Litchfield enquirer., 1878-10-10
A DAY WITH DOCTOR SARAH.

| -H f eE4. 1 A dozen ladies were taking luncheon with Mrs. Harro Epps of Murray.I1ill. That little matron's-luncheons are always ideal wonan's parties. This especial morning, for. example.
 There was plenty of space and sunshine in l the pretty pale tinted rooms, No great pic lures nor distracting array of bric-a- brac. No body wanted to climb into regions of high art, or to admire-the day was too warm. There I were flowers instead, flowers everywhere; vine waving in at the bay window. From the other windows you could hear the rustic of the trees of Central Park, and catch glimpses of slopes ef grass there, of a clump of dark ce- dars at the base of a sunny hill, of hedge of wistaria-a mass of Snaky black arms holding uppurple blooms.
 Inside there was a clear feminine softness in the very atmosphere; the dishes on the table were feebfy swedish in flavor, and so was the talk. There was much good feeling and cul- ture shown in the conversation of these deli cate, low-voiced women but an idea, naked and freshly born into the world, would have been as out of place if dragged into sight at Mrs. Epp's luncheon table as man, or grea- sy joint, or the Archangel Michael with. his flaming sword
 At least that was Doctor Sarah Coyts opin- ion as she sat in moody silence listening to the soft ripple of talk about her. If there was one thing of which Doctor Sarah had full supply, it was ideas. She kept a stock of fthem, as David did of pebbles, and was per petually slinging them at the head of one Go- Hath of custom or another The agef giants were hard to kill indeed, her best friends hinted that her pebbles were only mud. But she fired them with desperate courage-there was no doubt of that. She had fought her way into her profession and out of the Chris tian Church, and now she had clinched with law, religion, and society in hand-to-hand rl fight because of their treatnient of Woman.
 When Maria Epps introduced Doctor Govt to her friends, they felt shock as from an electric battery, and then they all reused into pleasurable excitement. It was such treat to see this famous creature face to face!
 Il do like this sort of thing, mamma" said Margaret Whyte to her mother ''You know 1 went to see Jem Mace as the prize fighter in As You Like St, and this woman is accounted kind of intellectual Heenan or Morrissey by the newspapers So nice in Maria to bEing her"
 ''It must be true that Maria Epps is going to join the Woman's Rights people," said her mother, thoughtfuly. "She is always aiming at the 6iz0rre. You remember she was the first to drive three ponies 0 hG Russe in the Park; and she went to those Moody meetings. But did not think she would carry her freaks as far as this"
 But they were all courteous to Doctor Sa- rah. The courtesy, indeed, became oppres- sive The very air grew ciammy and heavy; all the ease, the pleasant repose, had faded out of it. The man, the greasy joint, were upon the stage now.
 1 Visibly, Doctor Sarah was only a thin little woman in purple silk, sitting painfully erect on straight-ba chair, her eyes glancing from one woman to another as though she were an officer, and they troops about to be drilled. Her features were delicate though worn, her eyes were sincere, sad brown eyes naturally, but they had learned fierce trick of challenge in the rough-and-tumble fight which she had chosen to make of life. She had not said word, as yet except about her drive and the dust, but something in the flat, quivering nostril made every woman stand on guard. They felt fhat they were no longer 1 Maria Epp's chance guests, lazily slipping cho- colate; they were human beings-to be, to do, and to suffer. .
 Mrs Epps took some pains to draw Doctor Sarah out. just as she had been careful that nobody should miss the flavor of the new sal ad A novelty always gave go~tto luncheon or dinner.
 ''This talk of pictures and music must seem horribly triviasato you, doctor" she said. "We are such mere butterflies, compared to a woman with great object in life"
 Doctor Sarah smiled od-humordly. ''I find great help in music," she saId land 1 paint plctures-poor ones, but they help me too. Nature and art give me better insight into the needs of my sex"
 'Doctor Coyt's object, you know" explain ed Mrs. Epps, beaming around the table, Sis to emancipate Woman"
 There was a low murmur of polite assent Mrs. Marmaduke Huff raised her eyeglasses, and courteously inspected Doctor Sarah with gentle wonder, precisely as she had done the devil-ish that morning in the Aquarium.
 '1 have never had the pleasure of meeting woman of your-your party before," said pretty Miss Purcell. softly.
 'Oh, I saw several of them in London, ," cried Mrs. Nipple, who dressed hideously and drank beer since she came home, and fancied herself wholly English "It is quite favor ite fad with some very respectable people over there"
 Then there was a sudden embarrassed pause, for everybody expected Doctor Govt to begin to defend her .tad But she sat silent looking at bit of .honeysuckle which had crept in at the window. The angry red burn ed up into her thin cheek. Why should these people look at her as though she were the wo- man with the iron jaw, or some other such monster? No doubt they thought she had holes in her stockings, and went swaggering about at grog-shops. Why, her home was more womanly and fanciful than this, and she herself
 'I wasin hopes, madam" said Miss Purcell gently, 'that you would give us some insight into your plans It is we, after all, whom you should convert" .... ...
 ''I am no proselyter," said Doctor Sarah, did, that the cause was hopeless. These frothy creatures to comprehend it's great prin- ciples! Even suppose they had Suffrage, what would they know. of politics, of their fellow men outside of ballroom, or even of the money which they squanderedp
 In which the SOured woman made the mis- take which we all make when we judge of chimpanzee, not being of chimpanzee blood. This Maria Epps, with the baby face, had manipulated half a dozen bills through Con gress last session. There was not party wire which she did not know how to work. She had matters in train now to get Epps a foreign mission. There was not a shrewder dealer in stocks in New York than the little blonde widow, Mrs. Huff, on the other side 9f the table. She. had made snug fortune for her l self since Marmaduke died, and had given the boys fair start in the tobacco trade. While, as for the classes outside of society, that good Fanny Purcell had spent more time last win ter in the prisons and hospitals than Doctor l Sarah had done in lifetime. Yet they all wore dresses which framed them into pictures and they haunted curio shops, cackling about l old Satsuma ware.
 | When they found that Doctor Sarah would l not consent to be exhibited that afternoon, l they went away one by one.
 "Now, dear Maria said Miss Purcell. as she kissed her hostess outside of the drawing room door, 'don't allow yourself to be entan- gled with that dreadful woman's set Infidels, l freelovers-'' .
 Sarah Govt is as chaste and clean-minded a woman as there is ln New York" said Mrs Epps, tartly. Do have some charity with your religion, Fanny" Mrs. Huff hurried Fanny away. ~ ''It is only one of Maria's political manoeu- vres," she said as she seated herself in her l phaeton. ''Some of these Womans Rights l people have influence which she needs to gain Major Epps disappointment. The house will be overrun with radicals until she has secured her point, and then-Oh, we all know Maria!" Mrs. Epps meanwhile went darting about, re-arranging. the flowers, while Doctor Sarah