Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-11-13
WHAT IS A LADY,
1t Is Very Hard to Draw the Line In IN
Milan, Say,


1t Is Very Hard to Draw the Line in"iu
Milan, Say,
What is lady?
That is what ] am trying 10 flnd
out. and ] am having hard work at
il. writes Lena l.. Pepper from Milan.
A friend informed me- when first
came abroad, that no lady was al
lowed TO carry a package IN the
streets Of Milan. If she made the at
tempt. guard would Immediately
approach. politely relieve her Of hci
sclf-imposed burden. and carry it t.
her destination.
Now. here comes the rub: | haV
carried many package in the most
crowded thoroughfarcS Of this ancient
city. and TO respondent guard has
ever offered me his services.
Everyone who comes 40 Italy
studies music or painting. Consider
ing that when a song is sung it Is
ended, but when picture is painted
il endures for agcs-mOrc's the pity
perhaps / concluded 10 study paint
ing.
Well. whenever | have needed ma
terial>. such as brushes, paints.
drawing.papcr etc, ! have walked
around 10 the store got them, and
brought them home myself. The
only thing that prevented me from
bringing the canvas was that il was
little too large to handle with grace
and skill.
Each day when have ceased paint
ing. rs a little dissipation seems nee
cSSary after such wearing brain work
| travel around the corner TO the
chestnut mans and get , cents
worth Of hot roasted chestnuts. But
no guard, with spur, on his heels, red
stripes down his legs, sword at his
side. golden fringe on his shoulders,
and waving plumcS on his head. has
ever offered to assist me in carrying
them. And 50 the question natur-
ally occurs 10 me: Am a lady;
The guard evidently thinks not
and places me on level with
the barchcadcd. wOOdcn-heclcd, slip
per-shod peasant women who go click
/ ing along the streets. carrying the
nccessarics Of life tied up in square
Of cotton cloth.
But. according 10 Webster. they
may be ladies.
On shipboard, where 50 many peo-
pie are thrown together, and where
forced ompanionShip is, for the time
being. a necessity, | encountered dur
ing my recent voyage three persons
who interested me greatly
one was an opera singer whose
name had 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 interest.
Besides a maid, dog, and three
parrots fur travelling companions,
there were a train Of cavaliers. There
was also husband somewhere on the
ship, or at least his name figured IN
the passenger list.
Another woman whose names had
appcared often in the daily papers,
in type a little larger perhaps, than
the opera-singers and with few
more startling adiectives and flaming
headlines was little trapezc-pcr-
former. 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
cdging.
The third person who interested
me was as wcll-known TO the reading
public as either Of the other two
Her artistic gowns had been duly de-
scribed in the fashion columns, and
her dinners, teas and receptions
formed the leading items in the so
ciety notices In charitable philan
thropic movements she had always
taken an active part Her husband
is well known as great and good
politician.
Strange as it may SEEM strong
friendship was formed between the
leader of arist0cratic society and the
belle of the circus-ring.
| overheard conversation between
them. part of which at least is
worth recording. The one, true to
her philanthropic instincts, was re-
monstrating with the other on her
mode Of life
Madam" answered the trapeze-
performer. ''you have given TO your
children the best educational advan-
tagcs in your power My parents
have donc no less for me: they gave
me all tho advantages they were able
10 in their own walk of life. take
as much pride in doing well a DIM
cult acrobatic feat as your daughter
might in rendering well beautiful
symphony or in producing "A brilliant
bit of literature.
The two parted with warm express
sions of friendship and desire to
acct again.
Each Of these wOmen-thc opera
singer the queen Of society, the
sthlctc-takes to herself the title
Of lady, and the world smiles its sane.
zion.
What is lady, anyway? Am I
one? Are you One?"
Who can tell me?- Kate Fields
Washington.