The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-07-15


her as our social inferior, hpt we will not
allow one OF our sisters To omnloy her
small talent ia money-mak;n, without
showing her IN ways peculiar 70 our sex
that she has steppe ed beyond The limits of
society. Let US suppose a case A broth
er and sister grow up together equal in
appearance and education. The brother
accepts position as a salesman in q dry
goods store. ii he has the manners and
reputation OF gentleman and chooses to
! invite ono OF your daughters "a 90 with
him TO the theatre or the opera YOU make
no objection on the score of his occupation;
but suppose the sister in fact and appear
ance a lady, should sell dry goods at the.
/ same salary, would you be pisased to see
your son by her side at a fssbionable en-
tertsinmen2 In the language IF Artemus
Ward, why this thusness?' Let M think
seriously of this state of aFairs 1t may
not mean much to us personally. but it
means great deal to great many, whose
hearts are made heavy and whose energies
are paralyzed by the Seylla a pinching,
| cramplng poverty on the one side and the
/ Charybdls OF the forfeiture Of that indie
/ hhaoie, priceless thing called social posi-
ton on the other. In the circle of my
/ acquaintance are several girls whose SEN
| sitiye feeling on this point Condemns them
to life eff bitter poverty, real poverty,
which means the checking Of every gem
erous impulse, the repression of refunded
tastes, the denial of all the sweet sugges-
tons of that benignant nymph Fancy,
that bright atte dant of youth that sprite
which helps to keep the hear Young aud
the mind active. IL is all ~sll enough
for us grave women to talk about duty
and about rising superior TO a silly pre-
JUDGE, etc. Let as many of Us as are
Z ppunl n tho aak ,.ss 80 mt nd
make an effort TO think of our young sis
ters' burdens. There is no act without
thought, and feeling gives wings to
thought. As far as in us lies let Us rid
the path of independence Of its fictitious
horrors at least
ladies, this is my first speech. l feel
that it is disconnected and far from ex-
pressing my ideas, but, perhaps, on an
other occasion l may do the subject more
honor. Some of YOU imagined, dare say,
that this was.a WOman's Ri ght's meeting.
Well, perhaps it is. This woman ques-
ton is as broad as the human race few
sentences, one way or the other, can net
dispose Of q subject 50 vast. have only
touched upon one point; l wish that other
ladies who have anything TO say-who
have felt, or DO feel, anything Profound
would express themselves freely here in
this little circle, where we al know and
respect each other. | am convinced that
truth, artless truth, is always Instructive,
and always entertaining. Human hearts
feel their loneliness; there is but one
heavenly element which can Dissolve that
feeling of isolation, aud allow Us to real !
iZe for moment all TOO short the joys o {
cOmpaniOnship, and that is Truth-truth
in sentiment, truth in feeling, and truth
in speech. Let US speak frankly"
Then Mrs. Blank moved back to her fret
position and sat down. Everybody seem !
ed quiet and / feared the entertainment
was drawing to close, but pretty soon
after little whispering and great fut
tering of wells and handkercbiefs. Mrs. [
Three Stars walked up to the table2 |
Could | believe my eyes2 Mrs. Three /
Stars? Once reigaing belle il Hickm |
and for years widely known asone of the /
most elegant of those ladies who keep
step with the marching columns of hu- I
manity beneath Fashions magic banner /
whose highest gesture, as well as /
newest dress is watched, critieiEed and /
copied to the best Of the observers abili- 4
~. always enyied that woIaaG--n9t her /
knowledge of what TO do and how to do il .
but her quick temper? n Nobody else .
wanted it | am sure, but like youth, and .
when the red blood flies to the roots of
ty pink and sends such sparkles to her
handsome eyes she does look so young?
But TO business. She said:
~ have never made a speech "a my life
and have really never thought Ct such
thing until Ave minutes ago. Mrs. Blank 81
are no doubt Christian and pro-
per. l have never thought much about
shopgirls or girls that ought to be shop
girls, but hereafter | will try to do 60.
think il is useless TO organize society
like men do, with a lot of officers and a
tiresome set Of by -laws-we do not all try
to talk at once, and " hen we do talk we
are not positively sure to say something
that somebody else does not want TO hear,
like the men DO. To keep US 10 order we
do not need q policeman in blue coat
aud brass buttons nor one in the shape of
a written code. II is part of the beauti-
full gift of intuition, which is ours, that
we always know how 10 behave ourselves.
But at the same time / think law fine
thing for the other sex. ! have heard law
talked ever since was married, and
know that ii has a vast deal to do in form
ing public opinion, in regulating the re
lations which we bear TO each other
good law must not be too far ahead of
public sentiment; if it is, it cannot be en-
must just be a little in advance,
a kind of guide and support to help people
to think and feel about themselves as
of body--not just individuals
aud nothing else Well, l want legisla-
lion on a certain subject, and how on earth
am | TO get it while women are denied all
active PARTED patton in the making of the
laws? Men have plenty of common sense
they know admirably well how to look
after themselves, and they feel so vastly
able to look after their own womankind
without the binding letters of law that as
long as men do the voting, no mstter how
dear the interests of mother, sister wife,
daughter and sweetheart, the laws will
be made to suit the men. They can't help
it-man is fnite-nobOdy can look from
standpoint exactly, and more
especially a man cannot look at thing
as woman does But am slow getting
to the point. As you all know, | have
some money for my girls when they mar
~. Well, want it to be their ) abso-
lutely, but SO wretched arc the laws ami
SO ridiculous is public sentiment that my
girl, Glorianna, fatty refuses to call her
money her own2 If Augustus is to have
her, she says, with pretty air, can he
not be trusted with a few paltry thous-
ands? have all patience with that girl.
but my arguments and entreaties sre ali
useless, and Mr.. Three Stars calmly saws.
perty settled on your No, it vas not.
| answer, but where can girl6nd such
a husband as your That is what | said
TO the best of husbands, but did think
about tbs last sale of real estate which +
Mr.. Three Stars made against nv advice
just before the rise in everything lately.
Now, what is the use of my experience of
life if can not utilize it for my eirls9 In
the heyd ~ OF youth--the rashncss Of low
ing conidence-a girl can doom herself
to untold misery. | want revision of
the laws of the State on the subject of
married women's property, and az fire.
some and troublesome as it all mnst he. [
would be willing to go through tbe ae-
gravations of voting and have al the
women to vote, so that all these sen linen
tai young beauties would be compelled to
learn little common sense"
Mrs Three Stars paused, hesitated q
m nj aud Than