The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-06
A FREE WOMAN

Charlotte Grub, little as she owed hen
parents. learned from them the lesson o.
independence. Going out into the world
at y years old, she carried with her the
habit of mind which views as intolerable
any kind OF domestic restraint. From the
quarreling of every married couple with
whom she was acquainted Charlotte early
perceived that Wedlook should be summed;
her natural inclination pointed to the life
Of celibaoy and freedom; she cared not for
the romance of evening byway, and she
hated children.
Al the tender age of 2 a domestic Incl
dent made a strong impression upon her.
She had an elder sister, Girl of IS, who,
IN consequence Of an accident, underwent
a long but not dangerous illness. Her par
ents tried hard to get the invalid into
hospital, but without success. Tt was not
a case for hospital treatment. The father
earned substantial wages, and the mother,
unburdened by any cares but those Of
home, might well have tended her sick
child. Mrs. Grubb rallied and grum bled
necessarily ard with such effect that the
invalid, q burden to herself and to every
one about her, swallowed a sufficient dose
of vermin killer. Little Charlotte took
the lesson to heart, and from that moment
the whole duty of woman became clear to
her.
Among her coeva1s there was a striking
harmony of opinion On this point. Some
girls inclined to matrimony, some gave
their vote against it 40 less resOlutely than
Charlotte herself, but all agreed that the
first duty Of woman was to have no duty
at oil. To be sure fellows were brutal;
they expected to find their meals cooked
and their clothes mended and all sorts Of
oppressive things, but most Of them could
be talked down or driven to the public
house by persistent clamor. Childrenf
Why, yes; children would come, worse
luckl But in this part of London babies
had a comfortable way of dying pretty
young and one got money from the burial
club, and if they didn't die, we'll, they
didn't
Charlotte smiled, sure that hers was the
more excellent way.
AS she grew older everything she saw
and read and heard confirmed her in alb
horrence of domesticity. A sharp young
woman, she needed no academic training
to become aware OF the movements Of the
time which chiefly concerned her. 1t must
not be supposed that female emancipation
in the larger sense, is discussed only
among educated women. The factory,
the workroOm, the dosshouse, have heard
these tidings of great JOY. Charlotte
Grub could talk with the best on that
glorious claim of woman to take her share
in the work Of the wOrld, " and by
work she of course UNDERSTOOD every
form of exertiOn saye-thesd domestic. Char
lotto could cry aloud that women were no
longer to be put upon Words to that
effect caught her eye when she read g Sun
day newspaper. The same message was
announced at street corners and in open
places when workwomen went on strike.
However dark her mind, this one ray of
reflected light had touched upon it and
served for guidance She knew that wO-
men of the higher classes were making
speeches and calling for q great many
vr,0ra or loss 77T4infnf fiyiFfa things For
her own part, down here at Haggerston
she would not DO wanting to the cause
however simple her service.
When girls got into trouble she had
no language strong enough to utter her
contempt. serve the fools right If they
didn't know more than that-gahl They
thought the fellow would look after
them, did they2 Where had they come
from? She grew red with scornfuI hugh
ter.
Once and again, very rarely, indeed, it
happened that some acquaintance OF hers
took a place. Charlotte felt such
amazement at this proceeding that she
could only turn away, staring blankly-
Why, it was worse than getting married
She could boast, with perfect truth,
that. since raw girlboods she had never
lifted her hand in domestic labor. She
had never prepared 2 meal, had never
washed q plate, had never sewed a stitch.
existence? Charlotte, whose eyes We're
very wide OLen, saw and arked the exist
ence OF common lodging houses, an admir-
able institution It went hard, Indeed,
with her if she could not earn enough to
pay for the nights shelter and for ready
cooked meals. She had good health AT
her own time, in her own way, she was
quite willing to work. In the ordinary
course q things her wages more than
sufficed for food and lodging. There re
NAMED d margin for the theater the mu-
sic hall the public house, the frippery
shop. Should it happen that times we're
bad, had not excellent people established
'ishelters' and refugees to encourage a
spirit or independence among the poor and
lowiy3
Life was nat half bad; London was
fine place. 1t made her laugh when she
heard people complaining; SO obviously
they had no one but themselves to thank
mired Tor his bofsterous bumor and rafEish
good looks one day disappeared, deserving
q wife and four children. Charlotte ad-
lnired him none the less. We'll, I'm sure
I can't blime him. He felt it was time to
mako new start = The wife, a burly
woman, straightway threw herself and her
children On tine parish Charlotte approved
on the whole. yet confessed that she would
have preferred to let the parish take care
of the children and quietly 60 of to
"make a new start on her own account.
ono winter she had an attack of brOn-
chitis Medical help became necessary.
Near st hand was 'dispansary' where
advice and physic might be obtained for
few pence; but as u matter Of principle,
Charlotte spent her coppers in getting to