Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-07-12
WOMAN'S DEPARTMENT.
THE wH5ELBARRow ROAD.

And all the bread and cheese had ! put upon
the Shelf
But the rats and the mice they made such q
strife,
Twas obliged to so to London to get myself q |
wife.
so narrow
Was obliged to bring my wife home in wheel
barrow.
The whcelbarrow broke, my wife had fall.
Down came the wheelbarrow, my wife and all.
All along the roadway of life there
We're strewn wrecked benedicts, wrecked
wives, wrecked wheelbarrows. Still the
tireless throng toiled on. Now and then
! saw a man stop on his way and give
to weary traveller helping hand.
But this was not often. All seemed
bent on gaining the goal, each with his
own burden, each with his own wheel
barrow.
Now, when the benedicts looked upon
their bachelor friends trudging along SO
comfortably, picking out the messy
spots on which to tread they sometimes
CRASHED their teeth and wished they
were us one OF Jnem.
There were many gates along the
road, and each gate was held by "a
keeper who collected toll, and each
gatekeeper was a man.
As | gazed ] beheld u man, with
very heavy burden; a wife and several
little ones. His shoulders were bent,
and he seemed very weary. The wife
walked by his side and with words of
encouragement she sought to cheer him
on. But the road was very rough, and
one day he lay down and died. And
the woman wiped away her tears and
the tears of her little ones, and took up
her burden alone. But whenever she
reached gate the toll was very heavy
more even than when her good hus-
band was alive, She sighed and looked
very sad, for she had no one to help her.
Now the gates were very narrow,
and the rudely fashioned barrows Of the
poor were charged a heavy toll. And
no poor man escaped. But the neatly
wrought barrows of the rich, which en-
tered easily through the gates, were
charged less Indeed, some of them
slipped through with no toll at all.
And | saw MANY strange things, and
marvelled greatly. The woman with
the many little children prayed for
strength and toiled YEARLY on. And
one day saw man salute her on the
road He had a barrow fashioned in a
right handsome style, and he babe her
enter and rest from her burdens. But
there was no room for her little children
and she said mo" And the spirit of
her husband affair off rejoiced greatly.
Then-O wondrous to relate!-I saw
a very comely man with three daugh-
ters. He had no wife; the sacred
Z charge was his alone. And when a
woman with soft voice and pretty
face smiled on him, he babe her come
and share the barrow And she came.
J And straightway it became very small,
} and the daughters were pushed out
among the thorns by the wayside, and
naught but the spirit of their angel
mother watched over them as they bore
their own burdens the rest of the way.
Then there were beautiful ladies in
barrows richly cushioned in satin, with
springs plenty, that they might know
no jolting over rocks and ruts, with
lace canopies to protect them from the
suns rays, and the arms of loving hus,
bands to shield them from all harm
BY their very side travelled poor, half
fed, half-clad women, with burdens o.
aged parents and crippled brothers ant
helpless little children. Creatures who
worked and shaved with their needle fol
the husbands of the very women of the
satin cushions and the c;inopies of lace
But the ladies saw them not nor heart
the wall of the helpless humanity q
their very side. The toll at the gatt
was very heavy. Alas! alas! And tn,
: poor women, with thorn-pierced feet
bruised and bleeding, journeyed on
There was no one to help them.
: Then | saw numbers of women trun
f ding great, heavy-loaded wheel-bar
: rows containing husbands-yes, hus
: bands-men with red eyes and dull
: brains. Now and then they halted
u And who would credit it? The men re
tired behind green blinds and fame
= screens with q spring that closed rapid
e ly. And the woman waited, and whe
o the man saw fit to come, they then jour
n neyed on. 0, remarkable sight! o, NOR
y remarkable man! o, most extraordir
y ary woman!
BY and by came woman with
}. brave, stern tread, but with a gentle
v womanly face, and she had a yer
: strengthening burdea. And whe
/. they asked her what she bore, she sait
n "Ideas." And then every one laughed
" Who ever heard of so strange, so III
womanly burden? When they sai(
"What will you do with them?" 81
. said, "You shall see." Then stron
, men with broad shoulders and wei
y shod feet laughed alo:yd. the while the
N disapproved. They said, ''Go hon
q and attend to your children and 81
:, said, Il have none" And the breei
of their disapproval waited the ide;
:, far and wide. What will you?n sa
they. 81 would be gatekeeper,n sa
!. she. And they laughed her to scor
!, = "If l must pay toll, why shall not
= a Keeper of the gate7" You uns'
: yoirself,n said they. And the wom'
whose burdens were husbands sto,
: very erect and joined her at the gal
The ideas spread far and wide. Nj
with souls and large hearts and lar
Z, brains said. Let her tend the gate,
she wishes to do So" But the ide
- met with much disfavor; and the Fl
I ladies with the cushions and the ca