The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-01-22

difference still marked character
istic of the sex. The Merry Widow
hat had its prototype in the Seven
teenth century when 1t was said, "tht
women may sometimes sleep and
/ none know by reason of their enorm
GUS bonnets."
4 Mr.. Whiting doth pleasantly say
from the pulpit, The doth seem to be
preaching to stacks of straw with
men among them"
| There were pulpit thunderings
against dress and massive epithets as
"nugiperous, perquisquilian, ill-shap-
en- shotten, undistertian, futulous,
oyerturcased," which make Lewis
Carrolps 'frabjous'' seem tame; and
John Eliot depressed from his work
among the Indians TO preach against
"prolix locks which he labeled "a
luxurious protexity.'
| Roger Williams instructed the
women of his parish to wear wells
when they appeared in public; but
John Cotton, who rarely agreed with
him, took occasion one Sunday morn
ing to prove to. them that wells were
an indication of undue subsection 10
their husbands, and in the Afternoon
the fair Puritans appeared with faces
bare.
To step for a moment into the next
century, 1863, the church in
Andover openly put to vote whether
the parish disapprove of the female
sex sitting with their hats on in the
westinghouse in time or divine serv-
ice." The parish disapproved, but
there is no record Of any effect fol-
lowing.
Another town voted that it was the
Towns mind" that the women
should take off their bonnets and
hang them on the peggs," but the
historian adds, "the owns mind was
not Woman's mind"
These may seem trivial details of
the life of theperiod, but they are full
of significance.
The beginnings of Boston were
life-giving; for it is recorded that the
site was selected in 1880 because Of
"a sweet and pleasant spring" 1t
began by being hygienic, and the
amiability of its waters exhaled in
the air ineradicably.
Life was not all hardship and the
years brought a certain luxury and
gayety to the growing towns. We
can imagine it night like this when
Israel Fearing rode in on horseback
from Agawame, and toward the
close Of day saw from Roxbury Neck
the steeples of Boston, it's harbors
lively with vessels, and as he neared
the town, gallows at the gate.
Within he found great contrast to
the quiet scenes Of Agawame. "The
streets were paved with cobblestones
and were thronged with hackney
coaches, sedan chairs, four-horse
shays and calashes, in some of which
gaily dressed people were riding, the
horses being driven by their negro
slaves; while gentlemen on saddle
horses paced by him. He
noticed with amazement the stately
brick houses and their pleasant gar
dens, in which pear-trees and peach
trees were blooming. In the Mall,
gentlemen dressed in embroidered
coats, satin waistcoats, silken hose
and full wigs, were taking an after
dinner stroll with ladies who were at
tired in bright silk and furbelowed
scarfs, and adorned with artificial
flowers, and patches on their
cheeks"
1t is like a French painting, this
view of lightsome life before the
dark days of the revolution; those
days of Concord, of Lexington and
Bunker Hill. But those were the
days that proved the heritage of a
pioneer spirit, for the granddaughter
possessed with great womanliness, the
strength and undaun.ed courage of
their fathers and brothers, and they
had learned the power of self trust.
From these women came Hannah
Adams, the first New England woman
to adopt literature as profession;
Mercy Warren, the brilliant scholar
and patriot, and Abigail Adams, who
was called the Cornelia of the Reyo-
luton, as Mercy Warren was called
its Portia.
Yet at this time, and long after,
educational advantages were impos-
sible to women, and there was moth
ing to foreshadow the great coming
change in their position.
In concluding this brief journey,