"That's the right spirit," said Mr. Fairfield "I think perhaps we'll have to give you a trial." "But don't you know anything of a housemaid's duties?" inquired Aunt Alice, who was a little dubious in the face of such absolute ignorance. "For instance, if the door-bell should ring, what would you do?" "I would have asked Miss Patty beforehand, ma'am, and I would do whatever she had told me to." "Good enough!" exclaimed Mr. Fairfield. "I think you'll do, Pansy; at any rate, you'll have nothing to unlearn, and that's a great deal." So the waitress was engaged, and it was not long after this that a cook "dropped from the skies," as Patty expressed it. One afternoon a large and amiable-looking coloured woman appeared at Mrs. Elliott's house, with a note from Mrs. Stevens recommending her as a cook for Patty. As soon as Patty saw her she liked her, but, remembering previous experiences, she said: "Do you understand that you are to work for me? I'm a very young housekeeper, you know." "Laws, missy, dat's all right. Til do de housekeepin' and you can do de bossin'. I reckon we'll get along mos' beautiful." "That sounds attractive, I'm sure," said Patty, laughing. "What is your name?" "Emancipation Proclamation Jackson," announced the owner of the name proudly. "That's a big name," said Patty; "I couldn't call you all that at once." "Co'se I shouldn't expect it. Mancy, mos' folks calls me, and dat's good enough for me; but I likes my name, my whole name, and it does look beautiful, wrote." "I should think it might," said Aunt Alice. "Can you cook, Mancy?" "Oh, yas'm, I kin cook everything what there is to cook, and I can make things besides. Oh, they won't be no trouble about my cookin'. I know dat much!" "Are you a good laundress?" asked Aunt Alice. "Yas'm, I am! Ef I do say it dat shouldn't, you jes' ought to see de clothes I sends up! Dey's jes' like druvven snow. Oh, dey won't be no trouble about de laundry work!" "And can you sweep?" said Patty. "Can I sweep? Law, chile, co'se I kin sweep! What yo' s'pose I want to hire out for, ef I can't do all dem things? Oh, dey won't be no trouble about sweepin'!" "Well, where _will_ the trouble be, Mancy?" said Patty. "Dey moughtn't be any trouble, miss," said the black woman earnestly; "but if dey is, it'll be 'count o' my bein' spoke cross to. I jes' nachelly can't stand bein' spoke cross to. It riles me all up." "I don't believe there will be any trouble on that score," said Patty, laughing. "My father and I are the best-natured people in the world." "I believe yo', missy; an' dat's why I wants to come." "There will be another servant, Mancy," said Aunt Alice; "a young girl who will be a waitress. She is ignorant and inexperienced, but Very willing to learn. Do you think you could get along with her?" "Is she good-natured?" asked Mancy. "I don't know her very well," said Patty; "but I think she is. I'm sure she will be, if we are."