Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-07-07
THE FATE OF A RomANrIC MISS.

THE FATE OF A ROMANTIC MISS.
One Of The large number ofyoung women
Of a romantic turn of mind who congregate
about Washington, especially since the war,
has had the romance taken out of her in a
way that will likely satisfy The class to
which she belongs for an indefinite period.
A certain Miss Amanda Barber appears to
have conceived the idea, of ciVilizing and
outstanding the $40 family" Miss Bar
ber, filed with missionary enthusiasm and
thu spirit Of romance for the untutored
savage, determined to tutor him and Also
to marry him-pUobably thinking that this
was the best method of gaining that as
tendency over bis rude but sympathetic
nature which was necessary for the accom-
plishment of her purpose. Here it was that
she made her mistake, for the members of
the Lo family had not yet got beyond the
idea that the chief object the Almighty had
in creating women was to provide some
body TO undertake all the drudgery of life,
so that the male human might have greater
opportunities TO enjoy himself with ease
and dignity. From the Indian point of view
women were made to work, and to be
soundly trounsed if they complained, or
even if,when they patiently performed their
tasks, their lords and masters needed some
object upon which to vent that rage which
will at times upon very limited, or, indeed,
upon no provocatioD, arise in the
manly bosom. A contemporary sug-
gests that woman's right doctrines have
made but very small progress as yes among
the red men of the Plains; and it was in
forgetting this important fact, or rather in
not finding it out, that Miss Amanda Bar
Der very greatly erred when in 1867 she
married "Squatting Bear" Brule7Sioux
chief, at Washington, and departed with
him for Dskotah with the intention of Of
f1ciating as q missionary among the wild
tribes over whom "Squatting Bear" was
supposed to rule. Miss Barber evidently
intended to be the power behind the throne,
continues this contemporary, and we can
imagine how she was Inspired with enthus-
iasm at the idea of welding the In
duence of 'Squatting Bear" for the p1r-
pose Of inducing the Brule-S Sioux to attend
church twice on a Sunday and prayer
meetings three times a week. "Sqhatting
Bear" however, it appeared had an idea of
bis own about the proper uses to which a
wife was to be put, and as a consequence
Miss Barber speedily found that, instead of
holding prayer-meeting, her time was fully
occupied in the performance Of the most
mental services. So far from getting the
whip hand Of "Squatting Bear" that bold
hearted chieftain of the Brule-Sioux
speedily gave her to understand that
he did not Intend to stand any
nonsense from her; and when Miss
Barber, finding her missionary enthu-
siasm vanished and her position as "Squat-
ting Bears" mental becoming intolerable,
attempted to escape, she was captured and
nearly beaten to death, as a lesson for her
not to try anything of that kind on again.
Finally, 'Sqdatting Bear" apparently be-
coming tired of bis bargain, or, perhaps,
being fascinated by some dark-eyed Indian
maid, who having been brought up to it
would be able to take a beating without
complaint, traded off Miss Barber to
Cheyenne chief for three ponies. 1t is not
every woman that would sell for three po-
MES in the Indian country, aud we there
fore may conclude that Miss Barker
was considered as above the average
in value, but it is rather sad to
think that this is really the
only evidence we have that her good quail
ties were appreciated. Last spring Miss
Barber managed to escape from the Chey-
ennes, and she is now on her way TO her
home in Massachusetts. II is toierably
safe to say that Miss Barber has by this
time come to the conclusion that the mis-
sionary business is not at all in her line, and
that marrying the noble red man is not
what it is cracked up to be in Mr.. Emer-
son Benefits romances of frontier life.
Such is the story of Miss Amanda Barber,
which we commend to the attention of
young ladies who in fits of religious enthu-
siasm imagine that they have missions to
fulfil amongthe American aborigines, the
jewellers in Ethiopia and the heather Chi
nese. The tale is its own moral, and needs
no comment.