Southern States -- Social conditions; United States -- Race relations
Let one story out of a hundred illustrate this trouble. A newly married
couple, both accustomed to handsome living, set up their own establishment
in a Mississippi town, in a new house, well furnished and abounding in
heirlooms of mahogany and china; the only available candidate for waitress
is a haughty person who begins by objecting to monthly payments, and
shortly announces to her mistress: "I ain't sure I want to stay here, but
I will give you a week's trial." The patient and good-natured lady accepts
the idea of a week's experience on both sides, but before that time
expires the girl comes rushing up in a fury to announce that "I'm gwine
ter leave just now, kase you don't give yo' help 'nough to eat." It
develops that she has had exactly the same breakfast as the white family,
except that the particular kind of bacon of which she is fond has run
short. There is plenty of bacon of another brand, but that will not
satisfy her; she will not stay "where people don't get 'nough to eat." She
thereupon shakes the dust of the place off her feet and blacklists the
family in the whole place, making it almost impossible for them to find
another servant; and probably some other white mistress within a week
takes up this hungry person as being the best that she can do.
Other people have more agreeable tales of good-tempered and humorous
servants; and the negro question would be half solved if the people who
undertake domestic service and accept wages would show reasonable
interest, cleanliness, and honesty; and a million of the race might find
steady employment at good wages in the South within the next six months,
and another million in the North, if they would only do faithfully what
they are capable of doing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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