The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-10-09
CHIMMIE FADDEN,
Chimmie Fadden Gives a swell Dance.
By EDWARD w. TOWNSEND.
By EDWARD w. TOWNSEND.
Copyright 1903 by Robert Howard


Wen be getting back into little Old
New York pretty soon, for de twenty
round fight to a finish wit de society
racket. OATS de reason Duchess has
to be chasing into Dc town house now
and den, for to see has de gang at
work putting new frills on de inside of
de house lone any wOik, or just struck.
I was in wild her de Odder day, and she
says, as she pipes off de empty rooms,
says she, 1T would be a polite ting for
US to give a reception to our frens be-
fore de family comes in and fills de
house
Sure" says I. In de basement.
wit beer and frankfurters solved IN de
kitchen"
Duchess bumped her shoulders, de
way French COILS has. instead of being
sassy out loud, and cops dat she was
cooking some trouble.
Well, a day or two after dat l hears
her say to Miss Fannie, Would Mann
zelle object if Chames and me had "a
few of our frens to de town house for
to entertain EN-, before d g house is
opened?"
"Soitainly not. Hortense.' says Miss
FANNIE. You can make any use o.
de kitchen n ice box o wishes;
and if you is to dance use de dining
rOOm."
So Duchess gets busy making out her
Invitation list.
Wei only have aides maids,
Wallets. head grooms. buffers. second
men n house foOtmen." h says.
I'VE won't have to buy beer for
house fOOtmen," 1 says. for dere amt
any,"
Listen: Duchess says dat I am a
house foOtman, and dat I'm to be called
dat after dis. or she'll know de eason
why, She says lat dere IS plenty OF
places in New York where dey has
house foOtmen, and some of EN- will
be in powdered wigs and silk stockings
before long, at dat.
"On your way, woman" says I. Il
seen does gillies when we was in o
Ion and when dey went out on de
box dey wore powdered wigs. De foist
ting dat goes out on FIT Avenoo in
dat makeup will be arrested by de
crossing cops, and sent away for life"
But, p'chee'. Duchess tells me for
fair dat she was hearing of families
a is DIN to put dair second man
in Wig and silks and send EN- out on
de box in dose monkey tricks.
Not for ChimmieI Wouldn't I be "a
head-liner. rolling down de Avenoo in
a powdered wig. What! De f0ist mug
from de BOwery dat got me woul do
tings dat would make a hurry call for
de police resolve in order. l goes OF
de box now, sometimes, when Miss
Fannie has a lot Of woik to do-shop-
ping, or calling-but 1 has de same
livery as coachy. But a white wig,
and low tide vest? Never.
Anyway Duches makes out de list
for de boys and COILS we Is 10
give a invite to. and I pipes 1t off. to
100 .r-1- ~ Fn~ rlnU ~ nov
where's Maggie de house maid?" I
says. and me fren de bar-keep n me
modder and Mrs. Murphy?"
why Maggie?' says Duchess. Shes
only a hOusemaid."
"Bue she's me fren's steady" 1 says,
land he'I fetch up de RoseleaT's or
chestra."
Women is clever. at coping weider
DER husbands is only chit-chattlnS or
declaring deirselyes. so Maggie ana
me fren, an me mOdder and Murphy
gets deir invite for u reception.
Me fren brings along de Roseleaf or
!. chestra. a banjo and n guitar, and,
hsay. till you hear dose two lads do
Hfawater wit DER plInk-plunks. you'll
never knO what grand opera is.
Dey has SOusa. and Reggie DekOven
beat to a jelly!
Me fren sends up de case beer at
cos price. and Duchess and Maggie
make neal a ton of sandwiches, SO we
was liked for de real part of de show.
all right.
Evening dress was derigor, and l was
de rigOrest Willie IN de walk, for I'd
just COPIED a evening dress suit off Mr..
Paul. what il fitted him too quick.
Well, when everything was ready for
de boys and COILS to come. Duchess
says to me, Light up in de parlors,'
h say hasten me man." says She.
Miss Fannie never a we might
use de parlors," I says.
She never says we mtghtn't,' says
Duchess. Make haste for de guests
will be arriving, n we must be leady
to receive EN- proper"
DE proper way to receive EN- is wit
a glad hand. and an open bottle of beec
at de kitchen door," / says.
Dat would do for under ~soiVants.'
Duchess says, chesty. Not for upper
%soivants. Make haste. De guests Will
enter by de tradesmen's door, n come
up to de parlOr, where you and me
will receive en-
l seen dat it would be a case Of rough
house if l didn't let Duchess do like
= she'd laid out de game, and l thinks dat
de gang dat was coming was well
knowing how to behave IN a pGrlor,
most OF en- being parlor soivants, so
turns on de electric, and Duchess hus-
ties me into me joint, along side her
in de front parlor.
Listen: Doing me duty at Miss Fan
MES. I've seen many a ~ine-naired
dame in full SAIL at a reception. but de
best Of EN- was also ran by de side OF
Duchess. My, my If you'd seen DC
swagger of dat goil when de mugs and
lasses begins to show up, you'd died
wit laughter. She had de high armed
shake, de stitch in her side. de proper
ty smile. and de tousand-mile-away
look in de eye. dat neal parlyZcs me
modder and Mrs. Murphy when i
comes DER turn to get de hand.
Mrs. Murphy couldn't take her peep
ers off Duchess. II she slides up BE-.
hind me for to be near. Soon l hear:
her talking 10 herself: Look at d.
leddy!' she says. A lords Teddy
hasn't de style of her. And. to tiul
she's ChImmie's own wife. She's TX.
q queen on her Cnldan trnna Sh. =