The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-02-29
Some Interesting Women.

were ITI-DIltlc lliDL-b II '@H----
they would have valued compesslon
since like canaries, they have been u
duress so many generations as to have
lost the standpoint from which to Judge
between freedom and thraldom- Though
7 visited towns tha; had scarcely known
any change, except what earthquakes
had brought them, since coriez rested IN
them on his way to conquer Mexico,
saw no sight 20 strange as That oi the
women lolling in the bench-like sliis OF
the great windows. dressed for public
view and looking lazily out Of their great
black orbs at whoever passed along the
street Those who were yoong were
nearly all beautiful, but their elders had
lost their good looks in a sUpcrabundance
of flesh. They could not go out OF doors
in the daytime except in their carriages
and accompanied by parent or guardi-
an. And when they went shopping the
clerks attended them in their carriages,
the ladies sending for what they wanted
10 look at and the clerks staggering out
under great burdens of goods. You can
imagine that shopping there is neither
nassion nor a vice, rs it is said TO be m
Paris. Isn't il in Paris that the women
are 80 fond oft? 50, after the morning
WIS spent at housework, and a Neiled
visit 10 church. the Cuban ladies dressed
10 loll in the windows, and their sweet
hearts crept along close 20 the walls and
chatted with them, If no old woman Was
by 10 prevent them and if they had pro
c,.eacd 20 far in their love emaking as 10
be able TO converse with their. hearts de-
lights. Before they could do that they
had to walk along the streets ever so
many times, pas, their sweeihearts' ~in-
dows. waiting to be noticed and fiirted
with. and then came long period Of
orling and the exchanging OF swift CLAN
ces and peeping behind fans and waving
Of handkerchiefs-ali extremely silly in
the eyes Of American girls.
one day was making my way through
q dismal piece Of woodland in Canada
on The outskirts Of Montreal BT-r-r-r +.
how cold il was. and how the snow lay
piled up all over The country suddenly
heard merry voices and the cracking
oftwigs and rusiling OF brush. Just as
suddenly the figure of young man IN
the uniform Of Of the Tuque Bleue Snow
shoe Club appeared ascending a knoll.
Three girls were at his heels, followed
by other Young inen and women. There
was new view Of the possibilities Of
womanhood. Our Yankee girls, best of
all in the best of sexes, have liberty
enough, but how few use it 10 place
themselves side by side with the men in
their athletic sports How raddy and
bright-eyed and wholesome were these
Canadian maidens How superbly they
were framed. and how overiiowing with
animal spirits they were Ailerward |
saw them skating Cor hour and covering
miles of ice hand in hand with their
brothers and the brothers ofother folks,
and a, toboganing, driving and all the
other sports that interested them they
were almost If not quite the equals OF
the men When il came 10 dancing, as
was informed, the merry ones among
them took n delight in lifting the young
gentlemen from the States OFF their feet
once and swinging around with them as
New York girl might do with child
ifit was small enough.
Far over on the Pacific coast of the
SINE ountry and on Vancouver Island
found another race of women-squaws Of
some tribes allied 10 the Eskimos They
were 80 ignorant and homely and be
longed to such a rude order Of ciyiliza-
tion that could scarcely expect to inter
est any young lady readers in them. But
they possessed an interest for the married
ladies. and might even arouse envy in
ihe breasts of some fair matrons, for their
customs allows each wife TO have "an
assistant husband" Better yet their hBs-
hands 10 not select their own assistants:
this is LET TO the fair Indies themselves.
These assistant husbands have To d.
what the New England folks call
chores for the women, get kindling
wood, run on crrands, and make them
selves useful in all menial ways. Their
only rev nj and recompensc is that if
the real husband dies in any case, or dis
appears. or goes away for any uncon-
scionable length of time, they marry the
women Ear whom they have been work
ing.
ON the plains, in Assinibolia, found
little lady in the larger of the only two
siores in the place who told NE that the
Indians on a reservation close by had be-
gan to grow restless and were manifest
ing 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 whiskey,
n commodity they were not allowed TO
touch and no one was permitted to sell.
She told them she had none. and they
sat, as Indians viii, for 4 long time, as If
TO show her they would not 90 away
until they got il. Curiously enough, no
one came 20 the store from the settlement.
BY and by the Indians proposed To search
for the whiskey. She laughed ut them
and told them they could search. They
did SO, peeping and poking everywhere
they could think of. When they offered
to 90 up stairs TO her living apartments
she stood in the doorway and told them
they must not venture there. She fiat
tened her back against ihe door and de-
Sled them. She was less than the ordin-
AIRY height, and did not weigh over 100
pounds, but she quailed them with the
eye of 4 Grave and determined woman,
and when, presently, some white man
came 10 make some purchases, the In
dians took themselves oil. Only a few
nights before that this same woman had
seen wolf in her back yard and had
gone out and " shooed il away with her
apron and her soclding, just as one Of our
girls might do to cat | never saw a
man that i thought more plucky than
she. Perhaps, though. what no Indian
ar wolf could do might be done by a
r,souse But il is beyond all reason to ex-
pect the bravest not 10 fear a mouse
In cur Southern States one gets still
another view Of women. wen; through