Chiquita, an American Novel: The Romance of a Ute Chief's DaughterTileston, Merrill
General
Chiquita, an American Novel: The Romance of a Ute Chief's Daughter
Tileston, Merrill
Indian women -- Fiction; Ute Indians -- Fiction
And Mr. Dunbar took his departure with Chiquita. In her diary Chiquita
entered this: "Visited the most horrible dens of vice imaginable, the
refinement of educated debauchery, literally sitting in the lap of
political lechery, hurling defiance at virtue, decency and
respectability."
During her hospital career Chiquita had many experiences outside of the
varied occurrences in the life of a nurse, which added to rather than
detracted from the perplexities of civilizing her people. These other
scenes enacted in the great empire of industry swept all minor
attractions away, leaving a dreadful negative photographed indelibly
upon her sensitive mind, whose films reproduced with startling detail
not only the foreground of drastic events, but the background
reproduction of unswerving determination on the part of political
demagoguery which brought ruination to millions of people and even
threatened the financial fabric of the entire world; a photograph more
in accord with the despotic days of fiddling Nero than those of advanced
civilization under the constitution of the new republic.
While waiting for a car that would take her to the hospital, Chiquita
noticed numbers of men in rather shabby attire approach better clad
individuals and after a little conversation each would go his way. In
some instances the better dressed speaker put his hand in his pocket and
handed the other a coin. Then the latter waited a time before accosting
another and then another. Oftener would the better dressed individual
shake his head, even savagely repulsing the appeal of his less fortunate
brother. One of these solicitors-at-alms, for such they were, approached
Chiquita, and as she presented no frowning or repellant mien, he
politely doffed his cap and explained in a few words his mission.
"Pardon me, lady, I am unfortunate, I am out of work and have no place
to sleep tonight. I have three cents; for five cents I can get a bed.
Will you give me a penny? I will get another somewhere."
Closely scanning the man's face she saw not the hardened lines of
dissipation, not the pallor of the convict nor the attenuated features
of a cripple, but a young man in good health, decently clad, though in
rather threadbare clothing. Chiquita had seen hundreds of men brought
into the hospital of all grades and callings and had become an adept as
a student of human nature. The man before her did not shift his eyes nor
stand irresolute, but the mournful voice and drooping mouth told only
too plainly that discouraging, despondent tale thrust so suddenly upon a
prosperous nation in 1893.
"Why are you without work?" asked Chiquita.
"Canceled orders and help laid off indefinitely," replied the young man.
"Why were the orders canceled?"
"I don't know exactly, but Wall street and free silver had something to
do with it."
"Had you no money saved up to fall back upon at such a time?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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