The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-11
Aunt Dinab Exbrese HerSelf
 O1 The SerUa1t GlvI OueStf0n
dFashioned Darkes Few and Far Between-Ther Ideas Very Amusing and Interesting-Look on the Present
 Generation With Critical Eyes.
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE.

Bettina and I shrieked at this and then Bettina said: Don't you get enough to eat now, Aunt Dinah?"
 "Suhtnly," replied Aunt Dinah; There does but I has libed wid some of de bes' fambilies and dey sho have poor eatin'. Winter afore las I went to lib in what dey calls one of de furst fam bilies and dey had fo servants be- sides me, and we most starve to death. De folks had plenty to eat dey self, but we sho come nigh starvin.''
 q guess you didn't stay long at that place, did your" inquired
 T sho didn't-'bout two weeks, I think it wuz-den I went to another place where dey insisted 'pon dis here 6 o'clock dinner, and pshaw! chle dat didn't suit me-"
 And was that the reason you left?' Bettina said.
 Dat, and den she was just too tejus i, to suit me-" replied Dinah.
 "She was always eomin in and gibbin me directions bout cookin as if I didn't know how, and sayin', Dinah, hab you put de taters on? How long ago2 and all that sort ob thing. and hit pestered me, kaze I knows if dere Is one thing un- der de Lords sun dat do know how to do, hit Is to cook" With this her head went proudly up in the air and smoothing her apron out she called to the cat to jump up in her nice, comfortable looking lap, which it promptly did.
  job?" I asked her. as she rocked to and fro, grooming over the kitty, as if it was real live baby.
 'No, ma'am, Fse had as many as IS white ladies at de time to me wantin' I me to cook fur dem," said Aunt Dinah, significantly
 'fWell, you are lucky" said, glanclng in Bettina's direction, to see if she thought that there was any danger of being minus a cook lady. What do you think of the present. day servants?' I queried.
 "some ob dems dc very trifnist lot dat I ever did see," was the ready re- sponse. And some ob dem is my gram chillen, too. Why, dey couldn't cook a 'possum or fry a chicken country style to save dey life. Dey wants to read and write and study 'rithmetik, and all dem high-falutn' things, stead of what dey ought to do. I suhtinly does | wish I had de management ob dem; I'd whale de life outen some ob 'em. Ketch | me putin up wid such nonsenscal | idees; I'd bus em wide open if dey staid l round me-
 | cbr ri xad ui | as she delivered this quaint phillipic. | "So you think the present-day mis- tress and servant are alike worthless?' I ventured to remark of you presses me to answer-which I ain't carin' about doin'-I must say dat youh statement is correct. If de misstus | don't care for de servant den de serv- | ant don't care muffin tall bout de miss l tuss. Long as dey treat me right I'm goin' to do right by dem. I'll make em | de bes' hoe-cake dey ever put in dey
 mouf, and de best gumbo and Sally | Lunn dat ever was made, so long as dey Is good to me and considers my comfort l and my happiness. Love begits love wid me, and Dinah aint gwine to like mo- body what don't like her. 1 Having overstayed our time, Bettina l and I made a move to depart, but our | hostess, with all the ceremony that is l demanded in the best drawing rooms, 1 bade us stay and darting out of sight l she soon appeared again from the pan | try, bringing the most delicious tea cakes l and nothing would do but that Bettna and I should have some and a nice cold | glass of milk. We did not need much | persuasion and promptly sampled Aunt | Dinah's cakes.
 "Dese here Is made by Ole Miss's | receipt and I kin make lem wid my | eyes shut" was the parting remark as | she bowed us out ceremoniousy. As I'm given to moralizing I said to l Bettina:
 1 There's no use talking, the servant 1 girl problem will last as long as there 1 are servants, and it will always be a | puzzling, annoying question in household | affairs.''
 What do you know about it?" sarcast- l ically asked Bettina.
 | "Welll enough" I replied. T am the | repository of the condolences of many | of my women friends on the subject, and | that is one way of learning"