The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-11-26
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4 MADAME IDA PREFER. I!
BY Alice King. !
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A. in an emiuently commonplace way
! the name of Ida. The mother was
sstout, matter-of-fact German house
he as ever ate sauerkraut, and she
,oupbt up the infant in thoroughly
tactical, ordinary manner. until she
Is able to run alone. Then the I'M
s1al and the abnormal began to step
ITO little Ida's story.
The father was man of very orig
nal mind; he had peculiar ideas about
most things, and most especially he
lad peculiar ideas about female educa-
i'm. How he came to choose the very
mosaic mate, appears to us to be, in
ruth. matter of surprise, as we look
the strangely assorted pair. except
hat the happiest marriages are some
ines the result of strongly marked
ontrasts, and this husband and wife,
ertainly strong contrast in character
nd opinion, yet proved to be a very
appy and harmonious couple.
When their first little daughter was
Urn. the father at once made up his
mind that he would carry out with her
HI his extraordinary notions with re-
ard to the education of woman; and
he mother, though her opinions were
host Numerically opposite on the sub
let, yet, nevertheless, put the girl, as
DON as she could prattle. completely
nto his hands.
Now, the system of education which
cas- father proposed to carry out with
egard to her was simply this: He was
esolved that she was to be brought up
recisely as if she were boy. The little
irl was dressed as boy, and was
nught to join all boys games. She
ngaged in all sorts of outdoor exer-
Uses and sports, and became expert in
INNING and leaping. She was taught
reek and Latin, instead of music and
ancing and other feminine accom-
lishments; needle was never so much
S put between her fingers.
Thus things went on with little Ida
lntil she was about ten years old, when
he course of her young life was entire
changed.
The father died rather suddenly, and
da was Immediately, of course, thrown
Inder the sole care of her mother.
No doubt the troubles of the poor
bdy, when left widow, were good
eal increased by the fact that she had
bis anomalous being, this boy-girl.
Upon her hands. However, she made
hort work of the problem which her
husband had left her; she solved it
Il once in her own matter-of-fact way.
he popped Ida into petticoats before
Die girl could look around, and set her
b sweep the house. and learn to cook
md to sew, according to the fashion of
b German maidens of her rank and
&c.
But the good lady soon found to her
ost that she could not cut the Gordian
mot in this summary way as she had
blended. 1t was all very well to bid
la to do this or that in proper house
Fiiely manner, but it was quite another
hing to get her to do it. She had been
oerced into petticoats, it was true, but
he still persisted in being boy to all
Stents and purposes. She was forced
her mother to do all sorts of domes-
He offices, but never were such offices
reformed in a like way before. Pitch
.rs were broken, buildings were spoiled,
UNITS were left in luckless garments,
IS the recusant damsel went hither and
hither in the house performing her un
billing duties; and had not her moth
r possessed a very large fund of firm
RESOLUTION, she would have given the
|ttempt up in thorough desperation of
making her daughter into young lady.
If the good wife set the girl down to
'tudy cookery book, she found her,
when she returned to the room, deep in
volume of travels; if she beheld her
'bn summer afternoon sewing her
sampler in the garden, and her matern-
NJ eyes rejoiced in the sight, she was
sure, did she look away for few min
ntes, to perceive. to her dismay. that
she girl had vanished, and after some
search. to see her seated on the topmost
Branch of tall tree; if she left the girl
lrundling her mop diligently, as she
'ondly thought. in the front hall, she
you'd lind the pail left in the lurch,
while the young lady rushed after
passing post~chaise and INDUCED in all
sorts Of airy speculations about its
Inmates. In short. never was unfortu-
pate middle-aged matron SO hardly
bested through the pranks Of maiden.
q The civil war IN the household be-
tween the mother and daughter con-
|tinued some five or six years, and still
The refractory damsel was unsubdued.
6he chose to be boy, in spite of the
Tong skirts and braided hair. She de-
clared. stoutly that she would be one.
and boy In all her tastes. in all her
aspirations. In all her habits. she re-
uained
Then the mother hit upon new ex-
pedient to subjugate the unruly girl,
Who. Notwithstanding her protestations
that she was a boy. and nothing but
boy, had become a very pretty girl.
with step as light and swift as
oreeze. with a form as flexible as a
young willow. with eyes all alight with
fancy and mirth and. romance. she re-
solved that she would engage tutor
lor Ida, and try the effect upon her OF
Instruction impaired by man.
The plan succeeded even beyond the
good lady's expectation.
All at once the girl became docile,
meek, womanly and domestic. No need
DOW to chide her for housewifery duties
undone. She was the very ideal at last
81 the household fairy of the family.
who glided from room to room working
19lselcssz smells of order. The mother