The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-22
THE BACHELOR WOMAN.
Sketch of Type Found in the Cracker
Districts of Georgia.
From the New orleans Times Democrat


new application, as used III the sense of a
single woman, for as long ago as Ben jon
sons time an unmarried woman was re-
| ferred 10 as bachelor, but not in the
| peculiar significance that we are now apt
to attach to the term.
The bachelor woman lives as rule, in
bachelor quarters. The trustfulness in
woman ability TO protect herself that
these times, of either chosen or forced in-
| dependence, accord her, gives her the
| privilege of making home for herself,
receiving and entertaining friends; and,
| in fact, if she be without immediate rela-
tives or uncongenial ones, of creating a
nest for herself.
An unmarried woman, not great while
| ago, either had TO stay in somebody's
| chimney corner, her individuality over
Swallowed. no matter what her attain
ments or abide in a boarding house
However great her craving for home was,
this, the greatest considera tion in life,
ones own roof tree, was denied her
| Naturally, she fretted and fumed, and
| hence came the disagreeable character
known as the old maid. She, however, is
! quietly dying out, and the cheerful,
| helpful bachelor woman has taken her
| place.
In northern cities she lives in an apart
ment house. This gives her a suite of
rooms, and yet is not isolated, lonesome
or as expensive as home would be.
Ethel Hilyer Harris of Rome, Ga, con-
tributes to Feminine Fields this sketch
of another type of the bachelor woman, a
veritable Georgia cracker.
Miss Minnie-that is the name she,goes
by. 1t does not suit her, for she is 80.
She wears her hair short, and it is
streaked plentifully with gray Most of
| her front teeth are gone, and her hands
are roughed and hardened from toll
Miss Minniel She is unique. She is in
teres ting. also, though her complexion is
so dark and thick. She has an honest ex-
| preston; her eyes are bright and Jolly,
| and at times one can detect CLEANS of
beauty family, as one imagines beauties
| in the dusk of night, when the sun has de-
serted the world. So circumstance has
darkened this poor creatures life. She
lives all alone
She says: Yes, I live by myself 1
am an orphant, and been kicked and
cuffed all my life, and after you bin done
that er-way, Twin by yourself amt so
bad"
But some one asks: care you not afraid
to live away of in the country, with Just
your cows and chickensl"
" 'F'raide 'Fraid o. what2 l keeps a
gum and then, giving her pink bonnet a
backward shove, her dark eyes growing
thoughtful, she adds, I'm not afeard,
fur l don't blieve the good Lord is gwine
ter let enybody poster me. 'Iother night
l heard a noise when l was in bed. and
jest turned over and prayed 'Oh Lord
eff hits anybody arter me, jes change
Their minds onto somethin' else And if
you bheve me,'' she went on, II never
even moved any more; l jes' went to
sleep. No, l don't b'lieve the Lord s
gwinter let me be hurt.9
She is well-known in Rome. Twice a
week she comes in her little cart, and
twice week she brings berries. cream
cheese and vegetables from the foot of
the mountain. 'e- Eoo .'sf@ 20
One day as l layin the hammock de-
ploring the stringency of the times, long
ing for the surf, the springs, for gay
dresses and gay parties, in walked Miss
| Minnie.
Here is your cream cheese, and here is
your cream, and it is rich, too. l skinned
it good for you. What you dom layin'
up thar so sassy2'
Il am Just thinking of how many
things want, Miss Minnie, and how few
/ have"
Law, chile" and then seating herself
on the floor Of the veranda, she begins to
rock me in the hammock as nurse would
an infant. Law you don't know what
hard times is. Why, | helped build the
home live in; good lady let's me live on
the land-says | may as long as | choose,
| duN L I4GOC bLS lCAlNN 1hlA L htll Iudh6 dS
good gate as man. I bin in the sun
hoeing my corn all day, and own my cows
and l does all the milking. I loves ter
work, and what makes me so thankful IS
that have something ter give away Do
you know there's pore woman what
comes to my house every day to eat what
l leave"
rs that possible2" I calculate.
yes" continued she. Town folks
| don't know the suffering of pore folks like
| the pore folks knows. Why, they's peo-
| pie out my way, sence the rolling mill
| shet down, that amt seed any meat,
'thout was bacon. senee Crismus. They
parches bran for coffee. They can't git
no work"
Miss Minnie is happy, and in her untu-
tored way she can teach what philoso-
! pliers cannot.
After a moment she goes on: "You
know what I'm gwine ter dor I am gwine
ter give barbecue on the Fourth of July
to the poor folks. am gwine ter have
mutton, hog and a small beef!'
Then with bright smile she says:
'I'm gwine ter have red lemonade, and
let dem pore chilluns taste what they
never has before.'
'You give barbecuel' say in aston
ishment
Eyes, am. Burt Allen is going to bar
becue it for nothiD'; the ice factory will
give VIC lCts nave ING uO2 ana IQG
mutton; the beef and lemons will have 10
be bought II will cost me So she said
with triumphant gasp, but am gwine
for TO give 'em a good bait o. vittles one
time in their lives"
raise myself from my reading position
and look her in the face. / want TO do
her homage; ! want to .oin in her un-
selfish work, so much do admire her
miss Minnie" ] say cheerfully, Il am
coming to YOUR barbecue -
She losses her short cropped locks and
her eyes snap, and with decided nod she
says: mo, you won't. / don't want no
rich folks there-ouly the orphant, the
cripple and the wilder can come"
But l will come" retorted. ~ am
poor and widow, too"
Her only answer is contemptuous
smile. Out of her meager earnings she
has planned this; for four mi les around
she has invited them. What is it2 Who
has taught her this love Tor humanity,
DER which philosophers rave and preach
ers rantl Somehow think that the angels
will not forget Miss Minnie and her bar
becue, where the cripple. the 'orphant''
and the widow had good square meal,
and all drinked pink lemonade"
Dollars and Emotion.
From the New York Press
A writer in a current magazine asserts
- a.