HOUSEHOLD HELP. 351 



Once a question Avas propounded to the Goddess apropos 

 of the setting sun. 



" How is it that the sun sets over there, in front of you, 

 and rises in the east, behind you ? " 



A puzzled expression stole over those dark features, and 

 the short, crinkly hair was rubbed up on end. The God- 

 dess had put her thinking-caj) on, and this was the result, 

 triumphantly announced : 



' ' Why, it done goes through a hole in the earth, and 

 comes out on the other side. In course I knows that, 

 pooh ! " 



Her expression of scorn was overwhelming ; how could 

 we have supposed her so ignorant ? She knew, of course 

 she did ! 



Our smile, though irrepressible, was rather grim. We 

 had been training that " young idea how to shoot" for over 

 two years, and this was a fair specimen of the result, ex- 

 cept for the reading, which was more successful. 



The Goddess had not so exalted an idea of her race as 

 had some of her contemporaries. She had an unpleasant 

 habit of throwing herself into all kinds of uncouth atti- 

 tudes, and of twisting tongue and features to correspond. 

 On one especially exasperating occasion, the mater ex- 

 claimed, " Why will you act so like a monkey?" 



On went the thinking-cap again, and out of its folds 

 emerged this remark, made in all earnestness : 



"Well, niggers is half-monkeys, anyway. I knows it; 

 I s'pose that's the reason." 



"Half monkeys! Goodness, child, what ever put that 

 idea into your head ? " was the amazed query. 



" Seed 'em in Miss Helen's book; monkeys hangin' to 

 trees, jest like niggers, only niggers aint got no tails ; done 

 chopped 'em off, I s'pose. Some of the monkeys had n't 

 no tails; they was most all niggers," 



