Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-02-17
FRONTIER WOMEN.
How they Iivc-The Heroic in Common
Life:

complains OF domestic drudSery,
when she has q hoiac with all man
ner of convenience to make work
easy, ought ut least live six months
in the Northwest, IN a house with
but one room, and without L shed or
shanty To keep mud out and wood
dry; catch the rafnWater in tubs and
kettles, bring the spring water from
one-quaricr To oRe-half mile do
her Own work and watch the cattle,
To see that they IL, not leave the wild
grass ior the unienced cultivated
fields alni drive them out If they Ito,
she would then know what pumps,
sinks, etc, at the East Mere worth.
Foreign womeu feel all these changes
less than the "a nielican born The
Former are, Ior ti.e most part, better
of than they have been before. 1t
is "A wonder how they keep house
with So few things and seem Ia lack
nothing. Their homes were rs sim
pie as the prophet : house on tEc
wall bed, table, aud a chair in
which To rock the baby, bench for
the others to sit on, seems To hr all
the furniture they need.
70 see the women wash with The
tub standing on the tioor, looked To
me as III they would break their
backs, or drop their heads OH; but
Ia them it y, ts all right. The homes
of the s5wcdea and NorWe"ianS were
very neat, but then il Was easy for
them Ia keep clean, FOR dlIa!In3 ana
sweeping Was Il light work with no
dirty ear. .sets ou the llonr Ia raise and
dust, and no shelves, haI-nots, or
fancy HXings on the walls 10 catch 1t.
Their dre@. too, is we'll suited To Their
1. /.
skir: short and narrow. ! am sorry
American women cling to bright col
orS, light material. and long full
skirts, even " hen they have To do
not only in-dour work, but help on
the farm. True, "a maid cannot for
get her ornaments neither should
she, but rather remember that prints
that are pretty in the store, Will not
Ge pretty aftct she has run after
cows, or brought water through the
wet grass. \ dress of grey or plaid,
of firm texture, H.htened up by
worst ted braid of bright on blue, to
suit the compile XiUn, With loose waist
and short skirt, would be much more
tidy, and let her work with much
more ease.
Close drawers of the same material
buttoned just above the ankle should
be worn III winter. To this add Il
broad apron of blue or brown cotton
for dirty work. / write thus plainly
because Of Il tender sympathy and
genuine respect cherished for those
Western sisters, who are working
hrarely under en- barraSsnents, feel
ing sure that they need more warm
clothing close 10 their person iii that
cold climate, with so much of expos
ure, both indoor and out; then too,
we know that coarse work would be
less repulSive, ii they could be 50
clad "a To have sense OF cleauIS COM
fort and convenience IN the matter OF
dress. We would not deprive these
women OF the refinement which
dress brings, but when their work Is
coarse and the climate cold, they
should be clad SO as to bear il best .
Mr.. Hale SAYS "The higher the civil
iZation the more marked the differ
encc between men and women. -
We thought of this when We SAW u
party of Indians ON the lower deck
Of the steamer, and could not tell
whether they were men or women,
and on inquiry the mate found they
were both.
For oppression OF face and manner
they were more like our childish idea.
ever before seen. They wore Il short
sack shirt, nIoccasins, and blankets, 4,
with scalp, painted red. A. W" saw
them in skitfs and on the boat we
realized how inCunNrilent Il blanket
il foI Il covering, first upon the shOul-
dcrs, then half oil the hips, WHEN
necessary to use both hands. y gen
tlenan, who had spent som" years IN
Colorado said 10 me, ~ ou can nei-
thcr ciNiiiZe or thri~tianiZe the IN
dams till you obli.e him Ia change.
his dress" "Why,n said he, suiting
tLc action to the word "w hat can you
make at a man who l. always busy
holding un his blanket; lac can have
mel head or hand AT liberty" 80
Nt say al woman who can neither
walk or work without holding up the,
dress.
Bat to return To Our western Wo-
men, among whom We ind the truly
heroic in COMMON lille" Ladies
who have had the best OF Eastern
privileges tnr culture, NOW never
hear the sound OF Il church bell, sci
dom listen to Il sermon, and then oli
iV la endure than To enjoy. Su.h is
the scarcity OF help, that they do
their own wori teach their own chil-
walk several miles on the sabbath Ia
sustain a Smday-school. The way
they manage To make the supply
meet the demand eNcitrS varied emo
tion9. For Instance w q have seen
ii young lady of fine literary attain
| n"nts bake pancakes on an outdoor
stove, under tIi umbrella IN Il rain
| storm. The cakes rs We'll IA her po-
| ctry proved good, despite thc enibar-
r3s-nitnts under which they " ere
| pruducod.
We shall never forget our Ion" ride
| over the prairics in Iowa, across TIA,
| unfcmcCt lands where the catte wan
| der amid the Wild grass, watched h4
| Il herdSmaIi a. in the days of y bra
| ham and Lot. Now and then w
| found a forty or can eighty or -;
| quarter section occupied, on il Il lit
| tie house lookin" like a dry-@ood'
box set ON the end = barn near
made OF rails, and matched viii
wild haV. Near night We stopped a
one of these miniature houses, wher,
the wife welcomed us so kindly, tha
We at once felt perfectly at home
Still We wondered what she could dt
| with Us with only one room below
and one room above, while her fatnl
| IL consisted, beside herself ana hu-
| band, OF three children, three loarder'
aud 4 hired girl. and there wefc fou
of us coming in unexpected Y. ihei
too, We wondered how she cOulu sup
plv her table ON such short notice
There was no town Ia hIy at, and n'
neighbors from which to borrow, ant