Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-10-20

height appeared upon the rostrum,
clad in simple black, with not a jew
ell to attract attention to her person;
not flower, not a ribbon, not a
ripple in her hair. No contrast
could be greater than that she offer
ed to the often indelicately clad and
fashionable opera singer. A pale,
worn face, not beautiful at all, but
stamped all over with terrible
earnestness. She began to read her
lecture, calmly, elegantly, display
ing wonderful knowledge of the
mighty events that have shaken this
old earth. "Surely," we thought,
this woman has devoted much time
to self-culture. All this knowledge
means long toll of brain, and the
sages tell us that where the brain is
employed there's not much strength
left for mischief from busy-bodies."
There was noise in the hall. Ill
bred boys in the vestibule disturbed
listeners and speaker. She waited
patiently, then attempted to pro-
coed several times. At last, stung
beyond patience-and she is not a
patient woman-at the insult she
received she laid aside her
manuscript, stepped to the front
of the platform, and by the majesty
of her own indignation and elo-
quence conquered the mob and car
ried her hearers. She read no more.
The sharp goad of her enemy, SO
quickly recognized and keenly felt,
stirred her beyond her paper, and
the audience received herself from
her soul. Dignified gentlemen lis
tened in moveless silence to the end,
and young boys lifted wondering
faces to each other, full of awe; the
veriest ruffian who had come from
baser motives than he would care to
tell, covered in convicted astonish-
ment before the sharp lances of her
scorn for his baseness; and true
Christian mother, who went to the
hall full of tremors but conscious of
the rightness of her motive, clasped
the speakers hand at the close, ex
claiming, 81 wish both my boys had
heard you"
We are sure that every listener
that night, left the hall with en-
larged views and higher aims. If
not, then his case is hopeless. 1t
was such a triumph as man seldom
wins; woman never, except under
the stress Of a mighty sincerity. We
should be less than coward if we
failed 10 report truthfully, and if the
readers of the SPECTRosCOPE are
not intelligent enough to bear this
rigid exactness, the paper must wait
for generation that is. Whatever
be our present fate at the hands of
the public, we shall ever be CRATE
full for this privilege of telling the
truth.
Concerning her views of ssfree-
love- we give her own words.
sFree love is the reverse of enforced
love. tits that love which is freely
given, rather than that hatred which
accompanies compulsory marriage.
It annihilates promiscuity and rem
ders divorce impossible. It is the
strongest claim that can bind two
souls-this love that goes freely
from one to the other, and none but
God can divorce it, and He never
wants to divorce a love like that. :"
"You say do not believe in legal
marriage" she said: 81 do not as
the laws now are, but when men
and women sit in Legislative halls and
together enact marriage laws, [ will
cheerfully accept them. Marriage
affects woman as much as man, and
she should assist in making its laws"
There was nothing in the lecture
more shocking or vulgar or horrible
than that. She touched upou those
subtle, prenatal laws, whose viola
ton works such woe to humanity,
and urged women to study medical
journals and learn the full divineness
/ r ~1o~oI Il,