Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-18
A TALE OF LIFE IN THE
BOER REPUBLIC.


beads and make a string for our neck,
and we go and stand before the glass.
We see the complexion we were not to
spoil and the white frock, and we look
into our own great eyes. Then the
curse begins to act on us. 1t finishes
its work when we are grown women,
who no more look out wistfully at a
more healthy life-we are contented.
We At our sphere as a Chinese wom-
ans foot fits her shoe, exactly, as
though God had made both-and yet he
knows nothing Of either. In some Of
us the shaping to- our end has been
quite completed. The parts we are not
to use have been quite atrophied and
have even dropped off, but in others,
and we are not less to be pitied, they
have been weakened and left. We wear
the bandages, but our limbs have not
grown to them; we know that we are
compressed, and chafe against them.
'But what does it help? A little bit
terness, little longing when we are
young, little futile searching for
work, a little passionate striving for
room for the exercise Of our powers,
and then we go with the drove. A wo-
man must march with her regiment.
In the end she must be trodden down
or go with it, and If she is wise she
goes.
81 see in your great eyes what you
are thinking" she said, glancing at
him. 81 always know what the per-
son I am talking to is thinking of.
How is this woman who makes such
fuss worse off than 1? will show you
by very little example. We stand
here at this gate this morning, both
poor, both young, both friendless.
There is not much to choose between
us. Let us turn away just as we are,
to make our way in life. This evening
you will come to farmers house.
The farmer, albeit you come alone and
on foot. will give you a pipe of tobacco
and a cup of coffee and q bed If he
has no dam to build and no child to
teach, tomorrow you can go on your
way with a friendly greeting Of the
hand. I, if come to the same place
tonight, will have the strange ques-
lions asked me, strange glances cast
on me. The Boer wife will shake her
head and give me food to eat with the
Kaffirs and a right to sleep with the
dogs. That would be the first step in
our progress-a very little one, but ev-
cry step to the end would repeat it.
We were equals once when we lay,
newborn babes, on our nurses knees.
We will be equals again when they tie
up our jaws for the last Sleep"
Waldo looked in wonder at the little,
quiyering face. 1t was glimpse into
world Of passion and feeling wholly
new to him.
mark you," she said, 1--WE have al
ways this advantage over you've can
at any time step into ease and COM
petence, where you must labor pa
tiently for it. A little weeping, little
wheedling, little self degradation, a
little careful use Of our advantages,
and then some man will say, Come, be
my wife! With good looks and youth,
marriage is easy to attain. There are
men enough, but woman who has
sold herself, even for ring and new
name, need hold her skirts aside for no
creature in the street. They both earn
their bread in one way. Marriage for
love is the benutifulest external SYM
Dol of the union Of souls; marriage
without it is the uncleanliest traffic
that deflles the world" She ran her
little finger sayagely along the top
most bar, shaking off the dozen little
dewdrops that still hung there. And
they tell us we have mems chivalrous
attention" she cried. when we ask
to be doctors, lawyers, lawmakers,
anything but Ill paid drudges, they say:
No, but you have mems chivalrous at
tention. Now think of that and be sat-
isfied! What would you do without it?"
The bitter little silvery laugh, SO sell
dom heard, rang out across the bushes,
She bit her little teeth together.
II was coming up in Cobb & Co.'s the
other day. At a little wayside hotel
we had to change the large coach for
small one. We were ten passengers
eight men and two women. AS sat
in the house the gentlemen came and
whispered to me: There is not room
for all in the new coach. Take your
seat quickly We hurried out, and
they gave me the best seat, and cover
ed me with rugs, because it was driz-
zling. Then the last passenger came
running up to the coach-an old wom-
an with a wonderful bonnet and a
black shawl pinned with yellow pin.
There is no ROOM they said. You
must wait till next weeks coach takes
you up but she climbed on to the step,
and held on at the window with both
hands.
"'My son-in-law is i'll, and must 60
and see him. she said.
"'My good woman said one, Il am
really exceedingly sorry that your
son-in-law is i'll, but there is absolutely
no room for you here
"'You had better get down. said an
other, or the wheel will catch you.'
Il got up to give her my place.
Oh, no, MOI they cried. we win