Scribner's magazine . the mien of one born to conflict and command! Assertion bristled in thetowering ribbons of her hat ; it rustledin the swing of her smart, ready-madefrock ; it was painted in every line ofher pretty, sharp, self-satisfied face ; itpricked out at her very elbows—leanand active elbows with which shehewed her path through the crowd, andpainfully hurt an innocent stout lady,before my eyes. The companion was of a more stal-wart build but a gentler si)irit. Farfrom smiting with her elbows, she waselbowed herself into Minnies wake, andturned on the injured stout lady sosincere an
Scribner's magazine . the mien of one born to conflict and command! Assertion bristled in thetowering ribbons of her hat ; it rustledin the swing of her smart, ready-madefrock ; it was painted in every line ofher pretty, sharp, self-satisfied face ; itpricked out at her very elbows—leanand active elbows with which shehewed her path through the crowd, andpainfully hurt an innocent stout lady,before my eyes. The companion was of a more stal-wart build but a gentler si)irit. Farfrom smiting with her elbows, she waselbowed herself into Minnies wake, andturned on the injured stout lady sosincere and troubled a smile (cryinginvoluntarily, Oh, I hope you ainthurt, maam !) that ^Minnies victimforgave her, on the spot. I suppose you were bumped againstme, said she, aflably. The two girls represent to me two 191 192 THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERINE classes of the modern American ser-vant. Minnies friend, I feel assured,is the treasure that all housekeepersseek. I know a maid like her. Shecame into the family that she has. blessed for years ; tall, comely, strong,clad in the Swedish costume, neat as anew pin ; but not equal to more thana dozen English sentences, and sopainfully embarrassed by her new dutiesas waitress that she could not hold thedishes. AVhenever she broke a dish,she broke a second, because the agonythat the disaster gave her made herhands tremble and her feet stumble allthe more ! But even at the first, it was noticedthat she was extraordinarily quick toobserve and that slie took an interest inher work. She made her first long stepinto the family esteem when she quiet-ly added tlie cream-jug to the sauce-boat accoiijpanying a certain pudding,remarking with a pleased smile ; INIissMary, sie like cream with ap2)le pud-ding. Directly, slie liad filed awaythe tastes of the family, as she filedaway in her mind the jjlaces of the dishes and the silver. She became anideal waitress. She even mastered thevalues of the wine cellar. She did notrequire the sarcastic warning af
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1887
