The Jersey City news., 1891-09-11
GOLDEN AGE OF WOMAN.
Chivalry of the Present as COM
pared to That of the Past.

1t is generally supposed that the
age when steel-clad gentlemen tilted
with long spears in honor OF their
Dulcineas was the golden age OF
'sfirst-class" ladies; but on looking
closely into the household annals OF
the days of chivalry, we discovered
the .'uueens of love and beauty for
whom SO many nidriffs We're trans
pierced. and caputs cloven worked
rather harder than modern domestlcs.
Now and then they sat in state In gal
leries hung with 'broidered tapestry,
and saw cavaliers wearing their scarls
and ,nittens let daylight into other
cavaliers who disputed the potency OF
their charms: but those gratifying
spectacles were luxuries too expensive
and dangerous to be common, and the
ordinary routine OF a ''ladye's" life IN
the cbiyalric era was at once monOt-
onous and laborious.
The stately countess of the olden
time spun and carded and wove as IN
dustriously as any OF her hand-
maidens; served out bread to the
poor on ''loaf days" at the castle
gate; shaped and helped to make her
husbands and children's clothing and
her own (for in those days tailors and
dresstnakers were few and far be-
tween). supervised the larder and the
dairy: carried the ponderous keys OF
the establishment, and, in short,
nlayed to perfection the careful
housewife in the stronghold OF ner
lord. while he rode about the country
with curtal ak at his saddle bow ana
a long ashen skewer at his stlrrup
leather in a chronic state OF wolnsn-
ness. and ready to do battle Tor any
caust. or no cause at all with whom
soever it might or might not concern.
In this delightful modern era OF tine
ladyism,Ja fashionable lady does not
perform half the amount OF usetui Ia
Dor in a year that a high-born dame
of medieval times accomplished every
month OF her life. Instead OF hanks
of flax she spins street yarns; ner
carding is done with bits OF painting
pasteboard, and if she weaves at all,
it is meshes for eligible young men
on her own account If single, ior the
benefit of her daughters If inatron.
She has no objection to the poor pe-
ing fed from her kitchen, perhaps, pu5
as to serving out bread to them from
her own delicate hands,, after the
manner of the fair "bread dividers'
Of the olden time, she couldn't think
Of r. If her husband should wait for
even the lichtest of his garments un-
til she found leisure to make them,
the chances are that he would go
shirtless to his dying day. She sell
dom sews. Sewing spoils the tips OF
her fingers.
In point of fact, the aristocratic
DANES and damoiselles of old were
mere drudges and dowdies as compared
with the female patricians of this our
day and generation. Nay, even our
honsemaids and cooks have more leis-
ure and take the world more easily
than did the duchesses and countesses
of the iron age. Modern chivalry ac-
cords to ladies all the privileges they
ouebt to desire, and such liberties as
the sstyrant sex" does not cOncede
thew generally take the liberty TO
take. Never at any former period in
the history of man was he SO entirely
under the thumb of woman as .he is
now.-Nea0 York Ledger
A Pretty Idea.
1t originated with gracious lady,
whose hands are skilled in cunning
work, and who has, in addition. heaps
Of friends. Very often they send to
her fiowers-the choicest, the shyest,
the rarest, of the season. She so loves
the sweet blossoms that she cannot
bear to have them fade utterly out OF
her life. BY consequence she makes
of them siken inmorUelles. 1t is
done in this fashion:-Setting the
flower at ease in some dainty vase,
with her needle she sketches it ac-
curately upon background OF firm
lustrous satin, delicate in color, and
chosen to harmonic with the
tints of the blossom, which is
wrought with pre- Raphaelite fdel-
| ity. Then, underneath or above, at
one side or in q corner, she writes a
bit OF verse chosen with special refer
ence to the flower, its giver, or the
occasion of giving, and embrolders
| the words in gold or silver thread.
| This particular woman keeps her
| achievements hidden in napkin
otherwise box. There is no reason,
! though, why the same thought should
| not make walls and couches and
| draperies blossom with more than the
rose. 1t is quite possible thus to
achieve panels for boudolr that Will
have the charm of sentiment ana as
sociation, or to pillow on poppies full
| of more than slumber's balm-in fact,
to fill many things of daily use with
| the SAVIOR of friendliness and the en-
| during fragrance OF remembered
good ds.-HaapeS's BGz0f.
S,ved Her Stock in Trade.
Eyes, nearly everything l had was
burned said clever American girl
who was a visitor in an English
country house where there had been
a disastrous fire. lost all my
gowns. but | saved one thing. / am
! thankful to say, and that is my Amer
| lean accent, and, after all, /" she con-
tinued laughingly, that is really my
stock in trade over here"
sympathetic Dreaming.
A young married lady relates the
following remarkable experience OF
telepathy in BlackaDood'S Magazine.
Shortly after her marriage she had
accompanied her husband to India
1t was toward the end OF tire mutiny,
and she was separated from him-he
being about forty miles away and. as
she believed in great personal danger.
| For the first time in her young life
she was left alone.
| Ono nioht on retiring to rest feel.