Farm life -- Indiana -- Fiction; Indiana -- Fiction; Sex role -- Fiction
"For eighteen years I have been under marching orders," said Kate.
"Over a year ago I was advised by a minister to 'take the wings of
morning' so I took wing. I started on one grand flight and fell
ker-smash in short order. Life since has been a series of battering my
wings until I have almost decided to buy some especially heavy boots,
and walk the remainder of the way. As a concrete example, I started
out yesterday morning wearing a hat that several very reliable parties
assured me would so assist me to flight that I might at least have a
carriage. Where, oh, where are my hat and my carriage now? The
carriage, non est! The hat--I am humbly hoping some little country
girl, who has lived a life as barren as mine, will find the remains and
retrieve the velvet bow for a hair-ribbon. As for the man that Leghorn
hat was supposed to symbolize, he won't even look my way when I appear
in my bobby little sailor. He's as badly crushed out of existence as
my beautiful hat."
"You never should have been wearing such a hat to travel in, my dear,"
murmured Mrs. Jardine.
"Certainly not!" said Kate. "I knew it. My sister told me that.
Common sense told me that! But what has that got to do with the fact
that I WAS wearing the hat? I guess I have you there!"
"Far from it!" said Mrs. Jardine. "If you're going to start out in
life, calmly ignoring the advice of those who love you, and the
dictates of common sense, the result will be that soon the wheels of
life will be grinding you, instead of a train making bag-rags of your
hat."
"Hummm!" said Kate. "There IS food for reflection there. But wasn't
it plain logic, that if the hat was to bring the man, it should be worn
where at any minute he might see it?"
"But my dear, my dear! If such a man as a woman like you should have,
had seen you wearing that hat in the morning, on a railway train, he
would merely have thought you prideful and extravagant. You would have
been far more attractive to any man I know in your blue sunbonnet."
"I surely have learned that lesson," said Kate. "Hereafter, sailors or
sunbonnets for me in the morning. Now what may I do to add to your
comfort?"
"Leave me for an hour until I take a nap, and then we'll have lunch and
go to a lecture. I can go to-day, perfectly well, after an hour's
rest."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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