SKETCHES OF A PECULIAR PEOPLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 73

SKETCHES OF A PECULIAR PEOPLE.

By " M.vorilaxda."

Author of " A Honeymoon and Reprisal 1 -," " Roquebruna," " Mm," etc , ttc.

(For the Witness )

HI-UXCLE SAM'S DAUGHTERS

American women are nothing if not ingenious. When they are suddenly forced out into tlie arena of life they seem t.o find no lack of paths open before them.

Besides the profession of foot-pad which they are exploiting at present, three men. having been successfully "held-up" by a, single armed woman a few weeks ago, they have entered various other grooves.

Though domestic help, hi the oidinary sense of the woid. is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain, you can easily secure a variety of assistants. A "urofetsioiul

duster" will visit yonr home at stated hours, the clockr-winder will follow her, and later on in the day the plant waterer will make hei appearance on her daily round. As for less mundane matters, you can hire a charming American to visit the nursery and tell fairy stories to the children for the modest sum of 2s an hour- - one wonders how the delicate myths fare, when brought into the dollar scale.

For fivepence you can have your boots shined by a feminine bootblack, and for a coin just as modest in proportion you can have your hair cut, or even a shave, if you are willing to take the dak. A trust is being formed in this as in all other trades, and a, strenuous effort is being made to congregate all "the female stars of the tonsorial profession beneath one roof," as the frequent advertisements say. Cupid has followed the swish of the ladies' skirts, and .has enthroned himself on the barbers' blocks in Chicago. A short time ago a jealous husband, having an hour to spare, walked in to see hovr his too fascinating wife was progressing with her numerous customers. As a result, the ever-ready revolvers were drawn and shots flew. It was a busy hour in the day the chairs were full; but every occupant sprang up, towels, lather, and all, and dashed frantically out into the State street. One charming lady has realised that life is too short to permit of sriiflicient time being spared from calls, shopping, and the necessary conduct of the toilette to enable Chicagoans to read, study, and inwardly digest the fiction of the great masters. Wishing to supply this need, she has started what is literally a "Society of Condensers," though she prefers to describeherself as a "re-erc-ator of the great Inasters," and guarantees to give the essence of such works as "The Tale of Two Cities ' or Hugo's "Les Miserables" in the amazing space of two hours. The last-mentioned book has cost 20 years of labour before she could present it to her satisfaction in the given tini2— "But Victor is so verbose !"

Who but one of Uncle Sam's daughters voiild think of claiming no less a. sum than £1000 because some other woman had alienated the affections of her pup dog? Could any but an American woman claim and get a divorce on the ground that her husband wore a wig? Or because he came borne with a singie 'blonde hair on his sleeve? Yet these were the only ciimes nece.ssary on the husband's part to enable the wives to obtain instant freedom — one in (lie record space of six minute"!

To my knowledge tliere has only been one case in the States during some considerable time when a plea for divorce failed, nnd in this instinre it was the husband who desired it. His young wife would persist in feeding him on "unholy and distasteful concoctions.'' The judge, however, held that she had 9 perfect right to feed him on what ,«he chose, especially a\ hen she tearfully admitted they were ''love potions" — he had not kissed her as warmly lately as he had done during the first few weeks of their matrimonial venture.

Another case still hangs in the balance when this article goes to press. A certain d;ime in Ohio is suing her husband for a divorce on the novel ground that he is jealous of the family cat ! — a four-legged animal, permit me to add.