Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-04-20

IS, that / am called away to New ofk by
/ business, which willdetain methe full length
Of his stay. So you will have to entertain
him yourself Mind and play your cards
well, and shall expect to find the marriage
day fixed when / return
20 dear, what shall do with the horrid
man for whole week ~
Il dare say you will be dead in love with
| him by the time | get back You may re-
member me to him when he arrives, and tell
him how much | regret not being here TO
welcome him. =
That night Matilda kept awake for some
time, concocting plan which might offend
/ the prejudices of the expected visitor, and
throw the burden of refusal upon him.
| For she well knew that if he once proposed,
her uncle would be seriously angry If she
rejected him, and very possibly would cary
out the the threat to which he had given
utteIance.
1t was about twelve clock the next day,
| that a tall young man, of serious aspect,
assembled Mr.. Parker front steps, and rang
the bell He was ushered into the drawing
room, where after waiting half an hour, he
was joined by Matilda.
The young lady was by no means looking
her best. her hair was loosely arranged,
her collar was awry, and there was very
perceptible stain of ink upon her finger.
Mr.. Jenkins, presume. she remark
ed.
The gentleman bowed and looked curious
| " at his entertainer.
And / presume am addressing Miss
Parker
Our heroine inclined her head in the afir-
NATIVE.
| ''I hope your respected uncle is well said
Stephen Jenkins in the measured tone of
q young man who was old beyond his years.
| i would not marry such stiff old poke
| for the world, was the not over compli-
mentary reflection of Matilda.
my uncle regrets very much not being
able to meet you" she said, in answer to
| his question, "but he is called away to New
| York by business. | trust, however, that
| | shall be able to entertain you.
That | do not question, said the visitor
| with a slow attempt at gallantry
'I'm inclined to think he will before he
goes" thought Matilda.
Looking at her fingers, she remarked COM
posedly, as if she, for the first time, observ-
ed the stain of ink, 81 hope you will excuse
the appearance of my fingers, but | have
been writing all the morning, and | couldn't
remove all traces of the ink.
You were writing letters, | presume =
said Stephen.
80, no 4? not at all, | was writing an arti-
Gle on Woman Rights, for the Bugle
of Freedom y
Mr.. jenkins started, uneasily
Il suppose you are in the habit of seeing
that paper, said Matilda.
"No," said he stif1y.
"Ah you don't know what you lose.
| Composed and edited entirely by females
But perhaps, -"
Matilda interrupted herself to ring the
HJane, said she to the servant, "you
may 60 up stairs and bring down manu-
| script which you win find on my table.
A what, ma am
"a manuscript sheet of paper with
writing on it. Poor Jane, she continued
after the servant had gone out, she would
not be so ignorant, if man had not denied
| to us women the advantage of education
which he claimed for himself .
| By this time Jane had returned with the
manuscript.
If you like, Mr.. Jenkins, | viii read you
| what | have written.
Mr.. jenkins looked dismayed, but manag-
ed to utter a feeble-"O, certainly"
Matilda, in an emphatic manner, began
! to read as follows
Mrs Editor-Permit me again to raise
1 my voice in trumpet tones, against the des-
potic rule of man, over our down-tIodden
sex. Enlightened as we are disposed to
consider the present generation, IS it not a
disgrace, and burning shame, that men
! should monopolize all the offices Of honor
and profit, and leave to his equal-shall /
not say his superior, In point of intellect
only a few undesirable and laborious posts
| What, say, is the reason that men should
take upon themselves to govern, and expect
us meekly to submit to the yoke which they
seek to impose upon us2 Why should we
not see female in the chair of State,
and"
''This is all had written, Mr.. jenkins,
when you came, said Matilda, breaking off
from the reading "You will easily under
stand the idea that was about to deyelope ;
and, / have no doubt, you will agree with
ME.
''Do you really think, Miss Parker, that
there should be no distinction in point of
occupation between men and womenP" ex-
claimed the sedate Stephen, horror struck.
'sWhy should there be?" said Matilda,
with spirit Do you doubt whether wo-
man has an intellect equal to that of a
man z"
''Is there female Shakespeare" asked
Mr. jenkins.
''Yes" said Matilda, promptly. "Did you
ever read Mrs. Browning's poems?"
Il CAM say | have" returned Stephen.
''Ah, then shall have the pleasure of
making you acquainted with her.
She rang the bell
Jane, said she ego up to my room and
bring down the book you viii find on the
table.
Jane did so.
ave have an hour before dinner it seems
said Matilda, looking at her watch, In
what way can we better improve it, than
by perusing together this noble monument
of genius
Mr.. jenkins looked terrified; but before
he had time to raise any objection, Matilda
| had commenced.
'sShe read aloud faithfully for the hour
referred tot seemed three hours to the
unhappy Stephen-who had not the slight
est apprehension of poetry and description.
He was quite delighted when the dinner
bell rang, and so was Matilda in her secret
heart
81 am afraid, said she, 1--WE shall have
to rest from our reading till after dinner,
but by commencing Immediately afterwards
we may get quarter through by tea-time. :
How many pages are there in the po-
EN- /" the young man inquired hesitafingly.
tOnly little more than four hundred =
was the encouraging reply.
The dinner proved to be not a very social
meal. Matilda confined herself entirely tC
4 !