The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-28
Some of the Toys of Housekeeping

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A Birmingham woman told me the other
day Of an affiiction that befell her maid.
This maid, mind you, was of the ebony
type.
1t was the maids Sunday at home and
she was preparing the cold luncheon that
was to be served for the Sunday evening
tea. Her mistress, going back to the but
ler's pantry to give a direction about the
sandwiches, heard a low gurgling sort of
laugh, that finally developed into a shrill
high pitched note of hilarty. There the
maid stood, her apron and cap fresh and.
Grip, and nice keen-edged carving knife
in her hand. AT the sight of her mistress
she shrieked with laughter. Her teeth
cleaned white in contrast to her black
skin, and her eyes moved uneasily from her
mistress back to the sharp glistening steel.
Her mistress spoke calmly to her, realizing
mat deliberate method was the only one
to be pursued. The latter, in a moment
appeared TO recover herself. and served the
evening repast without apparent wander
ing The next morning she entered the
library where her mistress sat reading the
morning paper. She sunk Deliberately
down in leather chair and commanded her
mistress to read to her the morning paper.
There is horrible story in that paper
about me-" she said. at is nothing but
lies, upon lies, and you must read me every
word of it,"
She rocked herself back and forth. and
nnally went off into fit of laughter. which
frightened everybody to death It was
plain that the poor thing was completely
a mental wreck. She presently threw her
ser at the feet of her mistress and inn
plored her not to allow any one to kill her
Her mistress remained calm through II all
and queted the girl sufficiently to ring for
tne other servants, without her knowledge
Inc girl is hopeless mental wreck.
Another woman told the story of her
maid who took French leave. She was
one OF these easy-going, soft-mannered
creatures, that deceive you In to thinking
they wouldn't touch q pin." She was a
cIean, tidy maid who kept her clothes in
order, and was a treasure in more ways
than one. She would buy the last seasons
gowns OF her mistress. and was so honest
she would refuse to take a cent of her
wages until the clothes were paid for She
bought last spring hat and gown, the
other day, and her mistress, allowing her
time to pay for It, generously gave her
the months wages without any deduction.
She was good, honest little maid, you
know.
The Sunday morning of the snow the
bell went unanswered, and the master of
the house was forced to go below stairs
to the room occupied by the maid of all
work. The door was open and the room
empty Every bit of furniture had been
removed and the good, honest little maid
had flown, her pockets filled with her
months wages and an Easter gown and
hat, and heaven knows what else she had
walked off with that freezing night. After
months of apparent devotion and unusual
L. tteF1
ruling passion overcome her, and she left
her mistress, and just at the most trying
period of the winter, and Sunday morn
ing breakfast to be prepared with the Their
mometer at zero. Her mistress, who is
eternally solving problems, says that she
put temptation in the way of the poor
girl by letting her have the gown and hat
without deducting the amount each month
or week from the girls wages.
In a household with which am quite IA
miliar a maid who was not worthy of so
distinguished a title. was employed for a
short time simply out of a desire to reform
her. She was thick-lpped, wooly-headed
and very discouraging from the very start.
She was a rogue of the first water, and
had proprieties.
She was to be sent to the Tuskegee
school. Clothes were her hearts desire.
Next to eating and sleeping came clothes.
She turned suddenly one morning from
the fire which she was kindling, and spoke
to her mistress:
"That tan cape of yours" she said, lined
with red, want to wear Easter Sunday.
Will you lend it to me?'
Her mistress regarded her In open-eyed
amazement. The girl apparently did not
realize that she was audacious in the ex-
treme. She walked toward the window
and let In a flood of April sunlight.
"You don't wear number fives, do your"
she asked complacently, lifting her mis-
tress' slippers. That settled it. Before
Easter she was packed off with the tan
cape. she having the audacity one day in
her mistress absence to wear the cape to
funeral.
Such are some of the discouragements
which meet reformers.