New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-05-28
A FAST WOMAN.
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe's Sketch of
Woman who Maintains Her Rights
and VIII Have SubscriptiOns.N y.

lished in the Christian Union, "takes off a
| certain lively maiden in this city, who spec
ulates and runs newspaper.
A day or two after, as l was sitting in my
room, busy writing, heard light footstep
on the stairs, and voice saying, "Oh, yes
this is Mr.. Henderson's room-thank you, y
and the next moment jjaunty, dashing
young woman, with bold blue eyes, and
curling brown hair, with little, wicked
looking cap with nodding cocks feather, set
askew on her head, came marching up and
seated herself at my writing table. / gaZed
! in blank amazement. The apparition burst
out laughing, and Selling me frankly by the
hand, said: r .
Look here, Hal don't you know me
Well, my dear fellow, if you don't it's time
| you did | read your last 'thingumajig' in
the Milky Way and came round to make
your acquaintance" Too. ...r- b. .. t-5
| gazed in dumb amazement while she
went on.
my dear fellow, / have come to enlighten
you'-and as she said this she drew some
what nearer to me, and laid her arm confd-
ingly on my shoulder, and looked coaxingly
| in my face. The look of amazement which
| gave, under these circumstances, seemed
| to cause her great amusement.
"Hal hal" she said, didn't tell 'em SOL
You amt half out of the shell yet. You
amt really Matched. You 60 for the eman-
cipatiOn of woman but bless you, boy, you
haven't the least idea of what it means
not bit of it sonny, have you now? Con-
TESS =" she said, stroking my whiskers coax
ingly.
REALLY, madam confess" | said, hest
tatingly, II haven't the honor
Not the honor of my acquaintance, you
was going to say; well, that's exactly what
you're getting now. | read your piece in
the Milky Way, and said /, that boys in
heather darkness yet, and I'm going round
to enlighten him. You mean well, Hal, but
this is a great subject You haven't seen
through it. Lord bless you, child! you
amt woman, and 1 am: that's just the
difference" E..--.......
Now, ask any of my readers, what is a
modest young man, in this nineteenth con-
tury-having been brought up to adore and
reverence woman as sOddess-to do when
he finds himself suddenly vis-a-uis with her,
in such embarrassing relations as mine were
becoming | had heard before of Miss
Audacia Dangyereyes as somewhat noted
character in New York circles, but did not
expect to be brought so unceremoniously,
and without the least preparation of mind,
into such very intimate relations with her.
Now, look here, bub !" she said, IS I'm
just a-going to prove to you, in five minutes,
that you've been writing about what YOU
don't know anything about. You've been
asserting, in your blind way. the rights of
woman to liberty and equality; the rights
of women, in short, to do anything that
men do. Well, here comes woman to
your room. who takes her rights practi-
cally, and does just what a man would do.
l claim my right to smoke, if please, and
to drink if please; and to come up in your
room and make you call, and have good
time with you, if I please. and tell you that
like your looks, as | do. Furthermore,
to invite you to come and call at my room.
Here's my card. You may call me 'Dacia,
if you lfke-I don't 90 on ceremony. Come
round and take a smoke with me, this eve
ming, won't you I've got the incest little
chamber that you ever saw. What rent do
you pay for yours! Say, will you come
around ?"
Indeed-thank you, miss"
"Call me 'Dacia for short. | don't stand
on ceremony. just look on me as another
fellow. And now confess that you've been
tied and fettered by those vapid convention
alities which bind down women till there is
no strength in em. You visit in those false,
artificial circles, where women are slaves,
kept like canary birds in gilded cages. And
you are afraid of your own principles when
you see them carried out in a real free
woman. Now, / am a woman who not only
dares say, but / dare do. Why hasn't
woman as much right to go round and make
herself agreeable to men, as to sit still at
home and wait for men to come and make
themselves agreeable to her / know you
don't like this; | can see you don't, but it's
only because you are a slave to old preju-
dices. But | am going to make you like me
in spite of yourself, Come, now. be eOnsis-
tent with your principles-allOw me my
equality as a woman, human being"
| was in such a state of blank amaze
ment by this time as seemed 10 deprive me
Ill e L Il.
moment the door opened, and Jim Fellows
appeared. A most ludicrous grimaee passed
over his face as he saw the position, and he
cut silent pirOuette IN the air, behind her.
She turned her head, and he advanced.
Fairest of the sex with some slight
exceptiOns)-to what happy accident are
we to attribute this meeting?"
Halo, Jim is this you " she replied.
Oh, certainlyit's me-" said jim, seat
ing himself Familiarity. How is the bright
est star of wOmanho0d, the Northern Light;
the Aurora Borealis; the fairest OF the fair
Bless its little heart has it got its rights
yet! Did it want to drink and smoke
Come along with Jim, now, and let's have
a social cocktail"
keep your distance SIR said she, giving
him a slight box on his ear. II prefer to do
my own counting. l have been trying to
show your friend here how little he knows
good time coming, when we shall have our
rights, and do just as We darn please, as you
do. I'll bet now there amt one OF those
Van Arsdel girls that would dare to do as
I'm doing. But we're opening the way, sir,
we're opening the way. The time will come
when all women will be just as free TO life,
liberty, and the pursuit Of happiness as
men,"
"Good heavens" said I, under my breath.
W hnl AuH ania limit all mo
to remark one little thing, and that is that
linen also) must be left free to the pursuit
of happiness, and also, as the Scripture
says, new wine must not be put in old bot
ties. Now, my friend Hal-begging his par
don-is an old bottle, and l think you have
already put as much new wine into him as
his constitution will bear. And as he and |
both have got to make our living by scratch
ing, and (tempuS fagit we've got articles to
write, and there is always, so to speak, the
devil after us folks that write for the press
may l humbly request that you will with
draw the confusing light of your bright
eyes from us for the present, and in short
take your divine self somewhere else?"
AS Jim spoke these words he passed his
arm around Miss Audacias waist, and drew
her to the door of the apartment, which he
threw open and handed her out, bowling
with great ceremony. "Stopr y she cried Il
amt going to be put out that way. Ihavn't |
done what | came for You, both of you
have got to subscribe for my paper" (THe
Em0ncipdted WOm0n.J
Couldn't do it, divinest chaTmer," said
jim, couldn't do it; too poor; mill runs
low; no water; modest merit not rewarded. |
Wait till my ship comes in, and I'll sub |
scribe for anything you want"
"Well, now, you don't get rid of me that |
way, | tell you. came to get subscrip-