Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-07
A Woman Who had No Chance.

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We are tempted to give n sketch of a
woman still living, because hers is so COM
mon character aud history that any village
or inland town may claim half dozen orig.
inas OF both there will certainly be no
danger 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
department 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 us in your town? Women Of
of intelligence aud patriotism ought to come
to the front now to help their country" al
can do nothing" replied the visitor. IL am
not woman who can como to the 'front.'
My daughter is at work for you, however"
she added with q slight glow of pride. She
went home with bitter sense of humiliation.
She was born, she thought, a generation too
soon If she were young girl now, what
careers were open for woman Of ability
and she knew she had ability. There were
chances now on every side to develop oneself
and to holp Others But it was too late for
her. She must die as she had lived-aoth.
ing and nobody. There is n plenty Of such
morbid Numbering among women nowadays.
Mrs.--White. let US say there are hundreds
of her class among the Whites aud Blacks
and all the other colors), went home to her
village and shop. 1t was a shop where she
| sold the plainest Of wares-she had neither
money to buy tho pictures or bric.h.brac
for which her soul longcd ia 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
FOR that.
The history of tho woman was this. She
had great beauty when girl not mere
prettiness, but a rare absolute beauty. She
had also a nmble receptive intellect, of
quite as good caliber as those of the women
who have made themselves public name and
position 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.
mer who lost his property by mismanage.
ment, died aud left her with q house full of
healthy, headstrong boys and girls to feed,
clothc, educate, and bring up nationally and
piously. She did not sit down to sew; the
needle was too small tool for such a wcighty
work. She opened dairy, laundry, and
n 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 mean time she has had a tough
struggle to pull the children along aud 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 Philadel-
phia. Twice the poor woman crossed the
mountains aud ransacked the great city to
ind 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 were still baby, with agony OF
the soul to which the pains of his birth were
nothing. The boy conquered at last. lie
is now the leading physician in his native
place, man Of great force and stability Of
character and he is fond Of telling his boys
how that all he is he owes to his mother.
There was the Oldest girl too, who had
spinal complaint and for years lay a hope.
less cripple in the little chamber over the
shop. Everybody in the village remembers
how dainty aud cheerful a place the little
chamber was, aud how no matter what
drudgery or anxiety waited for the poor
mother outside. she never entered its door
but with a smiling face. Everybody knows
the hard work aud saving and stinting she
practced for years to educate the Other
ohildreu-to give 4 son start in Kentucky
and buy daughter Il house and outfit when
she was left a widow They are all married
or happily settled now. The poor cripple
after her years Of pain, is at rest in the greer
hillside. The mother lives alone, with such
grandchildren as Gun be spared to her nov
and then Her youngest girl, vent as
teacher to Ohio, then entered college
where both sexes were admitted now she il
in this city earning her living by drawing
writing for one or two weekly papers, &c
1t is she who is working for the woman's
department Of the centennial. She is a bril-
liant talker she glauces over the current
subjects Of the day in a light touch.and-gC
way, which bewildsrs her mother with thu
prolundity and extent other knowledge. 81
she had had Bettys chance !" she thinks
she too might have played a great an,
worthy part in life.
There are many women Of her age an,
class who have this morbid discomfort, jus
now. But the Judge who shall weigh he
work and her daughters, and that OF cacl
and all Of us, has other scales than ours =
N. Y. Tribune.
"Ilow are you getting on in your new
place2" asked lady Of girl whom sh
had recommended for a situation.
"Vory well, thank YOU" answered tn,
t girl,
"Im glad Of it," replied the lady, $50
i