146 OBSERVATIONS OF A RANCHWOMAN 



been a pleasure to her to handle pretty things. 

 In fact, she has probably wasted time in 

 twiddling a silk scarf to suit her, or arranging 

 bric-a-brac to carry out some idea of her own, 

 and also not improbably has gathered flowers 

 and set them in a vase with some show of 

 taste. The American woman, on the con- 

 trary, and as she is known here, would have 

 made of this cleaning nothing but a task, her 

 mind very likely only occupied in comparing 

 your humble matting and rugs with the velvet- 

 pile of her own past glories ; or handling with 

 scorn, and perhaps shattering, a piece of old 

 china on which you set some store. Nothing 

 will be put where it belongs, and will not be, 

 should she clean the room a dozen times ; 

 and as for arranging flowers 



Yet even she the great, impossible She- 

 has her exceptions. 



That the native woman must be caught 

 and induced to work remains nevertheless 

 true. Strange to say, mere offers of money 

 will not do it. It is possible that she 

 wants to see before she believes, and while 

 promising to come again and again, it may 

 be weeks, if ever, ere she materializes. 



