Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-05-08
LeroIn Ihe Wnnan.s .Ionrnal !

tlldt uccahlltt.
| Having set our hoGses IN order, stored our lard
efs, and nlled our rooms with guests. We giriea
up orr weary souls aud bodies FOR the great day.
feeling that We ntst do or lie for the honor Of
old Concord
We had no plaza bt the procession, hut such
women a. wished "a hear tic GRAFTON were to
directed tn meet in the town lali at helfpa-t
nine, and there wait I'll certain persons detailed
for the service, should come TO load them to the
tent, where II limited humber Of scat, hal been
| provided FOR tho weaker vessels.
| THIS seemed u sensible plan. and large
| proportion of ladies' chose the intellectual part
| OF the feae the hall was filled with Il goody
crowd at the appointed hour. 10 one seemed
| to know what to do except wait aud that We did
| We the patience born OF long practice. But 1t
| was very trying to the women OF Concord To see
| invited guests wandering foiOrniy about or ait
| ting III emily corners, meekly wondering why
| the hospitalitiea Of the town were not extended
| to them as well "a to their "men folks, who
were absorbed into the pageant III one way and
another.
For an bour we women waited, but no one came,
and the sound Of maltia music 10 excited the
patient pnfty that with one accord we moved
| down to the steps below, whore glimpse OF the
| approaching procession might cheer our eyes.
| Here we stood with the north wind chilling us
| to the marrow of our bones, IL ilock Of feminine
| Cassbiancas with the slight difference OF freez-
| ing instead OF burning at our poste.
| Some wise virgiGs. who put not their trust in
men, departed to shift for themselves, but fifty
| or more obeyed orders and stood fast till. just
| as the procession appeared, an agitated gentle-
man with rosetto ut his buttonlioe gave the
| brief command.
Ladies' cross the common and wait for your
| escort
| Then he vanished and was seen no more.
| over we went like flock of sheep, leaving the
| show behind us, but comforting ourselves with
| tho thought of tho soats "saving up for us and
| of the treat to come. cheerful crowd in spite
| of the bitter wind the rude comments of the men
| ly dawned upon us that we were entirely
| for gotten. The gay and gallant presence of
| granddaughter of tho DIR. Ripley who watched
| the fight from the Old Manse, kept up our spir-
| its; for the indomitable lady circulated among
us like sunshine, inspiring us with such conf
| dence that rallied round the little flag she
| bore and followed where she led.
| Patience has its limits, and there came II mo-
| meut when the revolutionary spirit OF IG blazed
| up in the bosoms of these long suffering women;
| for when some impetuous soul cried out
| "Come on and let III take caro- OF ourselves.
| there was II general movement; the flag hutter-
ed to the front, wells were close reefed, skirts
killed up, arms locked, and with one accord the
| light brigade charged over the rcd bridge, up
the hill into tho tented field, rosy and red nosed,
| disheyelled but dauntless.
| The tent was closely packed, and no place APP
| peared but corner of tho platform. Anxious
| to scat certain grey-baired ladies' weary with
| long waiting, and emboldened by smile from
| Senator Wilson,a nod from Representative May,
aud pensiSe stare from Orator Curtis, asked
| the president of the day If few ladies could
| occupy that corner till seats could be found for
| them
''They can sit or stand anywhere in the town
| except on this platform; aud the quicker they
| get down the better, for gentlemen arc coming
| in to take thcse places"
| This gracious reply made me very glad to de-
| scend into the crowd again, for there at least
good-nature rcigned; and there We stood, placid
| ly surveyed by the men (who occupied tho seats
lAatu ri
| though the grandmother of Boston waited in the
| ranks.
Ny idea OF hospitality may he old- fashioned,
but must say felt ashamed OF Concord that
day, whom all could offer my guests. admiring
pilgrims to this "Mecca of the mind, was the
| extreme edge of an unpaned board; Tor, when
| the gods were settled, leave WIS given us to sit
on the rim Of the platform.
perched therc. like flock Of tcmpes-tossed
pigeons we had the privilege of reposng ainoilS
the sacred boots of the GamalielA at whose feet
we sat- and OF listening to the remarks of tho
reporters, who evidently felt that the elbow room
of the almighty press should not be cncroached
upon oven by hairs breadth.
:" No place for women. growlcd one.
&" Never was filter, answered sii"n9-nind-
| ed lady standing on one foot.
fought TO have come earlier, II they come nt
ALL"
$50 they would, il they had not ohoyed or
doris Never will again.
''Don't see why they couldn't be eoutontod
with seeing the procession.
| Z" Because they preferred poetry and patriot
ism to fuss and feathers"
90 Better have ID all their own way next time.
"No doubt they will, aud Hope we shall all
be there to see
SO the diaogne ended in laugh, and the wo-
men resigned themselves to cold shoulders all
round. But Az | looked abonU me, 1t was I'M
possible to help thinking that there
should have been place for the great
granddauGhters OF Prescott, William
| 1pll,t Hancock and l1r. IlDlaV. ar
well as for isaac DayisB old sword, the Scissor
| that cut the immortal cartridges, and the ancient
| flag some wOnlaIIs fingers made. II seemed tt
me that their presence on that platform WoulC
have had deeper significance than the SolC
lace which adorned one side or the senatorla
4 ponaerosity under which 1t broke down ON the
Il other; and that the men of Concord had missed
h grand opportunity OF initiating those whose
|. memory they had met 10 honor.
The papers have told the tale of that days ex
I ploits and experiences, hut the papers did no
get all the little items, aud some OF them Were
4 rather funny. Just before the services began
! distracted usher struggled in to inform Judg,
I iIoar that the wivcs OF several potentates ha'
4 been left out in the cold and muht he aecoinmo
! dated. Great was the commotlon then, for thee'
Il ladies' being bobs to political kites could not b'
4 neglected; 70 part of the seats reserved
H for women were with much difficulty cleared
Ii and the "elcct precious set thereon
II Dear ladies how very cold and wretched the,
\ were when they got there. and hov
II | MlllnHly tHe 'iltt du lhutpoluph1 SAtiNph
|. esses" of Concord foIgave them for reducing
II their limited quarters to the point Of sufoca
Il tion, as they spread theircloaks over the velve
Il of their guests, still trying to be hoSptabe un
II der difficulties.
T. When order WAS restored, what might b'
II called the Centennial Break Down" began
VI The President went tirat-w it an omen an
II took refuge among the women, who, am hap
ii ny to say received him kindly, and tried to tenn
II per the wind to His Imperturbablty, ~ he sa
J. among them looking so bored that longed +
II oherhim cigar.
j The other gentleman stood by the ship, whic
n greatly diversified the performances by sowl
\ sinking with all Oh board bat the captain Eve
n the orator totterei on the brink of ruin NOR
II than once, and his table would have gone owe
n il \ woman had not held up one leg OF it for a
I'll hour or 10 No light task, she told me aftel
N ward for when the inspired gentleman gave
III impressive thnmp, it took both hands to stistai
II the weight of hiH eloquence. Another lady wa
II pinned down by the beams falling on her skirt
Fl but clieerlully Hacritic,d them and sat still II
II the departure of the presidential party Mlowc
= ils to set her free.
Finding us bound to hoar it ont, severi
weary gentlemen offered lis their seats aftt
a time, but we had the laugh on our sid
now and swcetly declined, telling thel
their platform was not strong enough to ho
us.
ii WIS over ut last. and such of us IN ha