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Miss Heck's Thanksgiving Party or, Topsy Up to Date.

[Illustration]

    By

    IDA HAMILTON MUNSELL.

[Illustration]

    Dedicated to
    The Woman's Club
    Of Evanston, Illinois.




    MISS
    HECK'S
    THANKSGIVING
    PARTY

            OR

            TOPSY
            UP TO DATE

    (Copyrighted by the Author.)




_To the Woman's club of Evanston_:

    Devoted, as it is, to "mutual helpfulness in all the
    affairs of life," and to a union of effort towards
    attaining the "higher development of humanity," this
    little brochure is dedicated by one of its members.




MISS HECK'S THANKSGIVING PARTY;

    or, TOPSY
    UP TO DATE


IDA HAMILTON MUNSELL, B. M.


Any person with but half an eye could recognize at a glance the
extraordinary character of Miss Myra Heck! And furthermore, if
novelists did not show such decided preferences for white-skinned
heroines, Miss Heck would long since have won the world-wide renown
which of right belongs to her. But, unfortunately, Miss Myra was
born of black parents away down in the sunny southland, and the dark
hue of skin and wisps of woolly curls which are characteristic of
the <DW64> race have descended upon their offspring. This is the more
unfortunate in that this daughter--now a young woman of twenty-four or
thereabouts--is possessed of really uncommon talents, while her brain
teems at all times with schemes worthy of a French diplomat; and were
she fair and dainty as to exterior, she would not now be occupying
the situation of "maid of all work" in the little town where we first
discovered her.

Yet, notwithstanding the accidental disadvantages which hamper this
bright maid, she has managed to achieve at least local distinction in
more directions than one. Few families are there in Rexville who have
not at one time or another availed themselves of Miss Heck's services.
Servants of any degree of ability are exceedingly rare in Rexville,
so that Miss Myra could easily reign as the bright particular star
in the domestic firmament of the universe, were it not for certain
peculiarities of temperament, added to an ugly habit of prevaricating,
together with a too confident disposition to presume upon her mistress'
willingness to permit her cook to parade the streets dressed in silks
and satins from her own wardrobe.

But, because of this scarcity of help, and in view of the general
ability possessed by Miss Heck, her employers have shut their eyes to
such peccadillos as these so often, that by dint of much experience
the young woman has at last possessed herself of such power that she
rules the mistresses of Rexville with a rod of iron. She has indeed
reached the conclusion that although one family may decide to forego
the benefit of her assistance in their household because of some little
peculiarity of hers, nevertheless she is sure of a position with some
other lady on the street before twenty-four hours shall have sped. So
she oscillates back and forth--like a pendulum--from one kitchen to
another throughout the length and breadth of Rexville. Her period of
tarrying varies according to the blindness of her mistress and the
condition of the master's pocket-book, for this latter article shortly
feels the drain of Miss Myra's extravagant habits, and sooner or later
collapses into empty space. Then self-defense demands that the sable
goddess of the cuisine depart to new fields and pastures green until
such time as self-denial and rigid economy shall have once more filled
the purse, and brought a return of the prosperity which had been
temporarily suspended.

Thus you see that even though Miss Heck has not attained the national
reputation of which she is worthy, she has at least in one small
corner of the earth won for herself glory and renown. In this little
town, if nowhere else, her name is a household word. It is difficult
to draw a correct word picture of this wily maid; her talents, too,
are so numerous and varied that one hesitates which to portray first.
Possibly