Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-11-27
BRIDES In BARRACKS.
Pretty Girls on the Plains a.
Wives Of Army Officers.
Tho Widow OF tho Gallant Custer De-
scrIbes Loves Trials on the From
tier-HOw n Journey Across
the Plains IL Made.

the Plains IL mo0o.
The greater portion Of the women who
followed those who lied the way" to the
far West were the wives Of farmers or
working-men accustomed to some sort Of
labor at home, or at least domestic women,
who were used TO bake, brew and stitch for
the household; but there were other sorts
Of pilgrims whose pretty feet were I'M
printed in that virgin soil who knew little
Of the unitarian side ofour existence These
"lilies of the field" were the wives Of our
officers. A military man is generally con-
ceded to be the most engaging Of beings
His personal appearance takes him long
distance on the road TO favor, for he 10
trained to erectness, to fine carriage Of
the head his muscular development fol-
lows on the habits of his active life; his
uniform transforms one who might be
passed by in q crowd into a cynosure for all
eyes. Add to physique, carriage and
clothes the manner in which a man in so
social life as the army acquires, and 1t is
seldom that he comes knocking at the bare
~ half-closed door of susceptible heart
that it is not flung wide to welcome him.
The military man, poor as he is, is well
coined with cordiality in all the higher
walks OF life. While among civilians on
duty, or when on leave Of absence, he IL
thrown among the fairest women Of the
land, and he, Of course, proceeds to fall In
love. The father who smiles on him would
frown on O clerk with the same salary.
The paternal mind Is at rest about the
daughters social standing. Computations
do assail the officer when the object of his
alteration IS the center Of a devoted family,
living in idleness and luxury. He pictures
her enduring hardships, and shuts his
heart against temptations How often
have heard them say: "How could have
the effrontery to ask girl TO endure our
Ifel and yet in the end they all do. When
he tells girl that he loves her, he has the
grace to mention that there are trials. The
girl usually tells him, in a wise little way,
no life is without its trials, and in accepting
him makes him sure an existence with him,
no matter how hard, Is preferable to life
time of luxury without him.
The prize he gains is pretty, accom-
piished, agreeable girl who knows literally
nothing Of the practical side OF existence;
who very soon after her initiation TO the
plains would give all her knowledge Of the
piano in exchange for the secret Of bread
making; she would barter her skill with
the brush and pencil for the gift of an ex-
pert needle, or the power to cut and model
the simplest garment. Nevertheless, with
her charming head, empty Of all that per-
tains to the prosaic side Of life and its
grind, she is still prize. The daintier and
more butterfly her previous existence, the
quicker the transformation into practical
housewife l have hardly known 1t to fail
that the more luxurious her former exist
ence, the less mention OF it and the fewer
complaints an army woman makes. These
fine, fastidious creatures, courted In a con-
gervatory and won In q ball room, can ex-
hibit more adaptability and show more en-
DURANGO than any women ever knew.
What contrast can be greater than the
transition from the modern wedding, with
Its lavish expenditure, the music, flowers,
gifts, splendid pOmp Of the service, the
train OF exquisitely attired bridesmaids, the
crush Of jeweled and richly-dressed friends
To an army ambulance following in the dusty
trail of q long line of slow-moving wagons
CARRYING supplies to q distant territory
And yet this is the history OF so many brave
women that can hardly glance down the
page Of an army register and find one name
exempt Since the lines Of the Pacific roads
are finished, overland travel has Of course
greatly diminished, but there are still iso-
lated posts where the bride Of q military
man will in all probability make her home
at one time or another
1t may not be generally known that il il
the policy Of the Government to give each
regiment Ave years tour Of duty In de
partment. Circumstances change II to two
years and, even after q year In one terri
tory, unexpected orders transfer troops u
the Gulf OF Mexico or California, perhaps
A young army woman holding up her rosy
tipped fingers to tell of the stations In which
she has lived finds, even when she is but [
new campaigner, that her fingers give Oh
IN keeping tally.
Governments forget that there are sue
blessings as domestic life among those VIII
aerye. While q woman looks about he
plain quarters, in Texas, and congratulate
herself that her inventions and devices hav
turned the barrack into q "homey" spo
and reasons to herselfI "Oh. II it 10 s
dreadfully warm, still this Is better tina
movinR;i at that very moment perhaps Cd
orderly crosses the parade ground with q
order for her husband TO prepare to take U
his march for some post hundreds Of mile
An the north, Possibly but few hours al
given, and in the hurry of preparation Il
pretty devices for identifying the hon
are torn from the walls or hurriedly tumble
into crowded packing cases; the choice Ga
ments crushed into trunks; the chiI
which. in her inexperience, the young wi
has brought from home, instead Of earthe
ware. is put into barrels by clumsy hand
OAlcers are seldom afraid Of their digni
beinR injured by doing any sort OF manu-
labor. especially IL by so doing they q
Vnalre life easier for their wives. But VIII
orders como to move, their whole attenti
muat be gwen to the preparation OF t
mon and horses for the journey, atlf 70
nnperintending OF the packing OF compai
napera. records and property. Cons
Quently, the wife Is given soldiers at su
q time, whose hearts are most willing, b
whose awkward hands are apt to ma
havoc with the household lares andpenat'
At dawn next day the ambulance
which she is TO journey is brought to {
door, and almost filed with the last forg
ten traps. guns, books, ammunition, oask'
and boxes.
In the first place, the ambulance in viii
the bride is going to travel for hundreds
miles is not q luxuriant equipage. I
Government builds them for the sick, B
happily there are few i'll people on {
frontier, and they are therefore oft
loaned to the officers by the Quartermast
10 transport their families. The wagon
long enough to admit of two seats on {
side being joined in the middle and CO
structed into bed over six feet long,
which the wounded or sick can lie. Und
these seats at the end are round holes,
which the kegs of water are carried T
entrance is at therear and the steps are 10
30 one can get in and out readily. I
driver on the front seat can be cut on b,
curtain from those inside In time onic'
are enabled to s'save up money enough
buy a condemned ambulance, the runni
gear Of which needs little repairing.
The seats arc then arranged acrpsg