The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-01-15


the Humboldt town hall Monday eve,
Oct. 18th. Subject, Self Chosen
Miss Valeria Ferris will lecture at
the Waverly school house Wednesday
eve., Oct. 10th. Subject, Sisterhood'
miss Georgiana Blodget, in the red
school house Friday eve., Oct. 16th.--
Subject, Woman's Present Influence
"The meetings of the H. I. w. II. A.
will be adjourned until week after next"
said Miss Polly, without appearing to
notice the excitement caused by her
manifesto. Secretary, read the by
laws"
"Jove," calculated Mr.. Perkins, few
minutes later, following just close
enough after his wife to avoid exciting
her surprise, the lady in question being
rather timid, "I'll let her try it, and
have notion that one trial will be
enough"
Poor Janet Perkins Those awful
words self chosen" burned into her
very brain. They rang in her ears with
the Sunday sermon, and were echoed in
the clear pure tenor of her husbands
voice singing the closing anthem. She
read "self chosen" in fiery characters
all over the daily news, until she felt
that even Esau's pottage, in exchange
for the birthright of " suffrage" which
Miss Polly had urged her to fight for,
would be really a bargain. All compo-
sition, too, was out of the question:
Even the eloquent speech which she had
flung SO triumphantly in her husbands
face, had deserted her. Miss Polly could
not help her. She wrote "by inspira-
ton, she said. Words to that effect
addressed to Mr.. Perkins, produced the
remark:
"Guess she isn't often inspired"
"Sit right down, Janet Perkins,"
ordered Polly, "and think of something.
Make up your mind you've got to write
then write. But on my knees, beg
you" said she, with theatrical gesture,
=" don't let one of the other sex help
you DO be independent of your
tyrant ~
Monday morning - noon - evening
came, before the manuscript which Miss
Polly dominated the lecture" was
completed, and not until O'Clock did
Mrs. j. p. find herself mounting the
steps of the town hall. Every eye was
turned upon her, as she entered the lee
ture room, but still she had no feeling of
fear or responsibility. She was dazed,
bewildered. She had one great reason to
rejoice, her husband had yielded to her
pleadings and remained at home to care
for the children. Fail as she might, he
would never witness it.
She never thought of herself as she
walked down The aisle supported by
Miss Polly, only of the way she could
assist her suffering sisters.
But let US return to Mr. Perkins.
In very singular manner had that
gentleman behaved after seeing his wife
depart; he changed the outer garments
of the children for others, assuring them
that they should see mamma" over
and over again. About nine o'clock he
left home, taking the children with him
and closing the house, directed his steps
toward the town hall. At the door he
was met by a few others, and in COM
pany with them, entered the building.
Mrs. Perkins had finished ninthly,
and, warming with her subject, and just
given utterance to the following words
Dear sisters, let each of you from
this night, begin your new mission
Educate your girls to know that they
are to have part in the government of
their country, and rights equal to those
inherited by their brothers. Teach
your boys that, in order to win pure
woman they must be pure themselves,
and, in doing so, feel that you are not
only selfchosen for the work, but chosen
Of
Here she was interrupted by most
unearthly shrek from Miss Polly, and
following with her eye the direction in
dicated by that lady's outstretched hand i,
gave one scream herself and tainted.
Down the aisle came two gentlemen,
one Mr. Perkins, and the other gentle
men, whose wife also belonged to the
H. I. w. r. A., each carrying two chill
dren. Behind them followed eight or
ten children, perfect rag-a-muffins load
ed with tatters of every description, and,
bringing up the rear, another man, with
baby in his arms.
Mrs. Janet Perkins lectured no more