Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-06-30
Miss DOrcas' Opinion.

set down, won't yep
Miss Dorcas Winkwire got up with
the word, unbelted the lower half OF
the door over which her visitor was
talking to her, admitted the neigh
Dor, and then set forward the easy
old rush -bottomed rocker which was
her own favorite seat, and therefore
always offered to company; for Miss
Dorcas was naturally a lady and no
blesse oblge.
Mrs. Morgan, who walked in and
sat down was middle-aged, middle
sized woman, spare and rather for
bidding of aspect, wearing an ag-
gressive ssfront'' of black curls,
which gave her a frowning air and
| added a ficticious sternness to pair
of dead black eyes, rather wandering
and uncertain of gaze.
Miss Dorcas did not look like her;
tall, lean, straight as dart, with a
keen, sensible face and cool gray
eyes her steel gray hair was knot
ted tightly at the back of her head,
and every item of hardness gave the
idea of perfect neatness and a strict
economy. She lived by herself in
this small red house in Pompton. did
little millinery, tailoring now and
then, and at other times plain sew
ing /; she had some money, but being
at once thrifty and generous she
worked hard always, and let the two
thousand dollars her father left her
accumulate for her old age, render
ing her independent and fearless.
She sat down now, and took up her
knitting, waiting calmly for her guest
to open the conversation.
81 thought I'd step round this
mornin','' said Mrs. Morgan, Ito
get ye to put your name to the pitt
tion that's circulatin' round the
county, and is goln' to be sent in to
the legislator soon as it meets.
whats it for?'' SAID Miss Dor
cas-, transfxing Mrs. Morgan's vague
glances with quiet. straightforward
look.
"Well, 1 neverl / thought you'd
heered all about it. Sary Ann Jones
said she guessed you'd be one of the
first to sign it, bein' single woman
as you be, and one that has always
did for herself, and hasn't had, nor
had to have, no men folks around,
nor
"Well, what's it for?' reiterated
Miss Dorcas.
''Why, I'm tellin' of ye if you'd
hear to me; it's p'tition for women
folks to get their rights y
ssWhich of 'em?'
"Oh, all, l guess / b'lieve this i:
about votin', specially; votin', a:
Miss Peter says, lies to the bottom
of all ont, cause if you let 'em vote
why then they can make laws to giy'
'em all the other things
"H'm! Well, Miss Morgan, i
that's the hull ont, / don't want t.
vote"
"Why, Dorkis Winkwlre ham
you got no sperit?'
"Some," said Miss Dorcas, will
an accent that vindlcated her char
acter in that respect.
"Well, are you desirous to live un
der the thumb, so to speak, of mel
folks, all your mortal days?''
81 do'no' as / am livin' unde
anybody's thumb in pertikler; but
if I be, I'd as lieves to the full 'twa
mans as a woman's."
''Why, how you talk Ha'n't yo
no ambition to be a lawyer, or a doc
tor, or mabbe representative? Don
ye want to set on the school board 2
''Not onless its got softer sid
to it than common boards hes; an
why under the canopy do | want t
be a lawyer Or a doctor? It's dirt
work, either of 'em and as for goir
to the legislator and bein' hail felle
well met, with folks like Tom Gree
and Hiel Simmons and Judge Scran
ton, swearin' drinkin', low-lived dim
micrats, I'd rather not bellttle mysel
to sech folks, Miss Morgan
| Mrs. Morgan's blood was up now
Her late, though unlamented, hus
band had been democrat from hi
birth, hereditary and voluntary; h
drank like fish and swore like
pirate, and amused himself by break
| ing crockery and knocking his wifi
down whenever he felt like it, We
| like very woman she always spok
of him now as ssdear husband" an,
resented any slur upon his memor
as fiercely as if he had been sain
below.
81 do'no' as you need to thro,
it into my face that Hiram was
dimmicrat, and consequently b'lon'
to that p'litical persuasion myself,
she said, with feeble malignit
quite wasted ON Miss Dorcas.
Glands sakes y retorted th
spinster, Il want no more thinkir
of Hi Morgan than of nothln' ,She
I spoke up SO spry. 1 ha'n't no ca
to sass one side no more'n anutbe
| if so be they're reel respectable folks
not but what | hev noticed-and it
a sing'lar dispensation, / allow, an
one that has cur us sort of app ca
ance to me-that the best and resp &C
ablest folks amt, skerce ever, {