below stairs began to
treat her with, Difference. She had already won
ceived all these evidences Of her changed posi-
ton, in her ~taciturn. quiet fashion. Apparently
she had little to say.
One day the hour of Mandy's final triumph
came, The house was fuller on the Fourth of
July than it had been at any preceding time.
tables brought from the garden. Three lambs
had been tsEen to the butchers and slaughtered
be dressed and, put into the oven, A great
bunch Of mint lying near, them showed. one
undergo IN the final INSTANCE. These had all
soon to appear. Mandy had part in these plans.
She eyed the preparations %srt in the GUS 8,
the modest work OF freezing. ice cream.