Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-04-02


She is a busy housewife long before
sunrise and with its earliest rays on
her uncovered head she is at the ba-
Ear, or public market, to do the days
marketing. A plump, bright-eyed
brunette, in short petticoats, with
huge long boots on her feet and a vast
basket on her arm, she carries her
money in her hand, and her tongue is
active from the moment she enters
the stalls and is met by the long-haired
Diego, dark-bearded and pink-shirted,
eager to sell his wares. His voice Is
shriIl and loud while hers is even
louder, if less rasping. That market
ing is a pleasant recreation for her,
affording fine exercise for her keen
wit and shreWd tongue. Day by day
she gets all that she wants for her
self, not purchasing through another
person and never laying by in store
for other days. She has an accurate
knowledge of prices, aye, of the indi-
vidual character of every shOpman;
but, in spite of this, she rarely gets
the best of any Of the bargains. The
shopman is prepared for a haggling
match that takes place with each Gus
toner, and if Katia goes away with
purchases obtained for one-half of
the original price demanded for it, it
Is because the vender rather more
than doubled it in the outset.
Here in the bazaar all of the neces-
sarieS of the household are to be found
spread out before the housewives eyes
and as all the shops are open and
close to each other, a vigorous and
noisy competition goes on. In reality
every article of food and clothing is
extraordinarily cheap in price, and
cheaper still in quality. The fish and
meats are apt to taste abOminably, the
flour and meal are not over-clean, the
fruits are stale more often than fresh
and the haberdashery is anything but
first quality 1t is the vendor who
seeks the customer, offering her his
wares as soon as she appears. 1t is
the customer, however, who sets the
prices. and in the driving Of the bar
gain she holds the reins until the bas
ket is full, and she has trOtted home
ward with the neighbors. The market
ing does not occupy more than al
hour Then it is all over for the day
and the shopman may sleep on his
broad back on his shelf, or go fishing
losing no trade.
Her marketing over, Katia Jugs the
basket home. Her husband, the sons
or brothers. are yet in BED. They and
the children appear by the time that
the morning meal is ready, and the
preparation is not lengthy. There is
always raw herring and garlic, with
cabbage soup. These are appetizers
(zakowskas), without which a mea
would be incomplete. There may be
meat; if so, it is usually mutton OF
lamb. There IS always plenty of bread
a few vegetables, a cheese, fruit anG
coffee. The service is on bare table
and the chairs or stools are set at {
distance from it, so that during the
meal the partakers carry the yellow
plates to their laps, and replenist
them at the board by the free use Of
the fingers. The dinner is much the
same as the breakfast, except that
there is a liquor in addition to the cot
fee, and usually { pudding. The Ven
ezuelan woman knows nothing of va
riety at table. and on the whole hel
skill at cooking is Indifferent.
The same term describes her house
keeping as a whole. The houses are
kept" with little difficulty. They are
low, whitewashed, one story structures
with all of the rooms opening into each
other. There are generally not less
than four of these, and there may be 6
dozen. One. at the center, is the liv
ing room, where the meals are spread
and where the visitors are received, the
culinary work done, and the dogs
goat and hen accommodated. The
other apartments are sleeping rooms
baths, closets, nursery and stores
They are all quite clean and neat, but
it is the living room alone that is
open to inspection. 1t is large, bare
floored, low ceiled and invariably
smelling of smoke All the chairs :
main stifiy set against the wall, anG
there are none of those pretty trifleS
of female art which we are accus
toned to consider as marking a wo
mans presence. Embroidery, china
painting, even novel reading, have lit
tie or no place in Katias life. There
is no library in her house, probably
not a dozen books all told Newspa
pers are to be had at the club, not at
home; and the only picture is that OF
a saint in a gaudy brass frame
From breakfast to dinner the house
wife is occupied with household cares
principally scrubbing, washing anG
putting the rooms in order. 1t is al
ready hot and close, and she moves
about methodically and without ia
tiguing herself more than she can help
Dinner is had at l or in the after
noon and as soon as the meal is over
and the table secured she is done with
the household worries of the day. Nc
matter what her social station may be
it is the same; before midafternoor
her day is done There is no more
Homework to attend to until the next
morning.
Arrayed in the fashions which were
becoming to her mother and grand
daily constitutional" Fashions ar
rive somewhat late from the shores
of the we'll dressed outer world, ant
she has to be content And she is O
the tennessee dOreei Still she is by M