Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-04-05

10 DetteI- One tEin2 - -CeItatn-l
shall not wear nv best clothes to thC
polls again.
December 4.-City election day
1 could not 90 to the polls, nv nurse
/ girl having lefs me, and baby moi
being willing to stay with stranger
l am sorry; still do dread a repe
tition of the unpleasant scenes of 6
month ago. 1 hardly know how tc
reconcile my home duties with my
public ones. If 1 vote, 1 must moi
do it ignorantly. ] must read and
reflect, and 90 to political meetings
Ireally get no time for the new books
John trings home, for what little
have l think ] ought to devote to
politics. l want to discuss political
matters With my husband, but he
dosen't incline to do it. The Other
night he said he wished I would read
him something I took up SepatoI
Green's last speech and began It. but
he exclaimed, ssotf not'that, Eaily,
for PHYS sake--I have enough OF
that all day. Some poetry, dear or,
a story" What could do but com.
ply? Yet l had thought it would be
so nice for John and me to talk to
gether about these matters that in.
terest Us bothl
April 2l--I do not get on at eli.
My friends urge me to go out to all
the political meetings. ard my heart
tells me to stay at home with my
children. What ought / to do!
Jamie said to me the other day:
Mamma, when are you going to
stop voting and tell us stories again?"
Is my first duty to my husband and
children. or TO my country? l am
afraid of being misled by my incli
nations that put home duties first;
Mrs. Edgar says / am altogether too
domestic. Bnt how could / neglect
my family as she does? and what
would John say?
December BIT is more than six
months since I wrote last in my
journal. We have had a summer of
sickness, and though my children
have been mercifully spared to me,
they are still weak, and l am spent
with watching and anxiety. 1 have
thought little about politics this sum
mer, and now l ind the zspeF-S 80
:hings Somewhat cssage. -.
Benson eaE1e to r. me of es1tts
last evening for the, city eleeSon /
did net %. for l didnGe thipx frankie
was well enough to be left so long,
and from the report in this morn
ing's paper, 1 judge that / had at
least a more peaceful time 1t home
There is considerable excitement
over the city election this year. 1t
has been proposed 10 erec. bald
ing for the ladies' use for politicsl
meetings, voting, &c. it having been
proved chat the City Hall is too large
for them TO speak in CON icflablg.
and that they must hssess sepa5E'tsI
voting Eoofnf fi7is " sccffs ~ q S
pleasant. doubtless; but il iutolv4s
an expenditure which will adj.
greatly to our already heavy taxes.
Ny husband of course opposed it.
not being over favorable to female
politicians, and /, for different rea
sons, have come 10 the same conclu-
sion. So we are divided into "build-
ing" and "anti building" parties, and
it is strange to me what extrava-
gance of feelings some Of my friends
display. Miss Savage was here this
morning and attacked me on the
subject l gave, her the reason FOR
my decision, as quietly as ] eoBd;
but it was no use. She stor- ed ere
scolded-declared ! was Influenced
by my husband. that I was only half
hearted in the ''great work, apt
much more that l don't want TO fret
myself by recalling. 1t isiucky foi
her, suppose, that she has no bus
band to be Influenced by. Bpt one
thing strikes me curiously, this win
ter. the leaders in almost every
movement are single women. They
seem to take to politics more natu
rally than we married people do;
they reproach us with being so sci
fshly occupied with domestic mat
tiers, and thank the Lord lin publc)
that their hands and hearts are not
so tired. Yet if we oppose their
ultra measures, they are in passion
atonce, and accuse us of trying to
domineer over them. Then there is
another trouble in my mind. /
never did like to hear women speak
in public, and cannot enjoy the ''elo-
quent speeches that Miss Hayter and
others of my friends make. Miss
II. said, the other evening, tt at she
had left the dying bed of her brother
to come and speak 10 US. A great
many around me were in tears at the
affecting way in which she manifes-
ted her self forgetfulness apd absor-
bing interest in the cause; but as for
me, l shuddered, and longed to beg
her to 90 home. How could she do
so? how could she? 1t is not right
Tor woman to outrage her nature
so. / told John of it. He shrugged
his shoulders and puffed- away at his
cigar, with only this not verY CON-
forting remark. You see what it
comes to, Emily"
October 90 have been shocked
beyond measure to-day. l do not
often go to public meetings now; /
have had a good excuse the last two
months in the absence OF the chl.
dren's governess, which has obliged
me to be their teacher. But to- day
1 was persuaded to go. Twas rather
late, and as 1 entered Miss Hayter
was making one of her most enthdsi-
astic appeals. caught the words,
"female senator's" as / took my
seat, and wondered what new idea
was being developed. l found it was
neither more nor less than this: that
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