St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-05-02


never had much Of a chance to read
them, for I've had to work out ever
since I was Is. But in novels, you
know, the girl is always beautiful, and
always dressed in shimmering satin
and lace; and the man generally
meets her behind bank OF palms at
ball, and they wind the thing up in
a garden of roses just as the sun goes
down. And, as he clasps her slender,
dropping form in his arms, and she
lays her golden head on his manly
bosom, always wonder how much
of that clasping business theren be
when he sees her with her golden
hair done up In curl papers and last
weeks calico dress on?
And, you know, that makes lots OF
difference. Now, I'm not bit pretty,
but when I'm dressed up you'd be sur
prised. My hairs dark, and it's ma
turally stra: hit and oily and wants to
lay right fat to my head. But when
I've washed it good and curled it just
the least bit and snarled 1t into POM
padour back and front there's not one
person in a dozen but would say the
whole thing is nature. Then my COM
plexion is kind of dark, but I've found
out how to use Princess cream and
rice powder SO 1t won't show. And |
know just what kind Of styles and col
ors to wear. So, when I'm dressed up
in my brown, tight-dtting, tailor suit,
with furs and hat all to match-thc
whole thing simple and elegant and
not a bit like hired giri-and I'm
with crowd of girls and we meet a
maxwell, he never looks at the
others.
But, when I get home and change
my tailored broadcloth for an old blue
calico with patch on the front, when
the powder wears OFF and my hair be
gins to wilt and get stringy, then l
guess a man wouldn't turn his head
unless it was to keep from looking at
me.
Then why don't just keep fixed up
all the time? Because / don't have
time. When girl gets up at four,
gets breakfast, milks five cows, puts
out big washing, gets dinner, churns,
does the ironing, gets supper and then
mows the yard while she's resting,
there's not much time for poInping
your hair. And when saw couldn't
work and keep pretty, both, ! chose
to work. And never worried anything
about it-not till l met Isaac.
He's school teacher, and an awful
fine scholar, too. He graduated from
common branches, and he's spent two
whole terms In the county normal.
He's been teaching district school for
seven years now--every year in diff,
ferent place.
He talks whole lot about his pro
fession," and about "the child" and
the ''child's mental growth" and 'iu,
tellectual processes" and lot of other
things I can't understand. He's told
me, too,. that it takes a great deal Of
courage for man to recognize his af
finity-whatever that means-amone
the lower classes, when his calling in
life is to be brain worker and great
leader among men.
|
he's the most fnicky fellow I ever
went with. They say it takes him fif
teen minutes to comb his hair, and he
can't put on his hat without looking
glass. When get into big stew Of
work forget all about how / look
but Isaac never gets SO deep in a:
that. Last summer, when help was sc
scarce here in the country, and the
men just working their heads off tc
get harvesting done, and Isaac was
sitting around at home studying intel
lectual processes, John Winters here
that's the woman's man | work for
he asked Isaac to help him Ant
Isaac helped one forenoon. And the!
said he wore gloves all the time AM
when he come into the field he wa.
carrying an umbrella over him.
/ went with him all the next winter
and by spring he was coming herr
twice week regular. / used to spent
nearly two hours beforehand gettins
ready for him, and he would just taxi
spells over my-my-looks; but al
the time felt kind of uneasy.
At last one night when he was try
ing to make me promise him, sure,
just up and says:
Isaac" says l, you don't know me
You think I'm pretty, and I'm not"
why aren't you pretty, Matilda?
says he. Tie always says aren't
and 'isnt.") Haven't you the mos
beautiful hair that was ever on
woman's head? Isn't your skin lik
the petals Of a lily? Aren't your teetl
like pearls?"
mo, sir" says I, they amt! ]
takes me half an hour to do up m
hair so it looks like it's naturally flu
fy. These pearls you're talking abou
most of 'em cost three dollars apiece
and my lily skin comes out of col
cream jar and a powder box My eye
is the real thing, but if there was an
way of changing EN- I'd be a doin
it."
He seemed sort of dazed for mil
ute, but at last he says:
"Well, Matilda, even if your bodil
charms are not all-er-real, those
your character are. And love, Matt
da, is not dependent on the physica
Love Is spiritual thing. 1t is con
munion Of souls.
That all sounded nice, but still
didn't feel just right about It, But
told him I'd give him an answer til
next afternoon when he was TO CON
and take me out buggy-riding.
1 didn't sleep much that night.
seemed to me I had come to the plac
where the path divided, and l couIdn
tell which way l was going to trave