The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-07-10
HUMOR OF SERVANT PROBLEM In SOUTH.
negroes Never Ending Source Of Fun-NOrth Carolina WOmal
Tells Amusing Stories Of Troubles They Take to Mistress ~
BY HELEN B. AMES.

"You lead tame sort of a domes-
tic life up North" declared my North
Carolina cousin, Edith, speaking gen.
orally to the little group of women l
had asked to meet her.
"Tame!" they all cried in anything
but that tone.
Tanner" l echoed. do you call it
tame to have had five different SER
wants in as many weeks?"
Well" she admitted, perhaps l
didn't use the right word; 1 reckon
'unamusing' was what l meant. If
never left home from one end of the
year to the other, if l never opened
an entertaining book, I'd still have
plenty of amusement so long as l had
a few darkies around"
She leaned back in her chair and
gazed into the fire. caught the rem
iniscent 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 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 a very
satisfactory one, too, but right care
less about her appearance. l had in
tended having a simple black and
white uniform made for her, but it
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 1 stepped into
the pantry to see if everything was
going smoothly, 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 l couldn't think of anything Jen-
ME had that was startling. Some
what treasured on the only point that
had really bothered me, 1 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 a
startled exclamation. Following the
direction of his gaze, l saw Jennie
standing in the doorway, regal in a
pink silk ball dress, a relic of my
1ebutante days that 1 had completely
forgotten having given her. Above
the delicate pinkness of the corsage
her neck rose like a tower of black
marble. Jennie. seeing my fixed gaze
and mistaking it for admiration, fair
ly beamed. 'Dinnah is served said
she, with grand manner that went
with the gown.
Oh, whispered the man at my
side, where did you get the dusky
queen? Until she spoke 1 thought
you had engaged Black Patti to sing
For u.s.
Did you ever see anything more
lpsetting to the dignity of hostess?'
exclaimed Historically, when found
my voice, thankful that he took a
humorous view of it. My first feeling
was one of wrath, but Jennie was so
ridiculous standing there that the
absurd side of it soon overcame me.
and l explained it all to him as we
went in to dinner, and we had a good
augh.
Il couldn't send Jennie off to
change the dress then. 1t was too
late, and besides, I 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
ly, as she was walking across the
room with 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
had just come back from ou- own
honeymoon, and / suppose she must
have thought that l would be SYM
pathetic listener, for she confided to
ire one day as she was helping me
unpack my trousseau that she and
her sister were to have double we'd
ding Friday week, Miss Edith, if All
live and nothin' 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?' asked her.
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 of Wedlock.
II wanted to shout, but managed
to control myself and tell her that |