Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-14


tor told me the other day that her throat
trouble was serious, aud that sho must have
complete change OF air and rest, | can't tell
you how dreadully [ felt. Last night MIR.
Winthrop told us you were going to Colo
radO, and | thought at ouce how nice
it would be for Ida to go with you SO l
came to talk it over with you. l haven't said
word to her or her father yet thought
would see what you said first
or course l was delighted, and so was Her.
bert. Ida was q great favorite with us both
Mrs Winthrop came out surprisingly push
ing preparations vigorously. 1t seemed as if
she could hardly do enough for Idas Com
fort, and | felt as IL | had never done the
poor little inefficient creature justice.
We settled for the winter in Manitou. This
was Herbert's fancy. lie had been reading
up, as he called it, industriously, and he de.
cded that Mauitou, and no other place,
should il be. After we had been there a lit
tic time, he and Ida planned another depart
ure. They found Il tiny furnished cottage Of
five rooms, facing south with broad porch
along the front Nothing would suit these
arch-potters but that we should take it and
go to housekeeping. l demurred at first.
We were in very comfortable quarters, and
disliked to change, but when Herbert said,
"Oh, Jenny? | am so tired Of this kind of
me L Ut luTee years L uhNb uhiuly hHOWu
what home was We can be easy and COM
Portable in that little house. and have little
home.like nest all winter, then Of course
yielded.
Our front door opened into the sitting
room, at one side Of this was a pleasant
sleeping. room, facing south and east Be-
hind was a dining room, with another small
er sleeping room, leading from it, little
kitchen, q store-roOm, one or two closets,
that was ALL But it was enough. Oh per
feet New England housekeepers, careful
mothers numbered with much serving, could
you but know the delights OF housekeeping
as Ida and tried it that winter, surely you
would be tempted TO discard some of your
superfluous elegance and live freer aud sim
pier lives Again and again we said that win
ter, now foolish we are when at home! Why
do We make ourselves 50 much unnecessary
labor and care Z"
The Colorado air proved all we could wish
for our inyalids. Herbert gained every day
He felt better and stronger than he had for
years, while Ida's throat soon ceagedto troub.
le her We rode, walked and drove, climbed
hills and explored canyons, Ida's quick eyes
were constantly discovering specimens,
and sue became learned in geological lore,
while one corner of our porch was piled high
with her treasures. Both she and Herbert
wished very much to make the ascent Of the
Peak, but that must be postponed until
summer.
Ida was exceedingly happy. She had new.
er had real holiday before since her child
hood. In all her trips she had invariably
taken one or more children with her, to light
en- Mrs. Winthrops cares at home, not con
sidering that by thus increasing her own cares
she was destroying all the benefit she might
otherwise derive from her journey. Now she
was perfectly free and untrammeled ii did
my heart good to see how much she enjoyed
il. She possessed keen, healthy interest in
what was passing around her, with broad,
warm sympathes. 1t was not long before
she knew every man, woman and child in
Manitou. Quong Wah, our Chinese laundry
man, fell captive to her at once He was
constantly bringing her some little Offering
now it was a silk handkerchief, again it would
be some dainty bit of Chinese ware. One
day he produced, with great gee, a mysteri-
Gus package, which upon opening proved to
contain bulb. "China lily, " said he, "Chi-
na water lily, blossom for Christmas He
ran about, finding a disb to place it in, pick
ing up pebbles to hold it in position. Then,
having arranged it to his liking, he filled the
China bowl which held it with water and
giving Ida most minute instructions as to the
care of it, trudged of saying, Blossom by
Christmas True enough, on Christmas day
it hung full of fragrant flowers, and the rap
id development of the bulb from its first
stage to It's last, afforded Us much enter
tainment during the early weeks of winter.
When We first came to Manitou we met a
young physician, DR.. Harrison who had set
tied himself there for the winter He was
clever, gentlenanly young fellow, full of
ideas, quick OF apprehension. Having just
finished a term of practice at one of the east
ern hospitals, he had stationed himself at this
point for the purpose Of studying in person
the effect of climate upon pulmonary dis.
ease. He said he proposed making lung dis.
eases specially, aud before settling perma.
nently, which he would do in some large east.
ern city, be meant to visit some OF the favor
ite resorts for cOnsumptiyes in order to OBJ.
tain a thorough knowledge of the various
phases Of the disease. We were all much
pleased with DR.. Harrison, aud when found
in course OF conversation with him that he
was the son of an old friend and schoolmate
of mine, we quite made him one Of ourselves
Hardly day passed that he did not drop in
at our little cottage aud it became a matter
of course that plate should always be laid
for him at our table. | fancied be aud Ida
were growing fond Of each other. but when
l venlured to hint as much to Herbert, h.
suubbed me cruelty.
Now, old lady, said he II protest against
anything like match making. I don't think
Harrison is good enough for Ida Winthrop,
aud at all events, if they are meant for each
other, they will find it out without any of
your help, and if they are not, you will do
well to let the matter alone"
OF course | said no more after that out
burst, but had my thoughts all the same,
and it seemed to me that my two favorites
were rapidly approaching an understanding
But one evening when DR.. Harrison was call
ing upon US the conversation turned upon
woman suffrage, and he spoke bitterly, even
harshly against il.
Il cannot conceive" he said, "why WON
en- should wish to vote. 1t is repugnant to
every idea of womanhooi; why can they not
be content to stay at home nursing their
babies and mendng their husbands stock
ings ?"
1T seems to me-" said Ida, with great
sweetness, that Lave heard that said be.
fore. 1t is a charming picture, that baby
nursing and stocking -darning, which is held
up to us as a panscea for all the sorrows of a
womRn's life but all women do not have ba
bies some, even, have no husbands. What
can we do then z"
DR.. Harrison looked surprised "Surely,
you are not strong g-minded Miss Winthrop p
he said.
Surely, you do not consider me weak
she returned.
but, seriously now, it can't be that you
are one of those women who wish TO over
turn society, and defy divine providence,
From the beginning it has been decreed that
woman's place was the home. That the care
of political matters must be given to men,
whose superior strength and intellect render
them better able to cope with such ques
tions."
II hardly think the facts will bear you out
in that assertion, said Ida 'but even sup.
posing it true, if such a monstrous injustice
has existed from the beginning, it is quite
time it was done away with"
By this time the doctor was fairly reused.
and Ida was quite ready to meet him. A
sharp battle ensued, in which the lady, who
understood her subject thoroughly, and was
armed at every point, had decidedly the best
of it, At last the gentleman rose to take his
leave.
Somewhat chRgrined at his discontinue he
remarked, sulkily, that he hoped he should
never zee his "mother or wife going to the
polls to vote, to make laws for men, to
which Ida responded they might as well be
doing that as to be at home, suffering under
the injustice of the laws men had made for
them"
Altogether it was quite pretty quarrel
Dr. Harrison choosing to think, or to appear
to think, that Ida had been unfeminine and
''gtrong-minded while she having the cOur-