The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-03-21
HU N TIN @ a
MAID
what Happened to Three Men
Who Went on a Trail.

to the act by their wives, lett tneAA
happy homes Sunday and rode down
to Curtis Bay a-looking for Bohemian
servants. Some years before, one OF
the wives told them, q cousin OF
friend of her mother had secured a
splendid Bohemian servant at Curtis
Bay. She was tractable woman, the
servant, bidable and amiable, and SO
the incident of her engagement stili
remained tradition Of the nelgnDor'
hood. They were to find some emil
grants exactly like her to act as do
mestics.
The three men arrived at their des-
tination and alighted in sea OF mud,
through which they made their way
with as little injury to their costumes
as possible. Arrived at the lodging
house where newly arrived Bohemians
congregate, they sought the proprietor
and put it up to him to furnish maids
for the three families. The proprietor
was pleasant, if little difficult to
understand, owing to the brokenness
of his English. They made out finally.
however, that there was no one in the
place who wished to go out to service,
never had been anyone in the place
and that any report to the contrary
was libelous and scandalous-or words
to that effect. The proprietor added,
as the three downcast gentlemen were
leaving the place, that there was q
woman in the next block wEo had
three daughters who might wish posi-
lions.
The downcast gentlemen went to
see this matron, and was informed
in words of one syllable that the young
ladies were engaged in factory and
did not care to change their method OF
making living.
Her language sounded so violent
though very probably it was really
harmless enough-that the visitors
backed out of her presence and into
another sea of mud.
Where now?" asked one man, trans
fixing with his eye the miserable
| leader of the expedition.
ITO priest" replied the leader. I'M
daunted.
| He will turn us out neck and
heels" cried the other two. But the
priest did not. He received them
kindly, and broke to them so gently
the fact that there wasn't single
woman in his congregation who wished
a place as maid in family.
They went in succession after that
to the house of the Presbyterian min
| lister. to that of the Lutheran minister,
and to a grocery store. In each OF
these places they told the sad story
of their mission, and in each they re
ceived the information that Bohemian
servants were as difficult to find as
pigeon-blood rubies. The manager OF
the grocery store had heard, but ne
didn't know how true it was, that
there was one young girl in house
some half mile away who wished to &c
out to service.
The men, now foot-weary and dis
consulate, set out at once for this
place, quarreling en- route as to who
should have the treasure once she
was found They were still arguing
the knotty question when they reached
their objective point and found theil
prey gone. The woman here said tina
there had been 10 applicants for he
hand and heart before she had finall.
yielded to the high salary held out b.
q lady on Charles street.
Fl Il will go home with servant O
not at ALL" cried the leader of the ex
petition, sternly. Il have been max
ing game Of my wife for months now
telling her that If ever took the cas-
, in hand could get her servant with
} out dificulty--and she will guy me ur
. mercifully il go home empty handed
so to speak
At that moment they met strange
\ wild-looking girl in the road. an
, stopped to ask her If she knew anyon
r who wished the lofty position OF mai
. In a humble family. The wild-lookin
girl proved to be Lithuanian VIII
!, could not speak word of Englisl
2 She ran hastily for an INTERPRETERS
however, and when the interprete
!, came she said that the girl did wish
]. position OF the sort offered, but ths
: nothing could induce her to go for les
: than eight dollars a month. tn
i leader of the expedition told her
t would give it to her, and the secon
; man in the expedition offered her te
u dollars without winking an eyelasl
|. This occasioned some argument anon
the friends, and the second man final
:. and very generously relinquished h
J. claim on the services of the youn
II woman, who, through the interprete
q promised faithfully to show up at ht
u new home the next day at noon.
- Tired, depressed and muddy, Il
= discouraged trio then crept homewar
One of them was buoyed by the sem
;. that he at least had justified his boa
IS about being able to secure mai
IL The others felt that they were abo
q tn partake of badly cooked dinners al