Panama and the canal in picture and prose .. . ils the child the rod isseldom spared. When shegets to be seventeen or so thegirl suddenly disappears inthe night, with a bundle ofher clothing. The inevitableman has crossed her path andshe has gone to be his com-panion and slave. When you think of it thereis not much economic changein her situation. She workedfor her mistress for nothing—she does the same for her hus-band, or more commonly forher friend. He may workspasmodically for her whenthe need of actual money com-pels, but as a rule she is the wage earner. Always she tends the little garde
Panama and the canal in picture and prose .. . ils the child the rod isseldom spared. When shegets to be seventeen or so thegirl suddenly disappears inthe night, with a bundle ofher clothing. The inevitableman has crossed her path andshe has gone to be his com-panion and slave. When you think of it thereis not much economic changein her situation. She workedfor her mistress for nothing—she does the same for her hus-band, or more commonly forher friend. He may workspasmodically for her whenthe need of actual money com-pels, but as a rule she is the wage earner. Always she tends the little gardenand takes its slender produce to market. Some-times she joins the coal-bearing Amazons down atthe steamship docks. Often she goes back to thefamily which brought her up and offers her services anew—this time for a wage. Every house has twoor three boxes a few feet away serving for servantsquarters, but a girl of this type will decline these,renting instead a shack in a yard, taking theredaily the materials for her dinner usually provided. ONE WAY OF CARRYING BANANAS At the docks of the United Fruit Co., mechanical carriers, so perfected as not to bruise thefruit, have replaced the leisurely negro by her mistress. At its door, in a brazier, or a tinystove, she will cook the meal for the idle husbandand the children who arrive with mechanical regular-ity. After supper there is the gossip of the dozenor more women in the yard. 22 PANAMA AND THE CANAL The rebuilding of Kingston, compelled by theearthquake, is proceeding apace. The town willlose much in quaintness, one can see that by theruins of some of the older structures in which statelycolonial outlines can be traced. But it will gainin adaptation to the climate and the ever-present
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Keywords: ., bookauthorabbotwil, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1913
