The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-02-08
SOME INTERESTING WOMEN.
Lounging in Windows, Defying Indians
Running Races and Receiving Homage
Albany Fair Journal

Running Races and Receiving Homage.
Albany Fair Journal.
In the dreamland OF Cuba, where everg
house has barred windows and fortress-liks
doors, l realized that the women were
prisoners, though l doubt whether they
canaries, they have been in duress 30 many
generations as to have lost the standpoint
from which to judge between freedom and
thraldom. Though l visited towns that
had scarcely known any change except
what earthquakes had brought them, SINGS
Cortez rested in them on his way to con-
quer Mexico, saw no sight no strange as
that Of the women lolling In the bench
like stills OF the great windows, dressed for
public view and looking laziIy out of their
great black orbs at whoever passed along
the street. Those who were young were
nearly all beautiful, but their elders had
lost their good looks in q superabundance
of flesh. They could not 60 out of doors
in the daytime except in their car
risges and accompanied by a parent
or guardian. And when they went
in their carriages, the ladies sending for
what they wanted to look at, and the
clerks g aggeriDg out under great burdens
Of goods. You can ina yine that shopping
there is neither passio nor a vice, as it
is said TO be IN Paris. Isn't ii in Paris that
the women are so fond of it2 So, after the
morning was spent at the homework and
a yelled visit to church, the Cuban ladies
dressed to Toll in the windows, and their
sweethearts crept along close to the
walls aud chstted with them, if no
old woman was by TO prevent them,
and if they had proceeded DO far
in their love-making as to be able to con
verse with their hearts delights. Bsfore
they could do that they had to walk
along the streeIs ever so many times, past
their sYeethearts' WIN lows, waiting to be
noticed snd flirted with, and then came
a long period of ogling and the eXchang-
ing of swift chances and peepiDg behind
fans and waving of handkerchiefs-all eX-
tremely silly in the eyes OF American
gir's.
One day was making my way through
dismal piece of woodland in Canada
on the outskirts of Montreal. B-r-r.rl
how cold it was, and how the
country. Suddenly heard merry voices
and the cracking of twigs and rustling of
brush. Just as suddenly the figure OF
Young man in the uniform of the TuQue
Bleue SDowshoe Club appeared, ascending
a knoll. Three girls were at his heels,
followed by other young men and women.
There was q new view Of the possibilities
of somsnho0d. Oar Yankee girls, best OF
enough, but how few use Ii to place them
selves side by side with ths men in their
athletic sports! How rudy aud
bIighteyed ard wholesome were
these Car adisn maideDsl How superbly
they were framed, aud how Overlooking
with aUimsl spirits they were Afterward
| ssw them skating for hours, and covering
miles Office hand in hand with their brothers
land brothers of other folEs), and at tobog
w. n ~. ID oil
that interested them, they were mos if not
quite the equals of he men. When it
came 10 dancing, as 1 was Informed the
merry ones among them took delight 10
lifting the young gentlemen from the
States of their feet once in q whiie, and
swinging around with them as a New York
girl might do with child-if it was small
enough.
Far over on the Pacific coast OF the same
country and on Vancouver Island, | found
another race OF women-squaws of some
tribes allied to the Eskimos. They were so
ignorant and homely and belonged to
such q rude order of civilization that
could scarcely expect to interest any
young lady readers in them. But they
possessed an interest for the married ladies,
and might even arouse envy in the breasts
Of some fair matrons, for their customs
allow each wife to have IAN assistant hus-
lect their own assistants; this is left to the fair
ladies themselves. These assistant hus-
| bands have to do what the New England
| folks call .'chores" for the women, get kind
ling wood, run OF errands, and make them
selves useful in all mental WAYS Their
| only reward ond recompense is that if the
real husband dies in any case, or disap-
pears, or goes away for any uncomfortable
length of time they marry the woman for
whom they have been working.
On the plains, in Assinsiboia, found a
| little lady in the larger Of the only two
stores in the place who told me that the
Indians on reservation close by had be-
| gun to grow restless, and were manifesting
the fact by unusual insolence. Only the
| day before dozen Of the braves had come
into the store, when she was stark alone in
it, and had demanded whisky, commodi-
| ~ they were not allo wed to touch and no
one was permitted to sell. She told them
she had none, and they sat, as Indians will,
for a long time, as if to show her they
got it, CuriouslY enough, no one
came to the store from the set
Element. By and by the Indians proposed
to search for the whisky. She laughed at
them and told them they could search.
where that they could think of. When
they offered to go up stairs to her living
| apartments she stood in the doorway aud
told them they must not venture. there.
She fastened her back against the door and
defed them. She was less than the Or
binary height, and did not weigh over 100
pounds, but she quailed them with the
eye OF brave and determined woman, and
when, presently, some white men came to
make some purchases, the Indians took
themselves of. Only few nights before
that this same woman had seen a wolf in
i her back yard and had gone out and
"shooed" II away with her apron aud her
scolding, Just as one OF our girls might do
to cat l never saw a man that / thought
more plucky than she. Perhaps, though,
what no Indian or wolf could do
might be done by mouse. But IL
is beyond all reason to expect the
bravest not to fear mouse.
In our Southern States one gets still an
other view OF women. / went through the
| Virginia mountains and learned that south
OF Mason and Dixon's line every white
| woman Is q queen, idoliZed by brothe rs.
husband, sons and fathers; respected as II
sainted by her neighbors. When poor,
old woman entered a railroad depot that
was crowded by men at q time when ii
was not expected that any women
would be travelling every man
in that assemblage rose to his feet
in order that she might select what
seat she wished, and those men who were
smoking went out and stood in the rain
rather than chance TO offend her. One Of
Il the man who did this WAS EifzhuOf, loo