The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-11-10
AN INCIDENT OF TRAVEL
Sometimes the Ladies are Alarmed With
out Good Cause.

Sometimes the Ladies are Alarmed With
out Good Cause.
Talking about the danger of women
travelling alone" said matron who had
Travelled much, II do not think there
are as many dangers as there are diff
culties: about one-half of these origi-
nate with the women themselves from
their helpless way of doing things. 1
know, because that has been my own
experience
'Some years ago 1 made trip to Ne
braska, and on my return stopped over
night at a hotel in the Missouri valley.
1t was one of the prettiest little hotels
ever remember to have seen, with the
parlor like the sitting-room of private
family. had my two children with
me-little girls of and s, and | felt
comfortable and well protected in such
bijou hotel at the Peak House,
think that was the name.
"As the night was excessively warm.
/ took a room across the hall for the
eldest child to sleep in, not being able
to secure adjoining rooms. There were
no travellers on that floor, | was told. so
l left the door ajar. This was mistake
No |. | could not sleep with my door
unlocked, and | could not lock it with
my child sleeping across the way, so !
worried and dozed. and dozed and wor-
ried. About midnight a tremendous
shouting and tramping was heard.
LAUNDERING knocks were repeated on
the doors Oaths and cries resounded
,h.u I Al. l.
to my infant, expecting to find her in
spasms of fear. More sensible than her
mother, she was calmly sleeping, and
turued to retrace my steps to my own
room, and on the threshold coming out of
my apartment met-not one of the storm
ing party, but an immene Great Dane
hound. | had never seen one of the
species before, and this. to my exagger-
ated senses, looked like a young ele-
plant He neither barked nor growled
with all the noise the raiders were MAX
ing outside, but strobe to the end of the
hall and threw himself heavily on the
floor
Meanwhile the landlord had sue
ceeded in getting rid of the men-a lot
of drovers who wanted liquor and were
angry at not finding bar-and found
myself in the state of the besieged. 1
had left the door opposite ajar and dare
not cross the hall to close it. What if
that terrible dog went in and fright
ened Lulu to death, or worse, ate her
up. l dared not close my door nor leave
it open, and, half asleep, sat there and
watched. There was no bell and |
could not reach any member of the
household.
Towards morning l heard door
open and shut, or thought l did, and
peered into the hall. Thank goodness,
the dog was gone! l plunged across to
secure my child and try to get some
sleep, and there, piled up on the foot of
the bed, was Mr.. Dog, his great head
prone between his two jaws, and utter
ing growls that sounded like distant
thunder. These broke into roar as
added my feeble pipe, and the child,
waking up, screamed with all her lung
power. In half a minute the landlord
and his wife, the cook and porter, and
the stranger within the gates were all
there. | think l was secured first, as |
was making the most noise, then the
dog was led off, meek as sheep, and at
daylight had both my treasures locked
up in the same room with me, and
caught my first nap before breakfast.
well, they laughed at me and told
me the dog was as harmless as kitten,
and wouldn't bark at burglar.
The terrors of that night had been
very real to me, but when | tell them
to my friend, Mrs. Il, who, in her
pioneer life, had hostile Indians Sleep
ing at her door all night with only a
wooden button to fasten them out, she
laughs at me- And know man would
have just opened door and booted that
dog down stairs and gone to sleep again,
or he wouldn't have noticed him at all,
more likely. But it seems to be
woman's nature to fuss, and | suppose
that is just why we need the men to
protect us and ridicule our imaginary
fears Detroit Free Press