Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1888-05-19
deed some of them slipped through with no toll

greatly. Inc 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 barrow fashioned in 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 emo" And the spirit of her husband
afar off rejoiced greatly.
Then-O wondrous to relate!-I saw very
comey man with three daughters He had no
wife; the sacred charge was his alone. And when
woman with soft voice and pretty face smiled
on him, he babe her come and share the barrow.
And she came. 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 husbands to
shield them from all harm. By their very side
travelled poor, half fed, half clad women with bur-
dens of aged parents and crippled brothers and
helpless little children. Creatures who worked
and shaved with their needle for the husband of
the very women of the satin cushions and the
canopies of lace. But the ladies saw them not
nor heard the wall of the helpless humanity at
their very side. The toll at the gate was very
heavy. Alas alas And the poor women, with
thorn pierced feet, bruised and bleeding, journeyed
on. There was no one to help them.
Then saw numbers of women trundling great
heavily loaded wheelbarrows containing husbands
YES husbands-men with red eyes and dull
brains. Now and then they halted. And who
would credit it, the men retired behind green
blinds and fancy screens with spring that closed
rapidly. And the woman waited, and when the
man saw fit to come they then journeyed on 0
remarkable sight! o more remarkable mani O
most extraordinary woman!
By and by came woman with brave, stern
tread, but with a gentle womanly face, and she
had a very strange looking burden. And when
they asked her what she bore she said, ''Ideas."
And then everyone laughed. Who ever heard of
so strange, so unwomanly a burden. When they
said 'what will you do with them?" she said ''you
shall see." Then strong men with broad Shout
ders and well shod feet laughed aloud, the while
they disapproved. They said ego home and tend
to your children" and she said 81 have none"
And the breeze of their disapproval waited the
ideas far and wide. "What will you?' said they
81 would be gatekeeper," said she. And they
laughed her to scorn. eff must pay toll, why
shall l not be keeper of gate?' ''You unsex
YOURSELF said they. And the women whose bur-
dens were husbands stood very erect and joined
her at the gate. The ideas spread far and wide.
Men with souls, and large hearts and large brains,
said, "Let her tend the gate if she wishes to do
So" But the ideas met with much dsfavor and
the fine ladies with the cushions and the canopies,
and the strong right arm of their husband, would
have none of it, They averted their eyes; nor
would they hear. They said, 'We are cosy; what
care we for YOU" And they babe their husbands
put the mannish creatures from the face of the
earth.
But the woman with ideas said, ''We can wait {;
the oppressors are our strongest allies the
ministers who refuse us seats in conference
help us on; intemperance helps us on; our
strongest foes are the women who reclne in
e. 11,,n .1A fhn,p