The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-07
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

been free.
 The old ante-b -bellum negro and negress are fast disappearing, but when one meets those who were reared in homes of wealth and culture there is kind of grand air about them which cannot be hid even in these days of shoddy aris- tocracy.
 I maintain that when a negro man or woman was brought up by masters and had about them certain indefinable air of savior faire that none of the nou- veaux riche could acquire in finishing schools or take on by European travel.
 
 Any southerner to the manor born knows what I am talking about, for he can call to mind the types I am trying to delineate. I have in mind old Uncle Wash, and I use him as an illustration for there are many in Birmingham who came in contact with him on their visits in the years gone by to Roseland. the famous, home of the Toney's.
 Having been welcomed by him I can ap- preciate the impression which we'll trained negro butler tfn Richmond made on Charles Dickens when he was in this country, for he set it down in one of his letters home how he had made call, but finding the host out was so warmly greet ed by colored man that he forgot his disappointment in the warmth of the servants reception who assured -him that his master would be grieved over having missed gentleman caller from Eng land He contrasted the servants inter est with the callous indifference of the average English serving man. am glad I was born in day be- fore southern courtesy had lost it's aroma, for although I came on the scene the year the war came to an end, there still remained many men and women who had the charm of the old days, and who were never too hurried to pay attention to the little ameninties which soften and smooth | social intercourse It was perfectly nat ural that servants raised in such at mosphere would catch something of its spirits and show it in their manner
 
 But I am going to tell about a negro woman who all the days of her life has Known nothing but work and sacrifice, and who in spite of her advanced age is still at it and cheerful in spite of the fact. Any one living here is aware that the, servant situation is acute, and that one can no longer demand trained ser vitors but is willing to put up with any coming along, and glad to take them and try and train them.
 Now if you own a COW you will know that she requires constant attention. and to further complicate matters if you hap pen to live in Birmingham, for in these days of divided service, where each ser want delimits the sphere of her duties. | 1t is next to impossible to get cook who will be willing to milk; and butler may double up and play the chauffeur, but will resign before he will oondescend to go out into the COW lot with pail and bring back the cream.
 About week ago got chance to hire ] a negro woman fresh from the farm, whose knowledge of the culinary art was about on par with an Indian squaw, but who had the blessed faculty of being able to make a COW give down her milk, and so I hired her on the spot. It so hap pened that she was reared in Barbour county and knew my people, and conse- ouently felt that she was at home; for negroes have a way of laying claim to folks. The old type ones are truly a dependent race
 Now I am not going to try and throw IS at present servant in my house, and yet she is made of heroic stuff, and the | simple narrative of her hard and horely life sets her apart as heroine. She has a pleasant face willingness to serve and a quaint sense of humor, and a detach- ment of self which is truly remarkable TOT she talks about her past as though she were relating experiences which De- fell some one else. It is Homeric in its simplicity and naturalness.
 l
 l In the first place, she is the mother of 15 children. and still is perfectly recon ciled to be at work, and goes about ii without whimper and wastes no syn- pathy upon herself. Her attitude is a daily rebuke to the soft flyers who cry out to heaven bewailing their hard lot fl they have to give up any of that time from pleasure to do bit of honest work The dear old Scot, Thomas Carlyle. would have rejoiced in his day to have heard frdp the lips of the tireless worker abou, whom I write the story of her life I, would have been an epic for him to incor- porate in his gospel of work showing forth l the dignity of labor.
 
 But there is something wrong in civ. ilization which makes it possible for such a case to go unrewarded. There should be some provision made for such mothers outside of the poorhouse. Without bit terness or rancor she quietly told how after presenting her husband with the fifteenth child he looked it over and then ran away with young woman. I SUD- pose if he had been summoned to give a reason for his perfidy he would have merely grinned and said, Dat woman was too fruitful"
 Life had been for her from her youth up matter of work and collaborating | h,tt oI xxr.& II.