The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-23
\ VIEWS OF
Y A WOMAN

COME PEOPLE seem to slip through
the world, finding 1t all prepared
~ for their safe and triumphal pro-
gress. The briars have been removed
from the path. When it is wet some
understudy of Sir Walter Raleigh
spreads velvet for their feet and creates
a canopy to protect their fine clothes.
When 1t Is too dry and hot they are
whlsked off to "a roof garden or side
tracked to IL cooler climate for the time
being. When there are tears falling
they are not on the spot to catch them
and they always happen around when
fate comes along giving away laughter.
When there is a remote possibility OF
becoming tired, an up-to- date fairy god
mother appears with an automobile or
a steam yacht. Perhaps it may not be
their automobile nor their yacht but 1t
seems foreordained for them just as
much and belonging to their friends,
they can enjoy it with less responsible
itty as regards high explosives and en-
penses.
. These fortunate people are ones who,
If on fine country or seaside places lie
close to their own path, are sure to be
taken on little excursions to the coun-
try places and seaside homes of friends,
where no gate fees but polite admira-
ton and expression of delight are de-
manded They are out on these pleas
ant little trips when the rhematism or
the small poX stalks. down the road
they would otherwise have taken. They
can't seem to catch anything but good
luck, and apparently they don't per-
form any particularly notable line Of
good works to deserve 1t all.
There are others who started along
side of the lucky ones in the beginning
with equally fair prospects. They walk
IN the same path but for these there is
no softness for the feet. The stones
accumulate in the path and the thorns
tear their garments. The fruit that
they would gather turns to ashes on
their lips and the fair pictures that
rise before their gaze on ascending
some hilltop are swiftly hidden by a
mist, often of tears wrung from their
own sufferings.
They live unselfshly, willing ever to
help another on the way, pausing ever
to speak kindly, to be gentle and for
giving and generous They love the
beautiful and have the souls to recOg-
niZe it, but from it their eyes are hol-
den, to look instead upon pain and ugli-
ness and bitter disappointment. They
do much and much is expected and few
are the thanks they receive. There are
no happy little excursions away from
the sordid track for them, no rare un-
lookedfor gifts: no sweet rewards for
sacrifice. Every step of the way is
just as hard as it can be: no turn Of
the road reveals break in the weary
uphill struggle. In their troubles some-
times they receive nice notes Of con-
dolence from the people in the easy
path who never had any troubles and
that is really about the most that they
have any right to expect. Queer, isn't
it? Queer, too, that they aren't the
ones who turn to be anarchists and
want to burn cities and kill kings? I
wonder If the promise of a better time
in the next world really compensates
for the, bitter time they have to en-
dure in this.
A typewriter is a very nice institu-
tion. There ought really to be some
new adjective invented to designate
the machine from the operator. In