Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-09-10

.
! period Of engagement so attractive to
every girl. The little sweet compli-
ments that two lovers express toward
each other must be said in the presence
OF their elders. But there is true love
among the young people, even though
the husband is selected by the parents
of the girl. In most cases the two be-
come attached to each other during
their courtship, and by the time the
marriage approaches they are as much
IN love as she could wish. The tantaliz-
Zing desire to hold the hands or to
| clasp each other in silent embrace NAV
have something to do in Fastening the
growth of their affection. La Senorita
easily falls prey to the charm of good
looking lover, for she has been so I'M
accustomed to the presence of men that
any one with a good form and address
appeals to her fancy and emotions
In her early married life the Cuban
lady is pretty and picturesque. She is
lover OF jewels and ornaments of all
kinds, and her husband invariably
gratifies her wishes in this respect at
their marriage. 1t does not always
matter that the jewels are not eXpen-
sive, SO long as they are pretty and
effective. She literally bedecks herself
with these pins. brooches and pearls
glittering in her masses of hair, chains
hanging from her neck and waist. and
clasping her arms. and rings of all de-
scriptions loading down her slender
fingers. The graceful mantilIa of
Spain has always been used by the
Cuban ladies, and this is clasped to-
gether by jewels and frequently deco
rated all over with small pins.
After she becomes married the young
wife has no further desire to associate
with men. She is content to remain
at home, and play and work and sleep
under the clustering orange trees and
spreading elms, attended only by her
mulatto walters and later by her
children. She is a mother at Is or 16
and at 25 she is faded. She becomes
engrOssed with the cares and duties of
home early, and she never lets anything
interfere with these. In fact, she rare
ly walks at all She generally rides.
She knows nothing of woman's rights.
and never thinks of asking for more
liberty or to vote. She looks I'D to her
husband as her lord and master and
she is gentle, patient and submissive to
him.
This is the picture of what the Cuban
lady has always been, and is to GER
tain extent today. But the war in
Cuba is making transformations in her
that are truly startling. The meek,
gentle, submissive, timid, apprehen-
sive, beautiful Cuban has seen her fair
island laid in waste; her home has been
destroyed; her children killed before
her eyes; her husband and father carried
away to prison. from which there is no
release, and her own person outraged
and brutally treated. She has eXper-
fenced night and the dread of the
Spanish soldie1y, and her quiet, peace
full life has become more terrible than
the thoughts Of punishment hereafter.
Like hunted fawn she has been driven
here and there across the island, seek
ing refuge in the wilderness of malarial
swamps and mountain Businesses.
The sensitiveness Of her nature, the
natural apprehension of danger when
unattended and the fear Of men other
than her husband and protector must
have made her lot unbearably heart
rending. But even the most gentle
animal will turn upon its enemy in it's
death throes, and la SenOrita has at
last turned and asserted herself She
has taken the field with her husband
and father, and with the deadly
machete she has defended her own per-
son and the honor of her country The
timid, appTehensive nature has deVel-
Cped a strength Of character that no
one thought possible. The Cuban lady
would seem to visitor to be the last
one to be transformed into an Amazon.
But under the storm and stress of the
last year she has developed qualities
that are unusual.
In our own war we had women who
accompanied the soldiers into the field
and worked ASST, uously as nurse,
drummer boys and general companions;
but we have no instance of female regi-
ments going into battle alongside of
men. A few isolated instances are re-
corded where women dressed them
selves in mems clothing and regularly
enlisted in the army. But they were
adventurous spirits, and not timid, lux
ury-bred women, accustomed to an easy
life, and afraid Of the smell of powder.
They might have shown the same spirit
of bravery as the Cuban Amazons had
their homes been involved and their
persons outraged as in Cuba, and it is
no reflection upon the courage or spirit
of American womanhood to say that
they did not take the field as the gentle,
soft, apprehensive Cuban beauties that
are now with Maceo.
1t is reported on pretty good authori-
ty that Maceo has four companies of
women soldiers-sweet senoritas that
prefer fighting on the battlefield beside
! their husband and brothers to being
thrown into forts at the Spaniards'
| mercy. These AmazOns are not merely
dress parade companies, but in several
! battles they have distinguished them
selves by their courage and the vigor
with which they have used the
machetes on the Spaniards. The gentle,
submissive wife and mother is sudden
ly transformed into a stout-hearted
warrior, and all descriptions Of her
future will need to be revised. Be
meath her Spanish mantilla there glows
a love of home and country and honor
that dares her to face the most cruel
!