Query about address

[Peter A. McGraw]

My grandmother's long-time (black) maid in Oklahoma City (40s-50s) called
her employers "Mr. Jarvis" and "Miz Jarvis" and their daughter (my mother)
"Miss Eloise."  It made a strong impression on me, as a 7-to-10-year-old
from California whose family had never had servants.  In fact, it rather
irked me, because as far as I was concerned, my mother was either "Eloise"
or "Mrs. McGraw," and "Miss Eloise" sounded just plain weird.  Since my
mother was an only child, I don't know what the male counterpart of "Miss
X" would have been.

The context of this usage is so specific and so different from that of
modern "Dr. Ruth," etc., that I don't see how the two could be connected.

Peter Mc.


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                               Peter A. McGraw
                   Linfield College   *   McMinnville, OR
                            pmcgraw at linfield.edu