Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-03

learning from stupid DOCKS OF learn
ing how to sew, cook and keep house.
AS she lay there meditating upon her
own hard lot, slight stir was heard
at her door and before she realized
that visitor was calling upon her the
door opened and in stalked the most
creature she had ever
beheld He was tall. gaunt and had
hair growing close over his wild eyes.
Over his chest was worn the skin of
some sort Of animal Over his shoulder
was flung a great club. He glared
about and seeing Ethel went direct to
the side of her bed. II have come
for YOU" he said, showing great fang
like teeth rs he grinned on her.
..but-who are you?" asked Ethel
in great fear.
Il belong to tribe OF people who
live to enjoy and not to work. he ex-
planned 1--WE stay just as we are
born. and we live like savages.'
''Why, you really must be a saw
age remarked Ethel. Then she fell
to trembling. for the great hairy crea-
ture came closer to her. Come on,
he said in hoarse, rough voice. 1--WE
don't wait on folks"
Ethel drew back and covered her
head. But g. pair of rough hands
seized hold of her and she was dragged
from her bed, Once in the clutches
of the horrible creature she tainted. or
at least she felt that her senses had
left her. But after little she felt cool
air on her face and then she opened
her eyes to find herself beneath on
open sky. The snow was falling
lightly, and about her on the ground
crouched strengthening creatures.
all with savage faces partly covered
with long hair. Ethel gave vent to a
scream of fear. and arose to depart,
but a wild woman caught and held her.
"You belong to. u.s. cried the wild
woman pulling at Eth, Vs white night
robe. Take this civilized thing on
and put on skim
.Where will find a skin asked
Ethel, shivering from cold.
go catch 2 wild animal and kill 1t,
explained the woman. Eat its flesh
and wear it's skin. That's our way
here in the uncivilized world"
"But l cant catch wild beast,
shuddered Ethel. "And did succeed
in doing so I could not eat its flesh
unless it was prepared for cooking"
whats cooking?" asked the wild
woman. Ethel tried to explain. It's
done in an oven and on stove in
which there is fire. The old woman
laughed in a terrible way. Whats
q stove and an oven and what Is fire?'
she asked. Again Ethel tried to ex-
plain, but the creature could not under
stand her. why don't you have any
houses or buildings of any kind to live
in?" she asked.
eve live as we are born.' said the
woman "And we live close to the
ground on which we belong. We don't
work nor learn. It's foolish. It tires
one. | know, because there's a boy
here who left the world Of work and
learning, as he calls it, and came to
us to rest
where is he?" asked Ethel, a hope
in her heart that there might be an
other civilized being in that awful
place.
Here I am spoke a voice. and
Ethel saw boyish person rise up and
stand before her. Like the other saw
ages. he was clothed only in the rudely
dressed skin of wild beast and hair
was beginning to grow low over his
forehead. His face, too. was becom-
ing heavy and harsh from contract
with his companions.
Il came from your world explained
the youth. "And like it here for one
never works or studies here. We know
only to kill to eat. And If one OF our
tribe offends off comes his head
sAnd are there no homes here? No
happy families, like my own asked
Ethel.
s.No, and neither are there books or
music or art said the youth. these
people know of only eating, sleeping
and fighting. They have no duties save
the duty to flght in self-defense. They
never tire themselves with studies,
with music, with homes and with civil
ization."
Ethel shuddered. Somehow she had
never felt so terribly miserable in all
her life as she felt at this minute. And
once she had thought how nice it would
be to live just as she had been born,
without cultivation or industry. She
had been a lazy, conceited little girl,
condemning the great and good and
longing for the bad. Oh, how foolish
she had been. ANU her music! 1t was
so delightful. SO helpful! And here she
was, cut off from books and piano and