The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-26
STORIES OF THE TOWN.

The Ladies Shakspearean Club had met
ostensibly to decide whether Hamlet was
or was not mad, but the woes of Hamlet
and Ophelia seemed tame in comparison
with the gloom which apparently weighed
upon their own souls. One lady after an
other gave as her excuse for not having
had time to read a word" of the lesson
the fact that she had been by various un-
happy causes. deprived of her maid. and
was doing her own work." state SEEM
ingly likely to become chronic in the charm
ing suburb in which the club is located
Inc ladies' were very particular to say
"maid," word which conveys a vision of
a charmingly attired waitress in an immac-
ulate cap. lnasmuch as each of these
housewives kept but one "girl for general
housework' (when she could get herr their
attitude on the question seemed a little like
putting on airs to the spinster who lis
tened to their lamentations. But then, the
spinster had never been married and was
not entitled to an opinion
i had most admirable man al a house.
servant, said one matron. "One night he
tried TO chloroform and rob us, but I
philosophically reflected that if / got an
other one he would probably do the same
thing, so l kept him for several months on
promise of good behavior. One day had
and he started down cellar with the kero-
sene can. | am MORALLY sure that ii was
his intention to pour the contents of the
prevented. That was little too much. and
with deep regret l had to let him CO."
That wasn't any worse than my expe-
rience. said another detected woman. "The
back part of my house Is so shut off from
the front part that L never know what is
going on there. One morning at 4 O'Clock
health officer rang the bell and told us
that we were suspected of harboring a
smallpox case "A prompt investigation dis
closed In the third floor our cooks husband.
a colored man as big tree, who had
been there three days without my knovI-
was drunk and not afflicted with smallpox
and l went TO bed with a nervous chilli"
MY maid was pretty rosy-cheeked
farmers daughter, but her name was Dear
est and she fatty refused to answer to any
other. Now. couldn't let my husband call
the hired girl Dearest. could /? So she had
TO go too. You are the only woman In the
room fortunate enough to have a maid, and
1 understand you are never without one.
How do you manage it?''
The gentle middle-aged woman addressed
smiled a smile which she strove hard to
keep from being superior. well, my dear. -
she said, my mother was a Virginia wom-
an whose reputation for housewifery ex-
tended all over the county, so | know how
a house should be kept, butt with empha sis
81 don't do it. II my girl were as smart
as l am, she wouldn't be my servant.
Juot lChcSl upOi mat anu let lois and lots
of things pass. My house may not be per-
lection In some places, but il Is clean and
comfortable. and L don't worry I try IN
remember that my girl Is human and liable
to err as well as the rest of u.s. I haven't
got my Shakspearean lesson this after
noon, either, but Ii is because / have taken
time 10 write paper for my colored girl to
read at her club, which is called the
Ladies League 1t may be little bit try
ing to think for others as well as Yourself
sometimes. but ii pays in the long run. II
Is better than washing your own dishes
three times day. anyway"
Then the leader of the club announced
that the time was up and that they would
take the same lesson next time
The tattered old darby who. with his de-
crepit cart and hoary mule hauls away
trash from Woodruff Place residences
came around TO the dining-room window for
his pay. why. Uncle said the young
lady as she watched him tuck away a dime
into a red sock well filed with other small
change, you've got more money now than
/ have" Laws. honey" replied the old
man. time l gets somep'n fer the newell