The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-09

one hundred had eaten at least one meal
 with us. At this time my cook came
 to me:
 . I think I'll be luvin' ye, maam.' she
 sai4
 Why, what's the trouble? l asked
 with visions of my cookless kitchen filling
 me with woe Has any one done any
 thing to you?
 l" No, ma am, she answered
 " Is the work too heavy for you! l" No, maam,' she replied, again.
 " Well, what Is the natter thenT
 asked.
 Well if ye will have the truth, ma am, I'll tell it to ye,' she announced. ain't wilIin' to work for nobody as runs big
 boarding house and ain't got sense enough to take no money for it'-and she left.
 This spirit of comm ,relalsm as applied to hospitality is still so remote. I am glad to say, that frendliness and hospitality
 are yet in the south beyond material consideration However, I do seriously think that many a southern family goes
 galy to ruin through this unnecessary
 drain in expenses. Unfortunately the day
 of plenty. as we knew it long ago, Is past,
 and whereas In those days 1t made no
 difference to the old planter when nine or
 ten of his best help were retained for
 household service. nowadays the amount
 of cotton this number could pick would
 make such an appreciable difference that
 the servant question is altogether a diff
 ferent story. The nousekeeper of today
 In that section spends herself now more than she formerly did. I note difference
 in them. too, even in the remoter parts of the south. for the reatless spirit of the
 times has crept in among the mag nolias and iessamines quite as 1t has in
 less tropical climates. The necessity for
 earning her living has done much for the
 4.a o,ad at m
 o,d-fashioned enough in my views to be-
 live that the woman who works does lose
 somethine-it is like the bloom on a
 delicate fruit-something quite intangible which is lost by contact with the world. Still so much is gained in self-dependence
 of the right sort that this loss is almost offset. and perhaps my regret Is senti- mental that the ne ,essity for wage earn l ing does take women into the world
 "1t is because I was brought up so differently that I can never accustom l myself to accept co-education as good l thing for women woman's charm IS 1 In her very elusiveness and the daily and | familiar association which co-education l brings about between boys and girls Is serious drawback to the advantages col l lege gives The tune will come when the ] equal advantages for both will make CO., | education quite unnecessary. Our grs nd | mothers were quite Superior women. 1 think for they were not restless. anxious, I nervous fretful fomen-but, then. there ] are no grandmothers today. Those who | fll this position today are more learned than the grandmothers of my time-they spell better. perhaps-no." and here 9rs. | Davis paused "I don't believe they do spell so we'll" she add d quickly, flor they were not taugh to svllabize It Is only those who went through 'Ba. be bi in the
 old blue-baclS speller who can thoroughly annrecnte the power of letters do not think the picture method is good way
 to teach chulren to spell. great deal l Is fauph mechanically nowadays. and much Is given on which brain force If scattered to learn any one thing perfectly and we'll"
 A Comfort to Her.
 l Here Mrs Davis's visitor arose to go and the stately old lady arose with cour- l teous manner. likewise, and leaning on 1 her cane walked slowly across the room l to stop beneath the portrait of sweet | young woman with fine, clear eyes, which | looked out from the canvas with frank | bright expression. Underneath the paint ing sat big bowl filled with honeysuckle | which lifted up their perfume A glance | showed that here was a shrine within 1 a shrine and it needed no words to tell | one that this lovely face in the painting l was that of Winnie Davis, daughter l of the Confederacy, who was born Tn the 1 last days of that sad struggle and whose l death came from exposure while attending | n reunion of those who fought for her I fathers cause. Nearby little vase was 1 full of quaint stiff little red roses, such l as grew in the gardens of the long-ago l southland. Mrs. Davis slipped the vase | aside and revealed painting of BeauVoir the old Mississippi homestead, Tt is a 1 great comfort to me- she said, With a | gentle sigh, that this dear home is now | n home for Confederate veterans. There are forty of them now being cared for there, and it is on of the sweet:st thoughts l have that the home MT. Davis and l loved so well Is now a shelter for those l who, too, loved him. There Is more than l half a mile of sea coast there, and the
 breezes of the gulf must surely bring