The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-05
SERVANTS IN NEW oaLEANs.
Trials of HOusckeepers with COIOred
Help, and Their PccuIiarities.

htADs anu AhflE ittAA
From the New York sun
No doubt there are Intelligence Offices
and other modern means of obtaining
servants uptown" but downtown" in
New Orleans the long established custom
Is 70 ask the milkman. the washerwoman,
the vegetable seller If he or she knows Of
a girl He always does know of girl
several girls apiece, in fact-and candl-
dates for Office soon begin to drop in by
twos and threes, not quite sure that they
want place, but willing to try it. You
engage three or four, for some are sure
not TO come though all viii disavow in
shocked way any intention of disap-
pointing you.
II have word" remarked one candidate
severely: but she was among those who
We're never seen again.
II the freshly engaged girl Is a cook she
Wa always behave in a lost and bewil-
dered way during her first days in the
strange kitchen. you see. l don't know
YOU airs ways" she will explain. 'As it,"
remarked one housekeeper, water isn't
always boiled In "A kettle and battercakes
fried on q griddle in every htchenr'
Colored servants are as quarrelsome
among themselves as naughty children.
Totote and Nounounc-"littl names" for
Charlotte and Jua-wlll get along beauti-
of their work-and there are so many
pausesl-they will waltz together In the
courtyard to the strains of some hand
organ. play iackstones on the kitchen
floor and galop neck and neck TO the
street that promises anything like sen-
sation. Then, with the sudden unexpect-
edness of a tropical storm, quarrel
bursts forth Totote calls fat Nounoune
IAN Attakapas beef" and Nounoune re-
torts by calling lean Totote "a black
lizard" Family history on both sides Is
ransacked to furnish tauntS and insults,
and the tempest RACES until some one in
authority appears and commands silence
Then it subsidies into grumblings and NUT
terugs but ready 10 break out again at
a moments warning.
Jealousy Is a fruitful source of dissen-
sion among colored girls. With them
"Cherchez rhomme" might be substituted
for the more familiar "Cherchez la
femme" A queer light was cast upon the
customs of colored society by the reply
of a house girl, when her employer asked
''Why Is Victoire 0he cook always SO
dreadfully cross the day after ball? Does
she get so tired dancing?'
The girl giggled she answered:
Nom; that amt II. You see victories
so ugly she has to treat all the boys sos
thcy'n ask her to dance. and that way she
spends up al her money, and the mex
day II makes her feel mad to think about
It,"
on the other hand, II you have a belle
in your employment, the aftermath of
ball will be a series of visits made by
Jealous SWANS. TO upbraid the eoquette.
One saucy girl was heard retortlng airlly:
''Well. DIDN'T l dance with you, and
Promenade with you? Did you 'spect me
to hang on to your coat tails all night?"
Nor snarled the jealous lover, you
was too busy runnin at Alcee's coat tails.
and he wouldn't never have looked at you
a Ia Coll n foH i'm afn
much"
me follered after hmr she shrieked
in all the pride OF insu.ted beauty. II
don't have to foller after no map. It's
only ugly-faced things like your wife that
has tor
Their family relations, indeed, form so
tangled sken that only sage could UNI
ravel it. one girl spoke of another as her
sister.
But your mother is Marie" said her
employer. and hers is Madeleine. How
then are you sisters?"
"By meh paw" answered the girl.
1t is only just TO say that the colored
men are largely responsible for this state
of affairs As a rule, the colored swain
firmly refuses to "go to Cathedral with
the girl of his choice. He is quite willing
to loaf on her earnings but he has no
idea of giving her any legal right upon
him. He "ain't goin' to be tied to no one
oman" But, oh, the pride of the girl who
manages to be lawful married. and can
display a wedding ring the visible sign
of her right to support a husband 1t Is
dignity they never allow any one to for
get. A strayed reveler, who was sprawl
ing on somebody's front steps in an ex-
treme state of spirituous bewilderment.
was heard announcing herself as "'spec-
table married oman" and offering to show
her "icent" to any one interested In the
matter.
When a grand Saturday night ball, a
church festival or moonlight picnic is in
prospect Illness and mortality rage among
the relatives of the domestic servants. IL
is like my gTandmother's funeral dur
ing the baseball season. The employer is
accordingly asked for an advance 90 pay
for medicine, candles for the funeral etc.
II was raised up with that boy" Clare
will sigh. wiping away an imaginary tear.
supposed to represent griefs tribute to a
cousin who has never existed except in
her fancy. Perhaps she goes into details
and describes the sufferers dying mo-
ments, and tells OF all the physic that
failed to cure-or helped TO kili--hm. IL
Is puzzling to know why they should keep
up this transparent farce, since Southern
ers are proverbially easy-going, and rec
ognize fully the Negroes need of diversion