South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1874-06-26
A Woman's Rights Movement,
and How it Ended,
ny ADA L. FLETCHER.

ciced voice, and as she spoke she took two
steps toward the centre of the room. They
were ranged around hcr-those auuts aud
cousins, in very staid and solemn style.
Each one wore some badge of mourning,
while the girls own form was clad in neat
light muslin. Their voices had all been
modulated to just the right key of distress
and grief, while hers, as we have said, rang
out clearly and firmly. q wan. 20 know
said she, what right any Of you have to
talk of me the way you have for the las,
hour! | have let you alone because / want
ed to hear all you had to say, and was GU
rious to know how you would dispose of me
at last. And now it is all settled Each
one of you is willing to do his or her duty
by me. | am TO live with Aunt MARIA
during the winters, and teach the little
MARTINs,to pay for my board, while dress
myself with the interest of the pitiful thous-
and dollars left me, am /? And with I'm
Gle JOHN duriog the summers-to be invit-
ed so mary times year to visit each
of my other relations. This is to be my
life until-each one Of you said it-uutil
marry! Exactly like q package, 'to be
left until called for = Did any of you
think, while you were talking, that-per-
haps this same package had a small brain
i, was going to do itself ? IL DOT, then I'll
astonish you. | haven't got educltiou e.
ncugh to teach, aud thereby earn my liv-
ing. | couldn't write poem or story to
save my life. You won't let me stand be i.
hind counter or desk; so I'll tell you
what am going to do. ] am going to em .
igrate Going to take the advice of the
late illustrious, and go West
Then she paused, but did not sit down
her slight figure very erect and the brown
eyes very defiant. The Mortified s,illness
was broken at last by Mrs. MARIA MAR
TIN stately dignifed lady Of mature years
who had held up her hands 10 holy horror
al JUNE ever since the child was old enough
TO walk
What can the girl mean?' she said slow
~, while a murmur of establishment ran
round the circle thus appealed to. Il may
be dull, but L confess, | don't understand
her. Though | shall not be surprised a,
anything she says or does, after her astound-
ing refusal to conform to propriety, and
show at least respect for the dead, BY wear
ing mourning for her father
80" know my reasons for that, Aunt
MARIA said JuNE's quiet voice, again.
But there are some in the room who may
not. Papa and lat the mention of the
name the girls voice tretn bled and her eyes
dropped, but only for an instant, and she
went on--'Papa and often talked the SUI b..
ject over before he died, and | knew Just
what his feelings were about, it, and | Tish
N n rnIpd hui vuis hos
bio oil my life, even though he is dead. lie
did not approve of mourning garments, and
knew | should grieve for him as deeply and
sincerely in this dress as in one Of darker
hue. But enough Of that. Since my aunt
does not understand me | shall speak lit
tie palmer. Perhaps she knows that the
United States Government offers land TO
any person who will settle upon it for a
certain length Of time, build a habi,able
house thereon, etc. | have known and
heard of several young men going out 10
Texas or Kansas, and in a few years max
ing for themselves home and a competence
of this worlds goods, by this means, and
why shouldn't / J.? Yes, bat I am not q
young man, you say. l am aware Of that;
but why should young woman, who has
health, strength, ard 1000 in cash, sit
down among her relations and fok her
hands in dependence, while her brother,
under the circumstances, would take his
money West and in a few years be worth
three times the amount, besides presorviBg
bis independence and self-respect / DON
see why, and | can't sec why, though you
should ell together preach to me from now
till this time next year. / know Of several
tamiIies--veTy respectable people, Auul
MARIA, who arc going 10 Kansas to pre-
empt land, in few weeks, and ] ara going
With them. ! am glad you have oil taken
such an interest 10 me, but nothing you
will say now can change my action
There was q perfect clamor Of voices
when she was through, for to do them JUS
tice they were all shocked aud disappointed
who ever heard Of such thing Pa
girl-a young lady--n RoGAN, to thus dc.
fy all rules Of society and propriety, and
disgrace her friends and herself BY such q
course as tbatY IL was nothing more than
they should have expected ofJUNE RoGAN
who bad de6ed all rules all her life, but
those she wished to follow, but it must not
be- Must not be--do you hear, JUNE (?
said her Uncle JOHN, planting his sturdy,
thick-sot figure firmly before her. you
shaH not do this crazy thing
Il am twenty-one years old, believe
Uncle JoHN,' she said, with little life Of
her black eyebrows, and the law make,
me my own mistress. If you are oil going
to talk further on this subject, you mus
excuse me, for / am very tired and sht
actually left the room
They did talk further, no. only on tha
occasion, bu. on every day and every hour
] If fha Al roo xpcoye tbas c,1lo,roJ