The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-04-23

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they do try her dreadfully. l never in
. my whole life saw her in such a temper
as she is in now''
These are the days that try all mems
souls, repeated Kramer, sententioasIy. as
they reached the scene of Charles Sum
ner's unayailing efforts. Now, boy"
he began. settling the barrel firmly on the
checks, you go to work with that saw
here, right along this mark Saw easy
and steady: there. don't twist the saw!
Now you are going all right: keep at il
till you get through there, then turn the
barrel over little. See? And keep right
on saving till you have finished the job
, Maria and Annabel disappeared over
toward the fruit and forest trees which
were so fragrant with bloom, and Kram-
er went back TO the house to see if he
could do anything for Mrs. Klegg That
good lady was almost wild. She had n
tougher job on her hands than she had
ever tackled before in all her Christian
life. and she began to feel that she had
never known trials before. ''You go help
father. Mr.. Kramer" she said as he
stuck his head in at the door. III have
TO work out my OWN salvation here" and
he went.
Get down on your knees and take that
turkey wing and dig out that corner"
she commanded one of the biggest latest
old mammys she had ever seen. What
is your nameE she demanded as the wo-
man laboriously squatted TO her task.
They calls me Lily-Daisy Oliphant. after
old Miss and de guyrles." replied the wo-
man with soft laugh, but they mostly
calls me Elephant"
Elephant amt bad said Mrs. Klegg
from the bed where she was giving one of
the men drink of water" but it is a
queer name for a woman A shout of
laughter went up from the boys who were
well enough to laugh, and it did them a
world of good. though Mrs. Klegg Won
dered why her remark should seem so
funny. Now. Elephant" she said as she
began to hustle around. tucking up the
the blankets and pulling up the sheets.
50 that the sufferers could protect them
selves from the dust, You and-what is
ycur name, and yours?" she asked of the
two other women. who. raw from the
plantation fields, knew less about house
work than three-year-old child cara
bella katherine Emmeline Elizabeth
Oh"
''My patience,' exclaimed Mrs. Klege.
as she pitched two pairs of muddy boots
and big chip basket out the door. mo
wonder you can't work, if you have to
carry that name round with you. You
don't use it all at once, do you?'
Please Miss, I'm JUS Liz fer Short
replied the slim. likely young woman. who
wouldn't have been half bad looking in
clean clothes. after an application of soap
and sand.
I'm Lily Jane" volunteered the Wild
eyed companion of Liz. as she dug her
bare toes in the crack of the hearth,
bringing up "a shower of ashes.
We'll. now, girls. | want this room
cleaned up speck and span, SOS these
boys can have chance to get well. Ele-
phant, quit skiting that dirt I'D in the
aIr~do either of you know how to mop?"
Nom"
Can you sweep"
Nom"
swell, suppose you can wash blankets
and things:"
Nom"
well. what under the canopy can you
do: asked Mrs. Klegg in utter despair.
We-alls kin pick heap o. cott'n''
Cotton. L don't want any cotton
picked. Haven't you ever learned to
sweep or wash or iron:" Mrs. Klegg was
rapidly adding to her stock of informat ton,
but she could not comprehend such condi-
tons as these.
Nom. replied Lily Jane. her great
toe swatting ''chinch" that had indis-
creetly run out of the crack near her.
"We-alls amt got nutt'n to sweep, no.
wash no iron. KANT sweep dirt fIoo's.
Jus shovel 'em out. No use wash'n,
kaise things jus git dirty agin.'
And there Mrs. Klegg had the whole
philosophy of the negro. 1t counted for
very little with her. though. elephant"
had by this time dug the dirt cut of the
corners. and Mrs. Klegg set Lily Jane
and Liz to sprinkling the floor, then
showed them how to sweep it. 1t was
awkward work for all hands. and was not
accomplished without many jibes and jeers
for the darkies from the sick men, and
many expOstulations and objurgations
from Mrs. Klegg. whose ideas were get
ting fearful jolting up.
Il read a poem once about dumb driven
4 an lnr md tt,n.N =. L
she declared in evaporation. as Lily Jane,
on being told to get a cloth to mop the
floor with, grabbed up the only clean
| towels left and sOused them in the slop
bucket of hot water she had just set
down. Dumb amt no name for it, she
asserted as she pushed Lily Jane back
and jerked the towels from the bucket,
land l see plainly I'll have to do some
driving. Now take that bucket out and
get some of that soft soap and scrub it
out: 1t int fit to slop respectable hogs
inl''
''Sho'! It'll JUS be all dirtied up again.
Miss. I'll clean it right good when Is
dun. deed | WILL"
Weariedly. Mrs. Klegg explained that
it must be cleaned right then. and that set
tied, she got some cast-off flannel shirts
and when the girls reappeared set them to
work on the floor in earnest. 1t was Il
long, tedious job, and had the girls not
been Wiling. Mrs. klegg must have gone
at the hopping herself. Elephant was
instructed how to clean the windows and
soon the room was shining and bright as
soap and hot water could make it,
Poor Mrs. Klegg was worn to a fraz.
zie, but she noticed that even the sick
est of the men began to brighten up
The warm. sweet Spring air had fresh
ened up their senses, and the sight of real
white women about them had warmed
their hearts perceptibly. Mrs. Klegg had
herself laid fire on the hearth and the
bright flames and genial warmth soon
dried out the soft-soapy air. 1t was with
| a feeling of intense but happy WEAKNESS
that she sank into the splint- bottomed
chair after the cleaning ordeal and
smoOthed down her hair.
you girls have done pretty well, con-
siderin'." she declared as the three wo-
men stood in the door. after their labors
were completed. Il want you to clean
yourselves up now. You've got to help
round this house while I'm here, and I
amt going to have no such scarcecrows
round under my nose. Now go long out
to that cabin and scrub yourselves, just
like you did this floor
Giggling and laughing the women dis