The Portland daily press., 1900-03-09
BOLD HOTHOUSE FLOWER |
A Story Of woman's Pluck After
the War In the South.


Three persons were sitting around a
table in large down town cafe, two men
and one woman. Two were New York
ers. The fair man was a southerner.
"Women as q rule" the woman re-
marked, seem to think II attractive to
appear as incompetent as possible, espe-
cially when they are out with men. At a
lunch counter yesterday l heard a 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. II thought
this wasn't an age In which women we're
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 16 and were treat
ed like dollhouse flowers is beyond imagi-
nation. Even now southern men are full
Of sentiment aren't they2 They'll work
like dogs to keep woman from earning
neT living. why uic you ahAiVus w
make us dependent creaturesT
"Shall l 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 a bold dollhouse flower. Her
husband died at the close of the war, and
she ran his plantation herself This was
-. 7 ha ,,la % hnffea W
near Bayou Sara creek, in thinly set
tied part OF the country. In busy times
she was afeld by @ 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 a
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 gener-
aled the raising OF three rice crops on the
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 indiffer-
ence to 'niggers' whims.' Some of her
neighbors advised her, but neither she nor
Victorine flinched.
"One afternoon Aunt Annals house
hold-that is, herself, Victorine and the
children-drove ten miles to make 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:
owen go by the lower road. It's safer
on a dark night
"'Tis powerful hard on de horses.
ventured Pompey. Aunt Anna, deigning
no further remark, made a sign to Victo-
rine, and that peremptory person, settling
herself in the seat opposite Aunt Anna,
with little Caroline in her arms, caution
ed him to shut up and drive on Pompey
turned and gave Victorine's back such a
look as caused Aunt Anna to cry out
sharply:
"Pompeyp
"My aunt's wfllfulness saved their
lives. for by this time the plantation dar-
kies had loosened the railing that guard
ed the bridge and were waiting TO assist
Pompey to drive the carriage over the
edge.
"Half a mile away from these opera
tons Aunt Annals carriage passed at
about midnight, Victorine on the front
seat with Caroline curled up in her arms
and Aunt Anna on the back with Eliza
beth's head in her lap talking and quar-
reling as they went. Arrived at the
house, Pompey's wife screamed when she
saw the carriage and stood on the kitchen
steps saying:
"'Bless de LordP
".'Why are you not in bed, Chloer
"Chloe trembled and cried.
"T'ze staid up TO see my old man.
"Aunt Anna looked at Chloe and at
Pompey. She remembered his daring
look at Victorine, and she watched Chiot
kiss the sleeping Caroline. whom she tool
| In her arms
"'Pompey,' she said. put m the horse'
and come into the kitchen. ChloeH give
you something to eat. Chloe, open box
Of sardines for Pompey.' Pompey was
| very fond of sardines.
Later, when Aunt Anna went into th'
kitchen. Pompey was sitting at the kiteh
en- table in his driving cloak, his shout
ders hunched over his plate. Chloe stool
away from him sullenly. Aunt AIMS
went to the sink under pretext Of getting
a drink Of water and. with her back turn
ed to both of them. remarked:
al hear there's an uprising of som'
sort planned among the darkies. Mr.. nj
L 49,. Ala ma thin a II Amman that RhQull