The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1901-03-27

i y
trations TO the entire servant question
Gertrude's sisters were very far from
despising the girls ready Imagination
| It had often helped to solve an econom-
| ic problem which they themselves had
abandoned in despair. But this crisis
4 of the maid to order seemed consider
ably beyond Gertrude even, and they
| frankly announced themselves skep-
! ties
| markable maid here in the suburb or
elsewhereY' they demanded.
81 shall procure her in the city, or,
rather. / shall go on trip to the
city, and will send the maid to you
In my absence"
/ s'But. Gertrude! If you leave now
for the city you won't have time, child.
| to get back for Mrs. Caulkington's
| luncheon"
| I'm not afraid, but I'm glad of an
excuse to absolve myself. I'm In awe
Of Mrs. Caulkington, and l tremble
before the glare of her lorgnettes. You
can make my excuses to Mrs. Caulk-
|
to go into the city on pressing BUSH
ness"
4 1t seemed an injustice that Gertrude
/ should not be there to witness the sue.
cess of the occasion for which they had
all worked so hard.
The older girls reasoned, pleaded, rep
resented, but Gertrude stood firm.
l : II II
Mrs. Caulkington's critical eyes were
already boring holes in the drawing
room furniture, and the luncheon hour
was but three minutes in the future.
Isabel, in her prettiest silk waist,
was arranging the oyster plates upon
the table preliminary to ushering their
guest into the dining room.
Suddenly a purling of Bingham skirts
brushed the silence of the place, and
| soft voice sounded in Isabel's ear
''If yo please, MISS said the voice,
Miss Gertrude done send me. am
! de maid to ordah."
'Good gracious!" shrieked Isabel un.
der her breath She started back, the
] oyster plate in her hand narrowly es
Gaping Cdldlulty
She said Good gracious once mo-
/ and very ferventIy, when she turne
! for there, not yard from her side,
waiting to be assigned to her duties,
stood the most desirable Of colored
i mattresses.
She was tall, we'll poised and, bar.
/, ring her skin, a strikingly handsome
young woman. Her pink bingham
gown fitted to perfection and closely
resembled one worn by Gertrude 70
mornings on the porch. Her daint
ruf1ed apron was strikingly like OIL
which Isabel herself wore while sew
/ ing. Perched saucily in her black, ri.
/ ply hair she wore bit of cap, which,
! when examined at close range, seemed
to be nothing more than tuft Of white
lace cleverly pinned.
/ Isabel took second look at her new
acquisition and dropped into a chair
laughing weakly.
Miss Gertrude done send me, MISS
the maid repeated softly, IAN she said
TO- yo' to jest go set in de parlah an
leave all de servin TO- me-"
"Oh, Gertrude, Gertrude" gurgled Is
abel. What nonsense won't that child
!. attempt?"
The luncheon was faultlessly served
Never was waitress quicker. lighter
softer, more all seeing. more graceful.
i Even the critical Mrs. Caulkingto1
was impressed.
Afterward, when the luncheon party
hoe oil r., n
guest deliberately led around to thu
subject Of domestics
DO you find it as hard to get goo(
girls in the suburbs as we do in the
city," she asked. Il imagine not, fol
that young waitress of yours is perfec
ton ITSELF
We'll, good girls are very scarce
/ here answered Isabel. land I've NJ
doubt we'd have endless trouble if we
, had to change. But. you see, we have
raised Anna ourselves She knows oul
own ways and suits us perfectly We've
had her for more than ten years.
know she'll never leave us-unless, OF
course. she marries and has home OF
her own
MY dear girl, you simply have 6
treasure cried the visitor, will
warmth. s'1f | were in your place,
. would shiver at the very thought OF
losing her. And, do you know. since
! I've seen how perfectly your little table
is arranged and served I'm really afrai6
Of what Miss Isabel will think wheI
she comes to me in the city. hope
you will close your eyes to a number OF
things in my housekeeping. Miss Isa
bel"
"Oh, ! am not critical, Mrs Caulking.
ton" laughed Isabel. .'And every one
knows how hard it is to get maids like
Anna nowadays" What to Eat.
j Neglected Dryden.
! Notwithstanding Lowell's high praise
of Dryden prose works and the accu-
sation he brings against literary plum
1 derers Of this magnate of letters 200