The Indianapolis journal., 1903-08-30
EUents of the Past
Ueek in the City
Personal Menfion@

group OF indianapolis women had an
experience meeting the other afternoon
over their ice-cream sodas and the servant
question was the peg on which they hung
most of their woes. Where, oh, where
are the girls that mother used TO haveY
said one. They lived with the family
year in. year out. until they died or were
married. Nowadays we pay them more,
give them more privileges and they stay
few weeks and then fit. Fit at the most
fnconvenient time. too. I had a right good
girl this summer and 1 thought when /
went away I could trust the house with
her very safely. Two or three weeks be
fore the time I had planned TO go | went
out into the kitchen to talk it over with
her. And. indeed. don't see how you can
possibly go then she said loftily, it's me
self that is going home to visit that same
time"
well. I've got sperience. too said the
second woman. 81 am cookless and last
night an applicant for the vacant spot on
my hearth turned UP. 1 asked her for refer
snces and she said she thought il was per-
fectiy silly TO ask a girl for reference-she
left her places because she had squabbes
with her mistresses and, of course. they
wouldn't give references. That almost
noored me. but i asked her few other
questions-where she had lived and If she
expected her evenings always and that kind
OF thing and finally 1 told her hardly
thought she would suit me. Then she
flashed out: Well. / don't think I care to
come. thank you. You are entirely too
curious and want to find out too many
things I don't know whether I'll recover
my nerve sufficiently to ask my next cook
II i ever get one-what her name is or not"
We'll. my maid was too good; that was
her only fault" chimed i'm the third wom-
IN. ''She wanted 10 go TO church and Sun
day school and prayer meeting. until there
was little time left outside. and what time
she was in the house she sang sad. slow
hymns that made us all think of preparing
for death. Finally / had to demonstrate
with her On her attention to her church
duties. ani later in that week who should
come 10 call upon her but her pastor. He
told me 1 was doing a great wrong in at
tempting to keep the girl away from her
church: that I should feel it a joyful priv
ilege to send her ss frequently as she
wanted TO CO. / was very nice to him for
while, but finally he grew insistent
that I told him that when the time came
that myself could leave my kitchen from
to IL o'clock on Sunday mornings that
should be very glad to give my maid the
same privilege
The fourth woman OF the group swal-
lowed her last bit OF ice. MY story is not
really 50 sad as the others have been. but
it's a thorn in my flesh. l have a good
cook-a splendid cook. She is wide and
black and shiny. / engaged her very hur-
riedly one evening and really didn't ask
her name. The first morning at breakfast
she came in 10 bring some biscuit and
spoke to her and then hesitated. Il forgot
to ask your name / said. apologetically
Nah names Dewdrop.' she said.
John ci0Sed over his coffee. The girls
gissled and looked at her helplessly She
Is so wide and so black and shiny.
oh. I'm afraid can't call you that
I said. Would you mind IL / called you
Matilda or Jane?'
she looked darker than ever Ah DON
like to be called outen nah name she said
'Ah got second name eff you all wants to
call me dat; but All don want to be called
outen nah name
II frightened up. OF course, we'll call
you by your own name them / said. What
Is your second name?'
...'Mah second names Darling she said. -
II was all the fault OF a kitten-a little
gray ball of fun, innocent of any inten-
tion of getting nice young man into trou-
bic. 1t came bounding down the steps of
a North Side house the other afternoon
and down the walk into the street. Close
behind followed a girI-a pretty girl. whose
pink cheeks just matched the pink of her
frock. Perhaps. after all. IL was the fault
OF the cheeks and the frock, for pink
cheeks worn above pink frocks are respon-
siole for many things.
The young man made up his mind
10 catch the runaway kitten and return it
To the pretty owner. But the kitten had
another mind. IL SKINNED along the side
walk. through the grass. and finally across
the street. Always il kept almost within
reach. yet just out of reach There had
been hard rain. the grass was soppy, the
street was muddy and the trees still drip
ping. After ten minutes of pursuit the
young man was breathless with his in
effective calls OF Kitty. nice kitty" and
was covered with raindrops and splashed
with mud. Suddenly. Unexpectedly. the
kitten curled over on its back and waited
his approach with air of perfect good
fellowship.
The young man retraced his steps to the
house where the owner of the kitten the
pink frOck and the pink cheeks, sat rock
tng on the verandah. With the kitten in
one hand. his hat I'm the other. he went
up the steps. Permit me TO return your
kitten to you.'' he said with gentleman
of-the-old-scheol matter.
The girl OF the pink cheeks and pink
frock curved her eyebrows in surprise.
why. that isn't my kitten" she said.
The young man wiIted perceptibIy Not
your kitten" he repeated feebly. why L
saw you trying TO catch 1t. so -
Il was driving ii away-the horrid little
thiag has been hanging around here all
afterroon.i Please will you take IL away
j can't bear cats" And the nice young
man went fading down the square with
the ball of gray fun still in his hand. feeling
that the man who originated the supersti-
tior that IL is uniucky TO have cat cross
your path had good taste in superstition.
Social Events of the Past Week.
Miss Mayme Fox gave a morning euchre