St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-03
WHAT Is a LADY?
1t Is Hard to Draw the Line in-in
Milan. Say.
Kate Fields Washington.
What Is a ladV2


Kate Fields Washington.
What is lady?
That is what | am trying to find out,
and | am having hard work at it, writes
Lena L. Pepper from Milan.
A friend informed me, when [ first
came abroad, that no lady was allowed
to carry package in the streets of
Milan. If she made the attempt, a
guard wouldimmediately approach, 90
litely relieve her of her seIf-imp Osed
burden, and carry it to her destination.
Now here comes the rub: have car
rled many package in the most crowd
ed thOrOughfare of this ancient city,
and no resplendent guard has ever
offered me his services.
Every one who comes to Italy studies
either music or painting. Considering
that when song is sung it is ended,
but when picture is painted it endureS
for ages-mOre's the pity, perhaps-I
concluded to study painting.
Well, whenever [ have needed ma
terIals. such as brushes, paints, draw
ing paper, etc, | have walked around
to the store. got them and brought them
home myself. The only thing that pre-
vented me from bringing the necessary
canvas was that it was a little too large
to handle with grace and skill.
Each day when L have ceased paint
ing, as little dissipation seems neces-
Sary after such wearing brain-wOrk, |
travel around the corner to the chestnut
mans and get two cents worth of hot
roasted cbeStnutS. But no guard, with
spurs on his heels. red stripes down his
legs, sword at his side, golden fringe
on his shoulders, and waving plumes on
his head, has ever offered TO assist me
in carrying them. And so the question
naturally occurs to me: Am / lady?
The guard evidently thinks not, and
places Inc on level with the bare
headed, woOden-heeIed. slipper-shod
peasant women who 90 clicking along
the streets. carrying the neceSsarieS of
life tied up In square OF cotton cloth
But, according to Webster, they may
be ladies.
On ShipbOard. where so many people
are thrown together. and where forced
companionship is, for the time being,
necessity, L encountered during my re-
cent voyage three persons who inter
ested me greatly.
One was an opera singer. whose name
appeared in the leading journals for
months, whose costumes had exhausted
columns of print, and whose minuteSt
actions had been duly chronicled and
read by the masses with absorbing in
tereSt.
Besides maid, a dog and three par
rOts for travelling companions there
were train Of cavaliers. There was
also a husband somewhere on the ship.
| or at least bis name figured in the pas
senger list.
Another woman whose name had ap-
peared often in the daily papers. III type
little larger, perhaps. than the opera
singers, and few more startling adj
JectlveS and flaming headlines, was
little trapeZe performer. She was quiet,
| modest and industrious. While the
opera singer spent her time in wine
bibbing and Irritation, the gymnast's
! small hands made yards and yards Of
delicate white edging.
The third person who interested me
was as we'll known to the reading pub
lie as either of the other two. Her ar
tistic gowns had been duly described in
| the fashion columns. and her dinners
and teas and receptions formed the
leading items in the society notices. In
| charitable, phllanthrophic movements
| she had always taken an active part.
| Her husband is we'll known as a great
and good" politician.
Strange rs it may seem, a strong
friendship was formed between the
| leader of aTiStOcratic society and the
belle of the circus ring.
l overheard a conversation between
them, part of which at least is worth
recording. The one. true to her philan-
! thrOplc instincts. was demonstrating
with the other on her mode of life.
Madam answered the trapeze per-
former, you have given to your chill
dren the best educational advantages in
| your power. My parents have done no
less for me. They gave me all the adj
vantages they were able to in their own
walk Of life. take as much pride in
doing we'll a difficult acrobatic feat as
your daughter might in rendering we'll a
beautiful symphony or in producing a
brilliant bit of literature.
The two parted with warm express
sions of friendship and a desire to meet
again.
Each of these women-the opera
singer, the queen of society, the athlete
takes to herself the title of lady, and
the world smiles its sanction.
What is lady. anyway? Am L one?
Are you one?
Who can tell me?