Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-10-29
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1Ac MOnteneyriM WOmcn,

The Montenegrin woman is in many
respects an object of pity to the travel
ers who pass through the strange little
principally; but there is no woman in
the country who would not be griev-
ously offended at any show of SYM
pathy. To work necessarily and to
suffer is the destiny of the women of
the race. They are not even welcomed
into the world; Montenegrin father,
when asked by his neighbor what the
sex of his newborn child is, answers:
God pardon me! it is girl" Some
times he says: 1T is a serpent" which
is poeaical manner OF expressing his
regret 1T the birth of q daughter. The
girl grows up neglected and often
cursetl; she carries fagots of wood on
her head, in order chat she mag earn
few coins with which to buy arms for
her brothers. She has no youth; at 25
sk: seems already old. She is married
young, and bears and cares for her
children while'supporting labor in the
fields which would be lara even for
strong men. She trembles before her
father, her brother, her husband; she
only awalaens to freedom and indie
pendence Of action when excited by the
noise of tbs combat, to which she fire.
quently fellows the warriors. She
urges then on, and loads their guns,
and dresses their wounds. The Mon
tenegrin woman is rarely beautiful of
feature, and the coarse work which she
performs soon ruins her form. Her
virtue lis beyond reroach; intrigues
are unknown in Montenegro, and .gaE
lantry would find a sharp reproof at the
point OF a yataghan. The women
wander unattended wherever they
please throughout 'tle country; for,
while q Montenegrin warrior would
never:tllink Of relieving woman from
the heavy burden 'of fagots OF pro
visions which she eaaay be fainting
under, and white he may, perhaps, zail
at her for her weakness, lie would not
by word OF deed offer her the slightest
insult The woman is almost seryile
withscegard to her husband; if she gees
him coming alongthe road she turns
off, CO passes him rapidly, that he saay
not be compelled TO recognize her.
Should the warrior be seen wasting his
time in lettering by his wife's side, he
would be subjectedSo reproach from
the elders in the village. A few years
sinse one could not have found in the
whole Of Montenegro one woman know
ing how to read OF write; latterly some
few schools to which women have ae-
cess, have been established.
The duties of hospitality all fall upon
the woman. It is She who unlaces the
boots of the stranger when he arrives,
and who washes his feet, who serves at
the table, and holds the flaming pine
knot Soy which the others see to eat.
! The husband does not even notice his
| wife, unless it be to request some mental
service of her.
It is wonder Montenegrin babies
ever live through the severe course of
swaddling which they undergo from
their earliest day until ahey are weaned.
They are strapped to boards and slung
| over the backs of Their mothers, and
thus, winter and summer, they make
long journeys in tbs mountains and
among the rocks. -..
When the husband falls i'll itas not
the wife who cares fas him, bat his
parents. Etiquette demands that the
wife shorsd appear indifferent to his
condition, and should attend to Nler
/ duties in house and field as if he were
4 in no dange. But when ,he dies sae
\ is expected TO burst into loud lamenta-
uions, and in all the country c'ound sing
fine praises of his courage and has
,e,owess in froQt of the enemy.
This overworked and n11el-abused
creature has one gracious accomplish
me,st: the Montenegrin woman is ex-
ceesingly expert in embroideriss, and
they are a prominent feature OF the
national costume. The women work
at them when they are walking stong
the roads bearing upon their heads Dur
dens which seem heavy enough to cssash
a mack horse. --Ed,card King.
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