Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-07-18
THUMOR OF SERVANT PROBLEM IN SOUTH
Negroes Never Ending Source Of FunNOrth Carolina Woman
Tells Amusing Stories Of Troubles They Take to Mistress nY
BY HELEN B. AMEs.

| tiN AAl0 UP NOANhg NNSioASN my ANNANN
Carolina cousin, Edith, speaking gem
orally to the little group Of women ]
had asked to meet her,
"Tame!" they all cried In anything
but that tone.
Tanner" echoed. do you callit
tame to have had five different SER
wants in as many weeks?"
"Well," she admitted, perhaps
1idn't use the right word; reckon
unamusing' was what meant, If
never left home from one end of the
year to. the other, II never opened
an entertaining book, I'd still have
plenty of amusement so long as had
a few darkies around.
"You remember Jennie" she went
On, turning to me. at was she who
nearly wrecked my first company din
ner after my marriage. My husband
had told me that morning he wanted
to bring a business friend to dinner
a man whose impressions of Southern
hospitality might make a material
difference in our future. Jennie was
my waitress at the time, and very
satisfactory one, too, but right care
less about her appearance. l had in
tended having simple black and
white uniform made for her, but 1t
wasn't finished, so l told her of my
prospective guest and gently suggest
ed that she dress up a bit. She
seemed impressed.
"That evening, when stepped into
the pantry to see IL everything was
going smoothly, I didn't see anything
Of Jennie.
Where's Jennie?' 1 asked the
cook.
She's gettin' ready, MN, and
she's goin' to make you proud. All
picked out her dress mahself.'
Waitress in Ball Gown.
"The cooks taste in wearing ap-
parel didn't exactly accord with mine,
but 1 couldn't think of anything Jen-
ole had that was startling. Some
what treasured on the only point that
had really bothered me, went up
stairs and didn't see Jennie until she
came to the door of the parlor to an
nounce dinner. l was talking to our
guest when 1 noticed his attention
wandering and heard him give q
startled exclamation. Following the
direction of his gaze, saw Jennie
standing in the doorway, regal in a
pink silk ball dress, relic of my
iebutante days that had completely
forgotten having given her. Above
the delicate pinkness of the corsage
her neck rose like tower of black
marble. Jennie, seeing my fixed gaze
and installing it for admiration, fair
ty beamed. Dinnah is served said
she. with a grand manner that went
with the gown.
Oh whispered the man at my
side, where did you get the dusky
queen? Until she spoke l thought
you had engaged Black Patti to sing
Tor us.
Did you ever see anything more
.upsetting to the dignity of hostess? p
! exclaimed Historically, when found
my voice, thankful that he took a
humorous view of it. My first feeling
I
ridiculous standing there that the
absurd side Of it soon overcame me,
and / explained it all to him as we
went in to dinner, and we had a good
laugh.
81 couldn't send Jennie off to
change the dress then. 1t was too
late, and besides, knew it would
hurt her feelings. The sight of her
| sweeping in and out of the room was
100 much for our gravity, but we were
gradually getting used to being wait
ed on by such elegance, when sudden
~, as she was walking across the
COON with a plate in either hand, she
tripped on the train and fell with a
crash. / had to send her off then, in
spite of her injured feelings, and get
Bessie, my little chambermaid, to
finish serving as best she could.
"Jennie and Bessie both have had
stormy matrimonial careers, but of
very different: sort. The marriage
tie is not considered very binding in
the negro settlement on Croton Hill,
and l don't remember how many
weddings Jennie has had, but shall
never forget the first. Harry and l
had just come back from on: own
honeymoon, and l suppose she must
have thought that / would be q SYM
pathetic listener, for she confided to
ne one day as she was helping me
Gnpack my trousseau that she and
ter sister were to have a double we'd
ding Friday week, Miss Edith, If All
live and nothini don't happen Jen-
Eie always added that--like she was
ever mindful of the uncertainty of
human life.
What are you going to wear,
Jennie?' l asked her.t,..
All amt decided, M m, she said
looking longingly toward the bed
where my own wedding gown lay
spread out. Now, what'd you sell me
your dress for?'
Busted" Bonds iof WedlocI1.
"I wanted to shout, but I managed
to control myself and tell her that
hardly thought wanted to part with
It,. She looked so disappointed that
I said I'd fix her up pretty white
gown of some sort. Poor Jennie! ]
wish she could have had my gown II
It would have kept her husband for
her. Her sister wore some cast-efI
satin finery of her mistress that must
have dazzled the eyes OF Jennle's
tickle bridegroom, for no sooner was
he tied to Jennie than he decided he
had made mistake, and persuaded
the sister to run off with him. The
natural course of events would have
been for Jennie and her deserted
brother-fh-1aw to have patched things
up between them, but Jennie didn't
fancy herself in the role of consider
Nor did she want sympathy herself
She felt that 1t was great distinction
to have been deserted at the altar,
and the rest OF Croton Hill must have
agreed with her, for she was the envy