The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-01-13
A PROTEST AGAINST MUSCLE.


Icould net sleep, there was nothing
for me to do but lie still and listen.
This is about what took places;
"I tell you, Mrs. wilkins, you've
got to put stop to If I won't have it.
This thing has been going on long
enough, and it's about played out.
Here you've been going TO that gym
nasfum pow nigh nearly ak months,
and you're getting to be perfect she
Sampson you're getting more muscle
than any woman who moves in good
society's got any right to have. I
don't want to be married to an ANA
zon. tell you ; l don't want my wife
to be going about trying how many
fifty-six pound weights she can lift
don't want to be tied to woman who
hits from the shoulder, do and who
can knock an OK down with her fist,
and smash door panel with one
blow? Not much l don't, and say
Iwon't have it"
"But, Mr.. Wiki d u
"Oh, there's no use talking, for it's
got to be stopped. Amt you ashamed
of yourself, aud you mother of nine
children, to be dressing yourself up in
Bloomer costume and showing your
thick ankles"
Mr.. Wilkins, youp
"Showing your clumsy ankles-you
needn't get mad, for they are thick
and you know it-and swinging dumb
bells and sticks, and clubs trying to
dislocate your arms, SO as to give me
another doctors bill to pay, and to re-
duce me to bankruptcy sue for di-
vorce, will, by George, if it isn't
stopped I won't put up with it any
longer; if do, hang me-. 8 se
Mr.. Wilkins; do stop swearing"
tell YOU it amt respectable for
you to go to that gymnasium and let
that teacher put his arms around you
all the time he is pretending to show
you how to move your elbows
Mr.. wilkins, this is scan"
"To move your elbows, and then
for you to come home and then begin
exercising yourself on the joists in the
garret, pulling yourself up to see how
many times you can touch your chin"
"Why Mister Wilkins, never
"Don't Mister Wilkins me; you
can't say you never did it, for / know
you did. Didn't / see you the other
day while I was at the back parlor
window? You'd better say next that
you never tried to catch the dining.
room chairs by the rounds and hold
them out at arms length?"
' .Of course never d."
"But know you did, though, aud
/ tell you am sick of it. I don't
want to live all my life with woman
that can whip me. expect you will
be practising on me next. expect
nothing else than you will be trying
to throw me. But don't want to
have anything to do with you. If
you come wrestling around me you'll
get hurt. give you fair warning; /
won't stand any of your nonsense"
e Mr.. Wilkins l declare you're too
bad, for"
"I know am, know don't suit
you; I know you wish you were
married to another man. You'd like
to have plug muss with you every
day, and have me try to beat you lift
ing, and get me to go around this
community and brag on your muscle.
But amt proud of you; I'm morti-
fed about it. It pains me to think
that you are SO depraved. 1 know
you ain't satisfied, SO you'd better ap-
ply for divorce and get married to
the Belgian giant, or some prize fight
er and, and spar with him, and crowd
him to the ropes, and sluice him in
the COB, if you know what that means
and dare say you do, for you learn
all that low slang down at that gyr~
nasium."
"Mr. Wilkins. won't stand this
anv longer, it is perfectly" -
"Oh, 1 know it is, know you
won't stand it. IexpectnoWyonwll
get up out of bed and try to throw
me out of the window and break my
legs, or upset the stove on me. ex-
pect that; this is the chance you have
been laying for all this time; / know
it; Pm your victim; kill me, mardel
me, put me out of nv misery, and
then go down and marry that prize.
fighter, that's what you want. Bu
there's one woman who will she6
tears over my grave; youn be glad te
get rid of me, but there's one woman
who will be sorry"
"Mr. Wilkins, who do you mean p
stOh, never you mind; you'd hatt
her if you knew she liked me, ant
maybe you'd exercise yourself on her
but I won't give you the chance"
"It's that horrid, nasty Maria Brown
I know she never puts her foot il
this house again"
eyes, there's one woman would b.
sorry to see me go, and if you eve
die I'm going to marry her"
"You brute, how can you talk so 2
@Marry her and see if 1 can't hav'
some peace of my life. She won't g
to any gymnasium and behave as yo'
do"
"It's that Browne, 1 know"
because she don't approve of sucl
things, / know, for she said SO, ant
she thinks that you"
elias she been daring to talk abou
me to you? the vile mink"
eyes, she has; and she says for he
part she thinks that-thati gl
"Well, out with it."
"Oh, that--that-that you-oh,
guess won't repeat tit amt neces