Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-12-27
,135e New Year
Dreamer

A woman fell asleep, one New Years
eve, and dreamed a strange dream.
| And when she woke, she told a neigh.
Dor about 1t, in some such words as
these:
II thought l was In q strange coun.'
try" she said, (which belonged to US
all. There was no king. And |
thought that in that country shoes
were ready-mnde, not fashioned
clumsily Of feathers, as W. fashion
them now, and that the flax was all
spun for us. and the flour all ground.
thought that the very cows were
MIXED without our aid, and that Wa
lived In cities with clean paycments
between clean, bright houses, and tina.
milk and meat and bread and eggs
We're brought to our doors, day after
day. l thought that there was some.
thing called gus, that made II cook
Ing clean and quick. and things called
cars that carried us safely from placS
to place.
"And In MY dream we were all
taught, taught to read AMI even 10
write, as only the scribes do now, and
that we read books, books abour
strange things and wonderful places
and saw ptctures-the greatest In the
world land that we could hear music
whenever we chose. And there We're
wise doctors to keep us well. and to
give us magic sleep in our pain.
"But'best of all" she said, in a 1o1
tone still tinged with the radiance of
her dream, "best of all, was that the
children were safe. There were no
mobiles to seize our girls for their own
pleasure. and to send VI boys like
cattle into the wars. No mar could
Kill another, and even women were Of
value, and children We're beloved. 1t
seemed to me Il world of peace, and
sunshine and safety"
"fou dreamed Of heaven !" said the
listener, her i%ncredulous laughter
changed to wistful awe. Tie other
sighed and shook her head.
NO. she said sadly, "for In that
country they were all mad!"
"Mad?' came the astonished echo.
We'll, better our hardships than such
state. Better the village we'll that
poisons our children and the lax that
holds our men In bondage. aud the pes
licences that sweep us! Better the
dark houses, and the smoking coal
hres. the heats of summer and the
freezing winters, better even the agony
and terror Of bearing, unhelped. But
tell. how were they mad?"
"They do not see the sunshine. they
10 not hear the music, and they do
not taste their freedom" said the
dreamer. "Their thoughts are chained
to little things-the stitches in a skirt.
the chopped nuts that must 70 into
q dish they cook, the shape Of a chair.
They long for idleness-.who have
nothing to do! They long for pleas
ure, who live in n world that might be
heaven! They look at this one enyi-
ously because She can come and 20 to
another city Mt will and ut that one
enviously because her picture is print
ed in the books they read. They weep
because they must buy flax spun on
their side Of the ocean rather tl,an that
which comes to them in shlpsn and
they weep because the papers they
have pasted on the walls Of their
rooms are too green or too blueW
"Mad-quite madw agreed the
n%eighbor, struck. ibid they live long
ago?"
mo, their time has not yet Gomez
the dreaming woma answered, "They
Will not live for another thousand
years. They will spring from US, who
live and work ind die without the
touch Of fine linen on our bodies, or
the help Of u single hand with the
planting and roasting and spinning and
brewing, the bearing and rearing. We
are their mothers, who will never rend
a book or write a letter, or enter q
playhouse. Lot us make them a New
Years wish. that their eyes mny be
opened and that they may see@
They knelt down together.-Kath
Ieen Norris in Pictorial Rox,ou, 3IN M