Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-07-13
planned the dumb-waiter system to the
less fortunate.

! man named Charpentier had edited q
text book, there was certain daring
in referring to "Mon Carpenter
! d'Edtelle," even before the head mis-
tress.
The excitement was at its height on
Thursday, when we all filed In to the
refectory and saw the superior and the
matron standing by the closet, the door
opened wide, and the charpentier in his
Sunday clothes, buttonhole bouquet
and all, gently toying with the rope. /
nodded to him with an easy familiarity
which impressed the girls, and led the
superior, who disliked my manners, to
point down the flue. where, of course,
he was obliged to look with respectful
interest.
It seems that he was to teach the
matron and the cook how to work the
machine, and he stayed during the
meal. 1t was pathetic to see the wonder
with which the lay sisters regarded
the continuance. They nodded and
whispered together, and rolled their
eyes. When called to use it they han
died the rope as if it had been made OF
spun glass, they chung to it as to a life
preserver when sending down heavy
load of plates, and unanimously dubbed
it ia Bette"
have always attributed it to the
conscious embarrassment of the car.
penter in having so many girls staring
at him that he omitted to explain the
use of the speaking tube and whistle
beside the door.
At the evening meal the superior in
person superintended the use of la
Bette. 1t went pretty we'll, but | could
see that she was nervous. In the morn
ing the head mistress and the matron
oficiated. Also at dejeuner and dinner.
In fact, for several days Ia Bette was
used and commended with discretion.
The jolly little sister who used TO bring
up the plat au jour came up the first
day empty handed and looking anxious.
The next day she sent the potatoes,
but appeared with the principal dish, as
of yore, and beamed upon or hungry
faces.
"Surely, ma soeur," said the matron,
politely, ''you might have saved your
steps,"
"Ohl" she answered, at is so unstyl-
ish. 1t must take away the appetite to
have a dish sent flying upthrough two
stories, and the sauce all spilled in tax
ing it from the shelf" The matron did
not reply, but when the time came to
send the dish down, behold, la Bette
would not work! A few timid tugs at
the rope only seemed TO make it more
stationary. l volunteered TO help, but
found that the rope was caught In the
wheel, so that none but the carpenter
could remedy it. He was accordingly
sent for. He did not arrive until we
had assembled for the evening meal. He
worked over it for a few minutes, en-
planning with the greatest condescen-
sion the theory and the art of it. At
last he went down to the kitchen to see
that the dinner was sent up in safety
A timid little lay sister, who had just
been promoted to the refectory service,
stood by the waiter, with her hand on
the rope The matron kept her eye on
her while she cut the long loaf into
thick slices. The girls, who had revived
for moment in the presence of the ear
penter, had settled down to gloomy
silence. We were all hungry and tired.
We could hear a slight murmur of voices
coming up the fue. The ropes creakcd
and we all reioiced in the prospect OF
having our dinner, when loud shriil
whistle from the speaking-tube fright
ened the sister so that she let go Of tn,
rope and screamed. 1t is needless to
say that there followed loud crash of
china falling two stories. In mo-
ment, the carpenter, followed by the
cook, rushed into the refectory. BE be-
gan to expostulate with the sister. The
cook explained that the dinner was so
mixed with broken china that there was
not mouthful fit to eat. The girls be-
gan to complain and disorder reigned
supreme.
The poor little sister fatty refused to
go near the waiter to have the tube and
WulSllC ShpldlhCQ W llSis liz Oil,
with the presence of mind which char
acterizes good people, sent us to the
playroom and gave us permission 80
dance for half an hour, sending for the
music teacher to play for us, while
new dinner was being prepared.
And now comes the only part OF this
story which makes it akin to an animal
story, and yet Is strictly true; that is,
that after this experience, the sisters
took every occasion to avoid using the
waiter, unless the superior demanded
it, and while 1t was shown to visitors
with great pride, as sign of progress,
the sisters themselves never approved
of it, spoke of it with awe, and never
called It anything but "la Betc."-N.i
Evening Post.