The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1914-05-13
WOMEN OF POLAND
More Ardent Than the Men In
Their Love For Their Country.
TOLL AGES PEASANT GIRLS

gard Before They Reach Thirty
Charms of the Women of the Uppel
Glasses.
Woman occupies position of I'M
usual prominence in Poland Some
place her as superior to man in nearly
every way. In the various conspracies
and in the revolutions against Russia
Polish women have had an important
part. Many have given up all their
worldly goods iD the cause of their
country. while others have fought on
the field of battle and lost their lives in
the same cause. Still others have gone
into exile without u. murmur They
are capable OF any sacrifice for patriot.
ism, and they prove their sincerity by
their actions. The women are still the
most Jealous patriots. and 1t is due to
them more than the other sex that
patriotic feeling Is still SO intense.
Thus writes Nevin O. Winter in his
POLAND of Today and Yesterday
The Polish women. he continues,
nave always been noted for their beau.
~ and the perfect shape Of their hands
and feet They take part Ia all the so
cial affairs. and&no festival Is complete
without their presence They are ex-
tremely good linguists. and nearly all
speak two or three languages In War
saw l met one young woman of nine
teen, or twenty summers, just out of
school. who spoke russian. German.
French and English almost as fiuently
as her native Polish This is not an
uncommon accomplishment.
The women do not enjoy the social
freedom of the American girls. as the
chaperon is still necessity to protect
the good name of gilt They are
never left unprotected Marriages are
made in much the same manner as In
France, and the contracting parties
frequently know little about each other
before they are joined fer better or
worse.
The will of my honored parents has
ever been a sacred law to me-" says
the Polish girl. with resignation. When
a messenger came with proposal of
marriage If a goose was served with
dark gravy at dinner or n pumpkin
was put In the carriage aS he was leav-
ing this meant that the offer was posi-
lively refused He was treated to
goose fricassee" was an expression
frequently heard in the olden days.
10 iSh - = 1,
es are undoubtedly charming and pos
sessed of the graces of true womanli.
ness. Perhaps it is the possession of
these womanly qualities and the alb.
sence Of the masculine elements
wherein lies their real charm A pen
Gil or brush is certainly better me-
dunn than a pen to portray such at
tractive types Of womanhood
The lot of the peasant woman. how
ever, is especially hard, rs 1t is with
all Slav races, and this lis noticeable
throughout all the Polish provinces.
They do more than their full share of |
the family work Sometimes one will |
see more women in the ficids than men.
and Kaleidoscope effect of color is
then visible. Blue green. yellow. gold
and silver are mingled in various com
binations. They pin up the overskirt.
which leaves bright petticoat exposed
to view
Woman is valued chiefly for the
work she can do. aud she Is expected
to bear a large family OF children as
well. For man to say that his wife
does more work than horse or two
horses is considered the acme OF
praise. 1t is no wonder that a girl
naturally attractive soon grows old
and haggard. Hard work. with little
pleasure, the care Of n numerous fam
lily and no regard FOR personal attrac-
ton must inevitably leave their mark
before many years: hence it is that
many Of these Polish women look bag
gard and old even before they have
passed the third decade Ut life.
There are indeed, few bright spots
in Polish peasant girls life after
marriage. In their youth some of tho
girls are very attractive. and they
look quite charming ia their pictur-
esque national costumes that are still
in Galicia. They generally !
go barefoOted in slinner, for boots
cost money. Sometimes they will
carry their boots when going to church /,
and only put them on just before en-.
tering the sanctuary.
do women work on the railroads rs
section hands?' | asked Il fellow pas .
senger ON the railway in Galicia.
had seen groups of woInen 8long the
track with pick and shovel in hand. {
but could scarcely believe that they
lid the hard work Of that occupation.
Yes. and they do the work better
han the men," he replied
At Cracow ! have seen them carry
Dg mortar for the masohs and plaster
RS where new buildings are being
erected. They were spading the dow
n beds in the parks aud were doing
he work as well as the masculine 9
'verseer could have done it, They i
lang paper or paint house 1t did ]
Tot make any difference neither there
we're three or dozen women working y
ogethcr. there was always one man n
Who did nothing but act as oparseer /
Along the roads they may be seen :.
ARRIVING heavy bundles or pushing
oaded wheelbarrows Everywhere