Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-11-30

quoted Spanish verse and told of his
travels through Florida in the early
eos; and in the midst of it all pretty
Matoaca broke off to ask me if side
combs were still in fashion and wheth-
er l thought there was any truth in
the rumor that overskirts were to be
worn again.
When J went up for the night my
way led through square old-fashioned
room, where the young widow was ly-
ing beside her little boy on a yellow
trundle bed She put up her hand to
warn me to silence, and l tip-toed into
tiny apartment, whose only entrance
was through this room, shared by the
three sisters and the child. Motoaca
struck match and lighted the lamp.
1t went out instantly.
oh! l must have forgotten to fill
it, she whispered. Never mind; it's
bright moonlight, and you can see the
light from our room. | can't bring it
out, for Mason would yell. Good
night; let us know if you need any
thing
Another night l went up early to
write some important business letters,
and was just settling myself when Mrs.
Murray came in.
"'You won't mind my taking your
lamp, know, she said, hurriedly pick
ing it up. The girls are dressing for
a party, and all the others are in use.
| There were a great many servants,
it seemed to me, and yet Mrs Mason
and the girls were eternally at work,
cooking and busting, washing dishes
and waxing floors. They had a cook
and boy, gardener and housemaid,
besides little girl who apparently had
no duties but to pass the bread and
wake up the family, to say nothing of
the washerwoman, 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 antiquated dame, who came on
certain days to make cake, sweep the
yard and shake the rugs.
Little Pocahontas was 10 years old,
and wore her hair 'wropped.' l asked
her once what size shoes she wore
when she didn't go barefoot. Some
times twos; these I've got on now is
ives.' She had very vague ideas as to
time. She would bring me pitcher of
water in the morning and say, plead
ingly: You'd better get up; breakfast
is goin' on de table now | would
rush madly into my clothes and fly
downstairs only to find there was a
long vista before me of reading the
poems of one George, Lord Byron,
picking the fragrant 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 l would say, 'Poky, is breakfast
nearly ready? Nom, indeedy, they's
just maxim the kitchen fire. she would
reply. Even as l turned 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 girl.
"It was a feast and famine. Some
days the table would be weighed down
with every delicacy imaginable; the
next, with apparently no reasons, Mrs.
Mason would say, after an early and
very unsatisfactory breakfast: We
are not going to bother much about
meals today, just picnic dinner and
supper about five And we'd have
cold mutton, hoecake, steWed turnips,
baked potatoes, preserves and milk.
But there was always plenty in the
storeroom to be had at any hour-cold
rolls, canned peaches, cheese and ham
and often one of the girls would
come up about II with beautiful
golden-b brown cupcake still smoking and
a glass of fruity home-brewed wine.
Mother thought you might be hungry,
she'd say. And on the feast days, after
an indescribable dinner, topped off
with peaches and cream, cake, blanc
mango and cocoanut pies, the married
daughter would make freezer of fruit
ice cream about o'clock.
"Often l would run up to my room 10
wash my hands, get them well soaped
and find there was no towel. When |
would ask Pocahontas she would shake
her head and disappear After long
absence she'd come back with Mrs.
Mason. 'Poky tells me you want tow
els she would say, pitilessly, and
would quail before the righteous scorn
in her eyes. III see if | can get you
some, but in such a big family it's
hard to keep any extra ones / would
feel like a criminal every time this
happened.
II had a little riding hat which
was supposed to stay on the hall table
but was never in place. One day | tim
idly asked if anybody had seen it. D
Tucker wore it down to the lower
neighborhood today, but he'll be back
Thursday GUSTS said. Poor boy, he
never can keep hat
Zone of my dearest treasures was a
tiny bottle of perfume, which l doled
out drop by drop on state occasions
Once l left it on my dresser by an I'M
lucky chance, and when l went into
my room again the air reeked with de-
, licious, guilty sweetness. A few min
, utes later little Mason ran to me. See
how nice | look, he cried. Mamma
has inst washed and dressed me and