Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-01-31
AwoMAN's VIEW.
The Presidential Imbroglio from
q Female Standpoint.

a "Ok0k4N - VA0vVs
The Presidential Imbroglio from
/ q Female Standpoint.
Letter In the Lancaster pal Examiner.
never until this fall realized The
debt we owe the press, and never
appreciated the advantages of living
in country that elects its own rulers
MY husband is a democrat, and my
father, who lives with us, is repub.
lican. On the 7th Of November
took down my last winte Is cloak land
couldn't keep back the tears. THAI
cloak cost $25, but it was Shorthand OF
course couldn't wear ii this season
1t didn't seem as if I could
wear my double Paisley shawl
all winter, but 1 thought OF
the suffering of the poor, our heavy
church debt, and of the many obliga.
tions William had to meet the 1st OF
January, and / concluded / wouldn't
say word about it. l might be a
dowdy, but would go calmly for.
ward-u, the church aislc--support.
ed by the smiles of an approving g
conscience.
When William came home that
night he said New York had gone
for Tildcn, and there was glow up
on his brow and light within his
eye / hadn't seen there for years.
The biscuits were light as feather,
and said l, civilian, what do you
think had better do about cloak
this winter? You know they don't
wear short cloaks. I suppose you
don't feel as if you could afford a
new one
"See about il" said William, scrap
ing the last drop of peach juice from
his preserve plate. That's a dread
fully vulgar habit, and I've told Will
liam SO over and over again,and I do
wonder that, being a genuine, elc-
CANT democrat, he will not resist it.
The next morning when l passed
through the sitting room, William
was shivering over cold register in
his stocking feet, his hair uncombcd,
but he cried out from the top of his
paper, democratic victories every
wherew ssThe county gone en- masse
for Tilden !" sIntense excitement
and rejoicing ~ 1--WE had waffles and
maple molasses for breakfast, and
made the coffee myself. William had
made one earnest dab at his head
with the hair brush, but had evident
lv missed. Father called for toast,
and said he had neuralgia pains
strcaking all down the left side Of his
face. William read aloud soothing
morsels from the democratic paper,
such as "Indiana gives Tilden 10000
majority!"
"What do you think this morning
about my having a new cloak. Will
LAMP
"Of course you can have new cloak,
If you need one. Full returns are not
yet received from Oregon, Nevada,
Florida and Louisiana. but they are
undoubtedly ours I"
"Um !" said father.
/ felt a good deal of anxiety about
family prayers. William isn't pro-
fessor. Father leads the devotions,
and was afraid he would be too
supplicatory but he prayed mostly
for the heather, Jews, and such like,
but didn't refer to the democrats,
and only once-just after the heather
alluded to our suffering country.
When William came up to dinner
he said returns of democratic victo-
ries were pouring in from all quar-
ters, and said l : civilian, I've been
thinking the matter over, and ! do
believe it would be the best economy
to buy fur cloak. Everybody is
wearing fur. 1t might cost more at
first, but it would be cheapness i'm the
end fur is so durable.
"How much would it cost?'
"Mrs. Col. fuckers sealskin sacque
was 500 last winter, but don't feel
as il, in our circumstances, we can af-
ford that. Furs are cheaper than last
fall. and think l could get good,
desirable article, not so rich as some,
but good enough for people in our
circumstances, for $50"
"Um y said father.
William had taken out blank
check, and was rejecting, when in
whisked the president of the demo-
cratic club, and said Florida and
South Carolina had gone for Tilden,
and William was wanted down to the
club room to see about the illumina-
ton. He filed out the check, and l
Immediately went down street and Sc
lected the cloak.
That evening shade of anxiety-a
scarcely perceptible tinge of melan-
choly-had settled on Williams coun-
senance, while fathers neuralgia was
better. William asked if 1 had done
anything about my cloak, and if L
hadn't, he would suggest waiting
awhile; furs might be cheaper. He
taid, when I asked him about it, the
illumination had been postponed.
The next morning heard the boys
in the street screaming that Hayes
was elected, and when l went down
father was sitting on the front stairs,
coatless, and with his vest on one
shoulder, while William balanced
himself on the hat-stand. Both pa
triots were stocking-footed. They
had just taken in the morning papers.
Very little conversation was made at
the breakfast table, but father was
extremely polite to William, and said
he didn't know when he had eaten
buckwheat cakes that tasted SO much
as they did when he was a boy.
AT noon William didn't stay to
desert, but father, having eaten his
own pudding, drew Williams untast-
ed plate to himself.
The tears were yelling to my eyes.
and father kindly inquired why l
wept.
"I've been thinking my old hat fix
ed over won't look at all suitable
with my new cloak; but William is
so blue, l can't bear to ask him for
more money"
"Mercy on mew said father, "don't
cry over a bonnet. Go down and get
what you want and bring the bill to
me-"
My hat was to be of seal brown.
1.-TWO feathers or three?" asked the
milliner. thought of the hundreds
out of employment, of the destitution
and want the winter would behold, of
the vanity and pride of dress; but
while hesitated newsboy, just out
with the afternoon papers, yelled:
"Florida and Louisiana both sure for
Uayes" l knew how father would
feel, and said: 30, three certainly"
For two or three days there was a
look, not SO much Of pure melancholy
as Of gloom, iwrath and vengeance
commingled in Williams conntenance
and he sprinkled pepper on his beef
steak fearfnlly. Father said that he
awaited the action of the Louisiana
returning board with confidence in
their integrity, and slipped his tea
with spoon. never knew father
to sip his tea before with n spoon in
my life.
BY and by il was reported that
electors names4 had been omitted
from the republican votes in Louisi-
ana, father said there was chill in
these November days, that struck to
the very marrow, and William said
he intended to arrange his business
so that he could spend two or three
weeks of winter in some southern
cline, say in Georgia or Louisiana.
That afternoon went shopping and
at tea time laid on the cloth four or
five samples of seal-brown merino.