The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-13
American Women. Drudges

sidered by the writer to be the only
liberty enjoyed by the American wo-
man--that OF drudgery.
| Tho article Is ono written by q keen
observer of people and conditions. 1t
s sa IN part; Upon the woman un-
In whatever circumstances she is
| placed. home: and a home if it
means means anything Nti at at all is not nero
eeuately adapted foP the pleasure and
S S9mp n1ssdas English s,i living In the mid
admit that tho English know more
| about homes.
In the frst place. they. understand
family, must have certain isola-
ton ton. Civic pride and democratic
has sea TORN a9n vr hedges in
the street. free to the gaze of the
general passerby.
The American woman thus suffers
from external publicity and the pene-
| tration of public noise. Secondly, she
cepes year by year with instability
or the home life. No American woman
next year tho cook and maid she train
ed this year. There is no such thing
as pride in place long held and a
worthy: Therefore, every woman who
Il Is at the, head of a house is not only
general overseer. but she 10 on oc-
|
housemaid. .seamstress. mother, wife.
hostess and lady; separately she is each
OF these, and the demand upon her
frequently is that she be ali stimuli
taneously.
This drudgery of the American wo-
man which grows out of the insta-
oility OF service and the publicity OF
home life is aggravated by q total lack
Of simple and wholesome pleasures
The total separation of the tastes {.
nowhere so marked as in America.
Indeed II is most interesting to see
In American gatherings, excepting such
as are formed for young folk OF mar
stinctive Is the clustering of the wo-
men in one corner for one kind OF talk
and of the men in another for another
kind of talk.
There is no doubt about It, what
ever men marry for, women marry for
companionship, and the American wo-
man gets less companionship from her
husband than any woman IN the CIV
llized world He has business interests
TO the exclusion of artistic or intellec-
tual Interests. If mans life interest
be art or literature. he only wants to
speak of his pursuits with profession
ais, So the habit of conversation is
is long since dead.
add to this the fact that the mid
Ole class American woman is the most
heavily convention ridden woman on
the face of the reath. and It Is seen
that her Wanted liberty is. after all,
but matter Of slight scope"
Mary Johnston's war book. The
Long Roll pays tribute to the pass
Ing. of Turner Ashby's heroic spirit
with bated breath and dimming eve,
SO great is the power OF the writer
In taking the mind back TO the days
win It.
she says of Ashby: He lay at mid
night in a room OF an old house OF
FORT RepubliC. They had In n ira
upon narrow bed. an old, single
four,poster?, with tester and valance.
The village women had brought
flowers: of these there was no lack
All the blossoms of June were heaped
about him. He lay in uniform, upon
beside him, his sword in his hand His
staff watched in the room. seated with
bowed heads beside the open win
dow.
IAN hour before the dawn some ons
spoke to the sentry without the door.
then gently turned the handle and
ep6es sp the st endmeer The watchers
leave General Ashby and me alone to-
sether for little while. gentlemen
said the visitor. The officers filed out.
The last one turning softly TO close the
door. saw Jackson kneel.
From Port Republic, by Browns
Gap. over the Blue Ridge into Abe
marie, moved Ashby's funeral cortege.
The dead generals mother was in Win
chester. They would have taken him
there, but, could not for Freemon's
army was between So as seemed next
most fit. they carried him across the
mountains into Alhemarle. to the Uni
yHeir ra y Of, Of Virsinia At the top OF tho
the soldiers heard the cannon OF Cross
Keys. and with a glass made out the
battle smoke.
Then down and down they wound,
from the cool. blowing air OF the
heights into the warm June region of
red roads. shady trees and clear
| n ms tah haa -. h.
ries, old houses and gardens.
AT Meechum's station. on the Vir-
ginia Central Railroad the coffin made
at Port Republic. was lifted flom the
, ambulance out of bed of fading
. flowers. 1t was wrapped in a bat
tlehag. The. crowd bowed it's head
An old minister lifted a trembling
hand, 'God-this thy servant The
women brought their lilies, their great
, sprays OF citron aloes The bell rang
] slowly and tollingly. The train moved
toward Charlottesville. and the little
crowd OF country folk was left in
the June sunshine with the empty am
bulance.
, In the gold afternoon, the bell slow
~ ringing. the train crept into Char
lottesville, For en- hour the body lay
rotunda OF the university that Jeffer-
, son had built. Soldiers and civilians
women and children, passing before the
bier, looked upon the marble face and
the hand that clasped the sword Then,
/ toward sunset. the coffin lid was closed,
the bearers took the coffin up. the
Dead March" began again. and all
moved toward the churchyard beyond
the university"
Basket OF the Dny.
Into the basket of thy day
Put each thing good and each thing
That thou canst find along thy way
: Neglest no joy however small,
And 1t shall verify befall
Thy day can scarcely hold them ALI
Within the basket of thy day
Let nothing evil find its way,
And let no frets and worries stay.
SO shall each day be brave and fair,
, Holding Of Joy its happy share.