The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-02-27
TOLL AGES PEASANT GIRLS.

Hard and Rough Laborine Work
Makes Them Appear Old and Hag.
gard Before They Reach Thirty.
Charms of the Women of the Upper
Classes.
Woman occupies position of I'm
usual prominence in Poland. Some
place her rs superior to man In nearly
every way In the various conspiracies
and in the revolutions against Russia
Polish women have bad an important
worldly goods in 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 a 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 70
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
sy and the perfect shape of their hands
and feet They take part in all the so
cial affairs, and no festival is complete
without their presence They are ex
tremely good iinguists. and nearly all
speak two or three languages In War
saw | met one young woman OF nine
teen or twenty summers. just out OF
school, who spoke Russian. German.
French and English almost as huently
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 10 protect
the good name of girl 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 for better or
worse
The will OF my honored parents has
the Polish girl with resignation When
a messenger came with proposal of
marriage If a goose was served with
dark gravy at dinner or Il pumpkin
was put in the carriage as he was leav-
ing this meant that the offer was posi-
lively refused He was treated to a
goose fricaSSee was an expression
frequently heard in the olden days.
The Polish women of the upper class
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 pen
ell or brush is certainly better me
dium than IA pen 10 portray such at
tractive types of womanhood
The lot of the peasant woman. now
ever, is especially hard. as II is With
all Sav races. and this is 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 fields than men
and a 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. and she is expected
to bear a large family OF children as
well. For a man to say that his wife
does more work than a horse or two
horses is considered the acme OF
praise 1t is no wonder that girl
naturally attractive soon grows old
and haggard Hard work, with little
pleasure, the care of "A numerous fam
lily and no regard for personal attrac.
tion must inevitably leave their mark
before many years; hence 1t is that
many of these Polish women look hag
gard and old even before they have
passed the third decade Of life.
There are. indeed. few bright spots
in a Polish peasant girls life after
marriage In their youth some of the
girls are very attractive, and they
look quite charming in their pictur'
esque national costumes that are still
common in Galicia They generally
go barefooted in summer. 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.
$40 women work on the railroads as
section hands?' asked fellow pas
senger ON the railway in Galicia.
had seen groups OF women along the
track with pick and shovel In hand
but could scarcely believe that they
did the hard work of that occupation.
Yes. and they do the work better
than the men, be replied.
At Cracow have seen them carry
ing mortar for the masons and plaster
ers where new buildings are being
erected. They were spading the flow
er beds In the parks and were doing
the work as well as the masculine
oyerseer could have done It, They
hang paper or paint house 1t die
not make any difference whether there
were three or a dozen women working
together. there was always one mai
who did nothing hut act as overseer
Along the roads they may be seer
carrying heavy tF1dles or pushini