The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-01-26
BOLD HOTHDUSE FLOWER
A Story Of Woman's Pluck After
the War In the South.

Three persons were sitting around
table in large down town cafe, two men
and one woman. Two were New York
ers. The fair man was a southerner.
"Women as a rule" the woman re-
marked, seem to think it attractive to
appear as incompetent as possible, espe-
daily when they are out with men. AT a
luHeh counter yesterday heard wo-
man say, Thank you very much to
bullying waiter who threw a charlotte
russo on the counter before her. There
wasn't a twinge of sarcasm about her.
She looked grateful after waiting Is min
utes. Thank you very much,'" mimick-
ed the woman.
The southerner laughed. 81 thought
this wasn't an age in which women were
accused Of lack of independence"
They're pretty bad" replied the wo-
man decidedly. but what they must
have been in your part of the country
when they married at 10 and were treat
cd like dollhouse flowers is beyond imagi-
nation. Even now southern men are full
of sentiment. aren't they? They'll work
like dogs to keep a woman from earning
her living. Why are you anxious to
make us dependent CTedluTeSs
hShali | tell what one of these hot
house flowers did in case of life and
death and property" asked the fair man.
smiling 'She was the wife of my uncle.
He married her before she was 20. but
she was bold dollhouse flower. Her
husband died at the close of the war. and
she ran his plantation herself. This was
In Louisiana. The plantation house was
ID. k;,I,- -,,t
tied part Of the country. In busy times
she was afield by 6 o'clock. All the work
men were former slaves. Her husband
had been popular with them; he was an
easy man. Whenever they had lacked
half holiday or their rations had been
curtailed. This is some of Miss Annals
doin's. yo' kin be bound was the com
ment passed. She never sought to be a
popular mistress.
"In the house with her slept her two
children and great masculine. beauti-
full mulatto woman named Victorine, who
had been Aunt Annals maid since her
marriage. She adored Aunt Anna, but
they were both violent spirits. and my
mother says she has heard them fill the
house with their quarreling, like two
fishmongers' wives My aunt had gencr-
plantation when it began to be whispered
that the Louisiana eX-slaves were just
awakening to the indiGnity of their for.
mer state and were planning to revenge
themselves for that period by killing the
planters in Bayou Sara parish. taking
possession of their property and installing
themselves masters of the soil. This Aunt
Anna heard with constitutional indiffcr-
g. g,;r ,x.bi Snnra Of knr
neighbors advised her, but neither she nor
Victorine hinched.
"One afternoon Aunt Annals house
hold-that is, herself, Victorine and the
children-drove ten miles to make Il call.
1t was dark when they started home. and
Pompey, the coachman, stood up to wrap
his blanket about his knees, saying posi-
lively:
"'Best go home by de high road cross
de bridge, Miss Anna. IT'S shorter fur de
horses
"This was sufficient to make Aunt An
ma reply obstinately:
"'We'll go by the lower road. It's safer
on dark night
".'Tis powerful hard on de horses
ventured Pompey. Aunt Anna, deigning
no further remark. made sign to Veto
rine, and that peremptory person, settling
herself in the scat opposite Aunt Anna.
With little Caroline in her arms, caution
cd him 10 shut ND and drive on Pompey
turned and gave Victorine's back such
Iook a. caused Aunt Anna to cry out
sbarnIv.
" .pompevr
"My aunt's wIllfulness saved their
lives, for by this time the plantation dar-
t;es b,d loosened the railing that guard
cd the bridge and were waiting to assist
Pomn.v IN Dive tho carriare over the
oSao
.i.,, . ,,,,o. ,,y.v from, those onera-
.,.n. Ant Anno,s carr;aua nossed at
ohout ,,idni.ht victorine on the front
seat with Caroline curled up IN ner arms
and Aunt Anna on the BACK WIN EiiZa-
beth's head IN her lap. taking ana quar-
reling rs they Went arrived nj 'he
house, Pompey's wife screamed when she
saw the carriage and stood on the Kitchen
steps saying:
Bless de LORD:
why are you not IN pea, Chioe!
Chloe tremtlcd ana crled.
'l'ze staid up to see my Ola man.
Aunt Anna looked at Chioe ana al
tompey. she remembered MS ua,ins
look Mt Nlctorlne, ana she Watcheu onioe
kiss the sleeping Caroline, whom she TOOK
In her arms.
"'Pompey.' she said. put up the horses
and come into the kitchen. ChloeH give
you something to eat. Chloe, open poX
OF sardines for fompey. Iompey was
very fond OF sardInes.
Inter, when Aunt Anna went into the