The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-07-08
Learning the Other Side

Back and forth under the shady east
porch. swung the little rocking chair
in which Mrs. Hopkins was sitting.
Her sewing lay idly in her lap, and
paper open in her hand revealed the
fact that shc had been reading. What
she had read had evidently made an |
impression upon her mind, for her eyes
were liked on some faraway subject,
and had II troubled look in them. Mrs.
Hopkins for the last hour had been look
ing on the dark side Of Il wom!n's life.
and il was surprising how MANY shad
Ows ~ho saw. She WAS slowly awaken
ing to the conclusion that womanlind
is an oppressed class OF beings, though
taking hcrscl for an example, u second
person would have found that hard TO
believe. 1t was true that thcy--sh |
and Elias-~had been resolutcly en-
dcavOriug to pay OF the mortgage on |
their little farm, and that their pro- |
gress had been slow. They had denied
themselves many comforts and Elias,
though obliged TO keep one hand, had
never seemed to think it necessary
that his wife should have any help ia
the house. Indeed, she had never
thought so herself. She was vigorous
little woman, and tho work was not
unu& ually hard, only monotonous and
CONSTANT. elias milked the COWS,
churnCd tho cream, fed the calves and
brought the wood. The well was at
the door and the cistcrn was in the
kitchen, and if the house was small, it.
was very conveniently arranged, and
much more easily kept clean than IA
large one would have been. The
lardcr was always suppicd; for Elias
was good providers, and rightly
thought it poor economy to stint his
table.
How his wife could think she be-
lOngcd TO the oppressed class Of women
was u mystery. But the article she
had been reading WAS by lone Of the
sLrong-mindcd oncs,' who dcnouncc
husbands as tryants, the home us II
trcadmill, ard woman ; life in general
a sort Of lcgalizsd slavery. "WashinE
dishes three times day." said the
writer, 'iS mOnOtOnOus, That's SO,
thought Mrs. Hopkins, aud it is srlull
wonder that women go crazy with the
same singson, humdrum sort Of life,
week in, week out, yea" after year
Many OF them arc obliged TO rise as
early as five in the morning, and go
through the same routine day after
day, until health and spirits arc brok N
down. There is no time for rccrcu.
tiOn--for reading, visiting or driving." ="
And then followed " long TRADE
against husbands upon score OF sub
jccts.
1t is strange how quickly sclf-pity
will make one miserable. Mrs. Hon
kins was growing miserable every
mOmcnt and at last worked herself
into quite a fern, mt Of torture. The
little seeds OF discomfort had been
sown by Il wcl'mrlning writer, who
had in unqualified manner discussed
but one side Uf the matter. There was
no cvading it. II Elias would only sell
the farm she never liked 4 farm any
II, t, thN ,l,l
be rest from such hard labor, though
what trade or business GssnNul
adopt as . mSS4ps',SSt.'-saIi ~ q 4 livelihood she
,iau ,I1s ,In1s0S"sUnsidurcd. She looked at
srnands: they were not as SOFT and
1Fwhitc as thcy were when Shc had
married Eiius. Her complaXion, too,
was shade hrownCr, the fault OF the
roaring, glowing Kitchen tire. she
was not rs rosy and plump as she was
once. She wOulu certainly say to hen
husband that sh" mad 10 work too marc
for her health, and If possible pcrauAd,
him to leave the farm.
"I.cnnc,' said MIR. hopkins after
tea that night, am going To- til,
village after the mail. G,l your hat
and 20 with mo. 1t is vorl urd nice
tonight, and the ride will 90 you
good.'
Jerry, the hired man, brought the
carriage arOunu LD tit, Nrpl, Hhu lNrN
were soon OF the road.
"What Il pretty animal - rnru i -
said Elias, as they sped niuuG Drhjn,
the bay mare. II nm going to- krcl
her for YOU to drive when shr gets
little better broken. Shr Is ~ G"nti,
as IL lamb, but docs not mind the rel,
perfectly yct.'
He was in good spirits Tonight, an,
even more talkativr than usual. ~
they rode past fields of yellow grain
already harvested and standing il
shocks, his eyes Frightened, and Ii,
remarked that two more such harvest!
would pay OF the mortgage, "aut
then, Lcnnic, the farm VIII hc ours
and there isn't Il pfCttivr one this sid,
OF Hillsdnlc. We will take Il huida,
then, and go OH to tho lakes or noun
tains, or wherever you say, /" celebrate
tho event"
no all this. Mrs. Hopkins had littl,
to say. She WAS thinking how best tt
broach her new iy-formcd plan. Ella,
seemed so happy and fun Of hope that
she dislikcd TO pain him, as she knew
she would by mention Of leaving the
farm. So she decided to let the mat
te:' rest until the return drive.
at the pOstOilicc Il number OF papers
and letters awaited them. Among
them was one from Elias mothrr
telling OF the severe and suddcn II ness
Of his father. and urging him to come
to them at once, adding, " Your father
Is very anxious to sce you: he thinks
it may be for the last time Then the
sheet was blurred and stained with
tuardrOpS.
"Nou must pack my satchcl, to-
night, Lcnnc." he said. " will take
the three o'clock train in the morning.
| wish you could 90 with me, but that
Is quite lmpOSsi bic.