The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-07-03
HUMOR OF SERVANT PROBLEM IN SOUTH.
Negroes Never Ending Source Of FuD-NoFth Carolina Woman
Tells Amusing Stories Of Troubles They Take to Mistress
BY HELEN 2. AMEs.

| Ey HELEi
you lead a tame sort Of domes-
| tic life up North" declared my North
Carolina cousin, Edith, speaking gem
orally 10 the little group Of women
| had asked 10 meet her.
Tame" they all cried In anything
but that tone.
Tame" / echoed "Do you call it
tame TO have had five different ger
wants in as many weeks?"
We'll" she admitted, perhaps l
didn't use the right word; ! reckon
'unamusing' was what / meant. II !
never left home from one end OF the
| year to the other, IL ! never opened
an entertaining book, I'd stiN have
/ plenty of amusement so long as had
few darkies around"
She leaned back in her chair and
gazed into the fire. ] caught the rem
inscent look In her eyes and hoped
nothing would happen TO break the
trend OF her thoughts.
! You remember Jennie" she went
on, turning TO me. 1T 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 10 dinner
a man whose impressions OF Southern
/ hospitality might make "A material
difference in our future. Jennie was
my waitress at the time, and a very
satisfactory one, too, but right care
! less about her appearance. | had in
tended having a simple black and
white uniform made for her, but IL
wasn't finished so ! 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 II everything was
going smoothly, l didn't see anything
Of Jennie.
Where's Jennic?' I asked the
cook.
She's gcttin' ready, m m, and
she's gon' TO make you proud. An
picked out her dress mahself.'
Waitress in Ball Gown.
"The cooks taste in wearing ap-
parel didn't exactly accord with mine,
but ! couldn't think OF anything Jen-
ale had that was startling. Some
what reassured on the only point that
aad really bothered me, / went up
stairs and didn't see Jennie until she
came to the door of the parlor to an
lounce dinner. | was talking to our
guest when | noticed his attention
wandering apd heard him give \
startled exclan. alton. Following the
direction OF his gaze, | saw Jennie
standing i'm the doorway, regal in a
oink silk ball dress, a relic OF my
iebutante days that / had completely
forgotten having given her. Above
he delicate pinkness of the corsage
ner neck rose like tower of black
marble. Jennie, seeing my fixed gaze
and mistaking it for admiration, fair
" beamed 'Dinnah is served, said
she. with grand manner that went
With the gowa.
Oh whispered the man at nv
side, where did you get the dusky
queen? Until she spoke ! thought
gou had engaged Black Patti 10 sing
Tor us.
Did you ever see anything more
lpsetting 10 the dignity of hostess?
exclaimed Historically, when ! found
my voice, thankful that he took a
humorous view of It, My first feelne
was one OF wrath, but Jennie was sc
ridiculous standing there that the
absurd side of it soon overCame me
and | explained il all TO him as we
went in TO dinner, and we had a good
laugh.
"I couldn't send Jennie of tC
change the dress then. IL was toe
late. and besides, / knew il woulC
hurt her feelings. The sight of hel
sweeping in and out of the room was
100 much for our gravity, but we wc.'
I gradually getting used TO being wait
ed on by such elegance. when sudden
, liz, as she was walking across th'
5 room with a plate in either hand. sh'
& tripped on the train and fell with
, crash. ! had to send her OF then, ii
, spite of her injured feelings, and Sc
1, Bessie. my little chambermaid, 4
, finish serving as best she could.
, Jennie and Bessie both have ha,
Z stormy matrimonial careers. but o
, very different sort. The marriag
p tie is not considered very binding /,
s the negro settlement on Croton Hill
and don't remember how man
s weddings Jennie has had. but ! shal
% never forget the first. Harry and
p had just come back from on: ow
, honeymoon, and | suppose she mus
4 have thought that | would be a sym
- pathetic listener. for she confded {
o ne one day as she was helping m
, GnpaCk my trousseau that she an
!, her sister were TO have double wed
I ding Friday week, Miss Edith. IL \
, live and nothin' don't happen Jer
rle always added that-like she wa
, ever mindful OF the uncertainty &
q human life.
i what are you going TO wea'
1ennteo' | asked her