Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-09-21
SIGHTS IN BRLGIUM.
The Hard 10, Of the Women and the Des-.

! itdfs hliilIR ll1Ati APS1aN'
"harvest hands," rs they are called ut
home, were, with the fewest excep-
tions, women. They were working
like oxen. In shape they are short
and wide cut. Centuries of carrying
heavy burdens upon their heads and
shoulders have stunted their height
and broadened them out. This min
ute-5:30 in the morning-at Cologne,
| hear the measured tramp of soldiers
| in the street outside. l look out. a
squad of good-szed, well-formed young
soldiers are passing with alieutenant.
They hold their heads up in spirited
way and march along timber and elias
tic. Immediately behind them follow
three tawny, squatty women, carrying
upon their heads loads which look
awful. II is enough to crush their
skulls in, one would think. The pic
ture tells the whole story Of life among
| the lower classes in this country. 1t
is a barbarism rs complete as reigns
among the Indian savagcs of America,
where the squaws do the drudgery and
the men fight and hunt. Men in uni
form fairly swarm. They waddle
about the country railway stations in
cabs, green. white. red, blue and black
fat, lazy-looking fellows-while out in
the adjoining fields women lug and tug
at the bundles Of hay and grain and
/ bend their backs in the turnip fields,
/ plying heavy hoes, hurny-handcd and
stiff, with weary. weatheT-beatcn.
scanned, stupid faces. II is not an agree
able sight or an encouraging one for
the future progress Of one Of the most
/ civilized nations in the world. Every
( where are soldiers, soldiers. soldiers,
marching, drilling or standing sentinel.
l told you OF those We saw before 8
o'clock this morning. At Z We went
out 10 look at some sort Of ancient rub
bish and n splendid cavalry company
/ passed MS full 100 strong. Horse and
rider seemed all one piece, and the ami
mails feet seemed 10 move by clock
work. so perfectly trained were they.
II was a fine sight But the most
magnificcntly disciplined standing army
/ In the world is maintained at a cost
/ which cannot fail tp tell on those peo-
/ pie in the years to come. The men are
drawn of to fight. and the women DO
/ the mems work. At this day in Ger
many women hlacksmith's are not very
uncommon. What is To- become Of tho
rcfincments IL social life, the sweet
sarredness of home; But | felt sor-
rier. il possible. FOR the poor little
dogs than even for the women. They
have a dogs life, indeed. They are not
very big-no larger than the common
despiscd yellow dog of America
yet two Of them draw loads which
seem heavy enough for horse. The
. little things are harncSscl underneath
sort Of long. heavy barrow upon
wheels; this holds the load. 4 man or
woman holds the handles OF the thing.
and the dogs trot along beneath. Their
/ ribs stick out, ill-padded with flesh, "a
/ though they were not very well fed.
Their painting sides. lolling tongues and
sorrowfu!, appealing eyes would touch
the heart Of a stone. Everything
/ hcreabouts. too, seems done by sheer.
brute strength. There is no saving of
labor. either by machinery or
by the application of common
sense. In the field we saw no
American agricultural machinery, as
in England or Scotland. Where in
America load Of baggage. trunks,
valises would he piled high upon a
dray or great truck and transferred at
one gulp for short distances, here your
porter takes IL upon his head or arm,
as the case may be. and lugs 1t of
slowly and painfully, one piece at a
time. We have had more fuss and
trouble TO keep from losing our bag
gage, coming from London TO Cologne,
than we should have had at home In
going from New York to San Fran.
cisco and back again. Strange coun-
try this, where women and dogs do the
hardest work, and where they have
no checks for baggage. Stockings are
knit by hand instead Of by machinery,
and in Antwerp and Brussels the
women are so industrious that they
knit running along the streets going
of errands.
N..aH