Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-12-05
The MOoted. Question.

The Mooted Question.
81 can't stand this any longer
and l won't" Marcia stopped il
her uneasy walk, and stood In boil
upright, uncomfortable attitude be.
fore the table,
"Why, grille, what is the matter
now?" inquired Susie's gentle voice
Girlie seemed the most inappro-
pirate name for the large-framed
woman, with heavy masses of hair
(no subtertuge of auburn posslble),
pale face, and deep-sct black eyes
that burned under level dark brows.
"It's too ridiculous; it's too hate
full and abominable, and l intend to
put an end to it as far as | am con-
cerned," continued Marcia, glancing
sternly at her mother.
"You look as if you'd put an end
to anything that vexed you," said
Edith, looking at her with eyes of
disapproval. "One, two, three-I've
lost stitch in some way. Won't
you turn up the light little?"
Marcia complied with such vigor
that Susie interposed to save the
shade, and patted Marcia's arm on
the way.
"No, you can't stop mel" blurted
the irate young woman. 81 am 60
ing to have my say once for ALL"
"You act just like q man," said
Edith, with slight tingc of con-
tempt in her tone.
"You ought to be the last one in
this family to scorn a man." retort-
ed Marcia, pointing to Edith's dia-
mond, which was brilliantly assert
ing itself whenever she moved her
hand. "But if I'm going to be like
a man, Pm going to have some of
their privileges / won't be cooped
up in the house like this because l
happen to be woman"
''rhat's the Divine ordering" said
her mother.
"What's the Divine ordering?-
that father and George should 90
out evening after evening, and l
should never see or hear anything? ?
can scarcely believe that.
"No, You must lay that to society,"
said Susie.
"Well, it is not to be so any long
err. l am going where | please, and
when. l could not hear Froude,
because everybody was schndalized
at the idea OF my goiag without a
man tagged on to my cloak, like
Gra,z Brown on Greeley; l didn't
see Peppers Ghost; l can't ever
make call in the evening; l."
Goodness! Marcia, stop-do, for
common decency's sake,'' cried
Edith. "You'll be wanting to call
on the gentlemen next"
81 want to do SO now," replied
the daring disscnter. 81 wanted
dreadfully to 60 in the other day
and ask Mr.. Beman about the mag
nesia in the sun, and couldn't .bc-
cause he is bachelor, and people
would talk" .-..
Susie looked up once, and went
OH with her darning with fingers
that trembled slightly, but Mrs. Dey
declared with more force than usu-
al: . ..H
"Marcia, you are talking prcpos-
terously. No right-minded young
woman feels IN that way"
''Then am not right-minded.-
But mean to go, and let there be
an end of the word sooman being
put as bar across my path"
''Rcally, quite eloquentw said
Edith, scorntully, bending a grace
ful head over her bright worsteds.
"You're very ungrateful, Marcia"
said her mother. Your brothers
would always take you if you would
ask them"
Marcia had thrown herself into a
chair but at this she sprang up.
81 thought it was not delicate for
ladies to ask gentlemen to take them
out; and if l did, what then?-
George is SO tired with having been
out all the night before that he
groans and sigbs, and looks glum.
and hurries one so, or else treats
you with such solemnity that you
feel like criminal. l don't like
going to concerts with martyrs.
and especially the kind that don't
smile as they 60 to the stake. No
matter how much want to 90 to
some places, l would rather stay at
home than have an escort doled ont
in such unpleasant doses"
II don't see why you make such
a FUSS" said Edith. "It's natural
that women should stay at home; it
always has been SO; and you can't
change the world"
"WelI, it's not natural selection
on my part, and that's what eleyatcs
the animal"
"Marcia, what languager' inter.
posed her mother.
you don't stay at home," coutin-
ucd the Darwinian. addressiue o
Edith, "because you're soft and
pretty; you'll marry and perform
the old poetical figure OF the ivy and
the oak; but it's different with me,
and don't intend to be tied down
by sex any longer, but am going
to have the rights Of a rational ha.
man being" -.