Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-11-12
Written for the Delaware Gazette
MY COUSIN HENRY
nv CTARA

By CLARA.
At twenty years of age 1 received from
the hand of the principal of our academy
the diploma for which had been toiling
five years, teaching a district school
through the sammers in order to pay
my expenses at the academy during the
winters, which | could then do only ey
severest economy. l believe wore the
shabbiest clothes and stFdied the Oldest
books (for always bought them second
hand) of any girl in the class, but did not
mind that much, for my brain was constant
ly at work with the future, that distant,
golden land on which youth loves to dream
so well, and which is always bright and pros
porous further on, as we reach that time
which was to crown our efforts with suc-
cess and fnd it just as fat and wearying as
the present has ever been to US. Thus it
was with me, when surrounded with the
bare-f footed, dirty faced dariings of doatiDg
mama's, in the hot school-house of some
farming district. | had always overcome
my disgust for the little fellows by consider
ing them the necessary steppiug-stones to
my future eminence, and commencement
day was to repay me thousand fold for the
vexation and WEAKNESS of those hours, but
when the day came and turned away from
our principal with my diploma in my hand
and 81 cents in my pocket after all bills
were settled, felt that the ladder was not
quite climbed. But SO hopeful is youth that
then I would not have exchanged places
with any of my classmates who were blessed
with loving parents. happy homes. friends,
and money in abundance. Not |, for was
10 If,
many years make those girls open their eyes
wide with wonder to think that plain Martha
Day was authoress of that delightful novel,
Arabella Mortimere, which had had such
great run, and over the authorship of which
the newspaper editors had been puzzling
their brains in vain. And with the proceeds
of said novel was 10 buy a beautiful resi-
dence on North river, some where near
"Idle Wiid,' and as its mistress determin-
ed TO treat those girls with christian kind
ness, and never taunt them with their neg
lect when we were in school togeth er. Y gu
may think, reader, that l was foolish
dreamer, and SO was ana always had been,
in spite of my large nose and low forehead,
but it did me good and no one harm.
It was necessary for me TO do something
Immediately on leaving school, for my three
shillings would not pay TO, many dinners,
however meagre; so advertised for a place
in some Seminary, Bnd hired out to Dress
maker to do plain sewing andin a room back
of the shop watched the front door through
the window of an intervening door, expec-
ting every hour that there would be a call for
me. but none came; and at the end OF
month added to the advertisement. in the
daily paper, that place as second teacher
would be accepted il the salary was ample.
But that did not succeed, SO at the end of
another month 7 added line stating my
qualifications, deeming VI they were once
cnce known there would be no more diffi-
Guilty. Alas. I have since learned that
educated fools are plenty every where, peo-
pie who are willing to grow then ON half
pay rather than put a steady hand to manual
labor, and that teachers accumulated full as
fast pupils, SO that hundred hands were
stretched out over the land for each starving
salary.
/ am speaking now of women, for men
get better pay for the same work no better
done. But let that pass or, I shall be called
one of that hydra-headed class, "woman's
rights women" and to return, as the week
went by, wrote to all of my acquaintances
living in the country towns, and applied to
the directors in the city where was for a
place in one of the ward schools. Many
times almost secured situation, but some
more fortunate competitor always stepped in
just before me, while was left waiting at
the door by some hard fate. When six
months had passed in these fruitless efforts,
| withdrew my advertisement, and handed
the printers my last sixpence, and decided to
be seamstress instead of a teacher
| believe it was about this time that |
gave up the idea of my lucrative novel, and
with t vanished the country residence on the
Hudson, for the back room of shop where
all the light we had came through small
dirty window that overlooked yard ten feet
by eighteen, which was always full of filthy,
sqaalling pigs and children, equally dirty and
noisy, and where the only words we often
heard during the long day was the sh-ill
voiced recommendations of the mistress of
the shop, endeavoring to sell some second
rate article for thrice its real value, or the
petulant command of our overseer to hasten
with our sewing, while our nostrils were re-
galed from morning until noon with the
fumes of reckiDg fat on the stove in which
seme execrable thing was to be fried for our
dinners-such place was not one to quick
en- the intellect or impart poetic inspiration.
did not submit to this life without many
murmurs against providence; in truth along
those days could see no wisdom in the
ways of God, or any value in existence;
and here | was drudging for two and six
pence day, from which | had to pay for
! board and clothes, leaving nothing for
books or other Injuries. | had no friend
to look to, and could see no way out of that
| close hot work-room. Had been pretty
was young enough to speculate on marriage
| but one look in the mirror put such thoughts
to fight whenever indulged in, for as
have intimated was very plain, my hair
thin and yellow, growing low down over a
receding forehead, eyes small and dull, and
large Roman nose, which was only ex-
ceeded in size by my mouth, from the lips of
which slightly protruded two large teeth.
Some one has said "that it is duty which a
woman owes to the world 10 be good look
4 ing." Then was great sinner, and God
pity those who like me have a forbidding
| face.
In nature there is a beauty even in the
crooked gnarled tree that stands naked
! with it's twisted branches, beside its sisters
clothed in glistening bridal robes; and devia-
ton from the written rules of order, and the
accepted standard Of grace in many things
is called no heresy, but woe to that uniucky
woman whose face will not bear the line
and measure of the critics eye. We are
told by many good books that all beauty
comes from within, and every child learns al
its mothers knee those adages whica teach il
/ is the character that decides situation in lie
but every girl finds ere she dies that this Is