Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-04-19
A Woman Who Had No Chance.

Woman Who Had No Chance.
We are tempted to give sketch of a
woman still living, because hers is so COM
mon a character and history that any village
or inland town may claim half dozen orig
inals of both there will certainly be no dan
ger Of recognition. On one of the earlier
days OF this month the woman of whom we
speak went to Philadelphia to lay in stock
she keeps a small dry goods and trimming
store in thriving town. She went out to
look at the centennial buildings, at the de
partment for woman's work. for which
women alone have paid she saw, too, some
of the executive committee Of her own sex
at work Noticing her wistful face, one of
the busy ladies said " Can you not do
something for rs in your town Women
Of intelligence and patriotism ought to come
to the front now to help their country" " |
can do nothing, replied the visitor. | am
not woman who can come to the front,
My daughter is at work for you, however"
she added, with slight glow Of pride She
went home with bitter sense of humilia-
ton. She was born, she thought, genera
ton too soon. If she were young girl now,
what careers were open for woman Of abil-
ity--and she knew she had ability. There
were chances now on every side TO develop
ones self and to help others. But it was too
late for her. She must die as she had lived
nothing and nobody There is plenty of
such morbid maundering among women now
a-days. Mrs. White, let us say (there are
hundreds Of her class among the Whites and
Blacks and all the other colors), went home
to her village and shop. 1t was shop
where she sold the plaiaest of wares-she
had neither money TO buy pictures nor bric-a-
brae, for which her soul longed in the city,
nor customers to whom she could sell them
the village was an isolated one, where the
crops and gossip supplied subjects for all
mental exercise Some day perhaps, facts
aud thoughts from this wider outer world
would penetrate its dull atmosphere, but not
while she lived she had too nearly run her
course.
The history of the woman was this She
had great beauty when a girl not mere
prettness, but a rare absolute beauty. She
had also a nimble receptive intellect, Of quite
as good calber as those of the women who
have made themselves public name and po-
sition in short, she began life with good
capital. But opportunity was wanting To
use it. Her beauty made her the belle OF
the county, She married well-to-do far
ultif WIN ltcN blN IlOBflNN bN
ment, died and left her with a house full OF
healthy, headstrong boys and girls to feed
clothe, educate, and bring up nationally and
piously. She did not sit down to sew the
needle was too small a tool for such weighty
work. She opened dairy, laundry, and q
vegetable garden. As one staff broke down
she tried another finally settling down in
the shop which she now owns, which is the
largest in the county.
In the meantime she has had tough
struggle to pull the children along and up,
for she was resolved that they should rise
above her own standing ground. There was
one son, whom she sent to college, and who
began TO drink as soon as she had him at
work attending the lectures in Philadelphia
Twice the poor woman crossed the noun
tains, and ransacked the great city, to find
him in some den of misery; for more than a
year she kept him under her own eye every
moment, while the poor wretch fought the
devil of drink, nursing him tenderly as
though he We're still baby, with agony OF
the soul TO which the pains of his birth were
nothing. The boy conquered at last He il
now the leading physician in his native
place, man of great force and stability ot
character, and he is fond Of telling his boy,
how that all he is he owes to his mother
| There was the Oldest girl, too, who hat
| spinal complaint, and for years lay hope
/ less cripple in the little chamber over the
/ shop. Everybody in the village remember
| how dainty and cheerful place the littl'
| chamber was, and how, no matter wha
| drudgery or anxiety waited for the poo
woman outside she never entered its doc
| but with a smiling face. Everybody know
the hard work and saving and stinting sh