The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-28

USE
There were great many servantsit
seemed to me, and yet Mrs Mason and
the girls were eternally at work. cooking
and busting. washing dishes and wax
ling floors. They had cook and boy,
a gardener and housemaid. besides a
little girl who apparently had no duties,
but to pass the bread and wake up the
family, to say nothing of the washer
woman, who seemed to be nameless as
far as could make out, for she was
always spoken Of as the woman who
lives on Brook avenue, and an anti
ouated dame, who came on certain days
IS make cake, sweep the yard and
shake the rugs
Little Pocahontas was ten years old,
and wore her hair 'wropped.' asked
her once, what size shoes she wore
when she didn't go barefoot. Sometimes
ones, she said gravely. sometimes
twoes; these I've got on now Is tives.
She had very vague ideas as to time,
She would bring me a pitcher Of water
In the morning, and say, pleadingly:
You'd better get up; breakfast is go
in on de table now would rush mad
Nv into my clothes, and fly downstairs,
only to find there was long vista be-
fore me OF reading the poems OF one
George Lord Byron, picking the frag-
rant roses with the dew still on them'
and walking up and down the box
bound driveway. before the welcome
gong would sound. The next day, 1
would say 'POky. is breakfast nearly
ready?' Nom, lndeedy, they's Just
maxim the kitchen fire. she would re-
ply. Even as turned my face to the
wall for another nap, the bell would
ring out loudly on my dreaming ears.
"Did they give you good things to
eat?" asked a tall New York giTl.
ut was q feast and famine. Some
days the table would be weighed down
with every delicacy imaginable, the
next, with apparently no reason, Mrs
Mason would say, after an early and
very unsatisfactory breakfast, We are
not going to bother much about meals
to-day, Just picnic dinner and supper
about Ave- And we'd have cold NUT
ton, hoecake, stewed turnips, baked po-
tatoes preserves and milk. But there
was always plenty In the store room to
be had at any hour, cold rolls, canned
peaches. cheese and ham; and often one
OF the girls would come up about elcv-
en-, with beautiful golden-brown cup
cake, still smoking, and glass Of nut
ty, home brewed wine. Mother
thought you might be hungry she'd
say And on the feast day. inter an
Indescribable dinner, topped OFF with
peaches and cream cake, blanc mango
and cocoanut pies, the married dough-
ter would make a freezer OF fruit cream
about o'clock.
"often would run up to my room to
wash my hands get them well soaped,
and find there was no towel. When
would ask PoCahOntGs. she would shake
her head and disappear After a long
absence, she'd come back with Mrs
Mason. 'PolSy tells me you want tow
els she would say. pitilessly, and
would quail before the righteous scorn
in her eyes 'I'll see IL can get you
some. but In such.a big family It's hard
to keep any extra ones. l would feel
like criminal every time this hap
pened.
"I had little riding hat which was
supposed to stay on the hall table. but
was never in place. One day, tlmidly
asked II anybody had seen 1t. %,
Tucker wore 1t down to the lower
neighborhood to-day, but he'll be back
Thursday Custis said. Poor boy, he
never can keep hat.
"One OF my dearest treasures was a
tiny bottle Of perfume, which l doled
out drop by drop on state occasions.
Once left 1t on my dresser by an I'M
lucky chance and when / went into my
room again, the air reeked with deli
cious, guilty sweetness a few minutes
later, little Mason ran to me; See how
nice look he cried. Mamma has
Just washed and dressed me and put
whole lot of lovely cologne all over me.
Don't I smell sweet? / was sorry not
to be as enthusiastic as the occasion
demanded.
why dor't you ever wear that pref
ty. blue sllk?' Mrs. Murray said one
day. i happened to be looking into
your closet this morning. and saw the
skirt hanging there. examined 1t
carefully. and like the way the trim
ming is put on I thanked her for her
approval, and wore the dress that night
10 tea.
1.-THE mail arrangement was the fun
nIest Of all. Woods Crossing wasn't
postofIlcc nt all. and Happy Greek, four
miles away. was where we got our let
tiers. Any one passing that way would
bring them, and sometimes nelghbOr
would carry them in his pocket for
days. There was theory that either
the negro boy. Delaware. or Tucker
went to the postofflcc every day. but It
was only a theory. was In Washing
ton for few days and when l came
back, Custlc handed be several letters
and papers. rs this ALP l asked.
There was pOstal.card, but It got lost
somewhere, she replied. Mother can
N.Nn a m, .
for she rcnd 1t. have forgotten what
1t said, but II was from New York and
signed MARY +. IL
zone day when Tucker went to the
postoGlce, the poRtmistreSs handed him
out knife. This has lust come
through the mail. Tucker, she said.
Your aunt sent 1t to you md hopes you
won't hurt yourself with It. We never
heard what became Of the wrapping
and the little note within
"CustIs had lover in the adjoining
county who wrote to her whenever he
got chance to send his letters by prl-
vAtg hands. He seemed never to have
heard Of the vulgnr public method or
employing Uncle Sam. Often passing
carriage would halt and deliver mis-
sive or n colored boy going through the
plantation would hand In letter for
Miss Gusts Mason. which man on
hotsobaCi, had turned over to him.
Nearly every time he wrote he would
say I snatch this chance to send you a
message. for hear a neighbor IL going
Within few miles Of Woods Crossing
or. 10 sorry not 10 have gotten word To
YOU before. wrote long letter last
week. but had to tear It up as there was
no one going your way
"Onr sunday / drove, with Matoncn,
10 church She had letter to mail