The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-05-21
Miss DOrcas' Opinion.

"Good mornin', Miss Dorkis,"
Good-day, ma'am," walk in an set
down, won't ye2
Miss Dorcas Winkwire got up with the
word, unbolted the lower half of the door
over which her visitor was talking to her,
admitted the neighbor, and then set for
ward the easy old rush-bottomed rocker
which was her own fsvorite seat, and
therefore always offered to company for
Miss Dorcas was naturally lady and
noblesse oblige.
Mrs. Morgan, who walked in and sat
down, was a middle-aged, middle.sized
woman, spare and rather forbidding of
aspect, wearing an aggressive front" of
black curls, which gave her frowning air
and added fictitious 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 keen,
sensible face and cool gray eyes her steel
gray hair was knotted tightly at the back
of her head, and every item of her dress
gave the idea of perfect neatness and
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 sewing 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, rem
dering her independent and fearless. She
sat down now, and took up her knitting,
waiting calmly for her guest to open the
conversation.
al thought I'd step round this mornin',"
said Mrs. Morgan, "to get ye to put your
name to the p'tition that's circulatin'
round the county, and is goin' to be sent
in to the legislator soon as it meets"
"What's it for ?" said Miss Dorcas,
transfxing Mrs. Morgan's vague glances
with quiet, raightforward look.
"Well, l never 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 -
swell, what's it for ," reiterated Miss
Dorcas.
"Why, I'm tellin' of ye if you'd hear to
me; it's ptition for women-folks to get
their rights"
(Which of 'em ?"
"Oh, all, 1 guess b'lieve this is about
votin', specially; votin', as Miss Peter
says, lies to the bottom of all ont, cause
if you let 'em vote, why then they can
make laws to give 'em all the other things
"H'm Well, Miss Morgan, if that's
the hull ont, don't want to vote"
"Why, Dorkis Winkwire ha'n't you
got no sperit ?"
Some" said Miss Dorcas, with an &C
cent that indicated her character in that
respect.
"Well, air you DESTROYS to live under
the thumb, so to speak, of men folks, al
your mortal days ?"
81 do'no as l am Twin under any
body's thumb in petikler; but, if be, Ia
as lieves to the full twas a mans as 6
woman's."
"Why, how you talk Ha'n't you no
ambition to be lawyer or doctor, OF
mebbe representative Don't ye want
to set on the school board 7"
"Not onless its got softer side to'
than common boards hes and why under
the canopy do want to be doctor or {
lawyer It's dirty work, either of 'em
and, as for goin' to the legislator anG
bein' hail Teller we'll met, with folks like
Tom Green and Hiel Simmons and Judge
Scranton, swearin', drinkin', low-liveG
Dimmicrats, I'd ruther not belittle mysel
to sech folks, Miss Morgan"
Mrs. Morgan's blood was up now. He
late, though unlamented, husband hat
been democrat from his birth, heredit
airy and voluntarily; he drank like fish
a ivota nd
self by breaking crockery and knocking
his wife down whenever he felt like il
yet like very woman she always spok
of him now as " dear husband" and re
sented any slur upon his memory a
fiercely as if he had been a saint below.
81 do'no' as you need to throw it in m
face that Hiram was dimmicrat, an
consequently 1 b'long to that p'litics
persuasion myself" she said, with feebl
mslignity quite wasted on Miss Dorcas.
Gland sskes " retorted the spinstel
81 want no more thinkin' of Hi Morga
than of nothin' when I spoke up so spry
ha'n't no call to sass one side more
another if so be they're reel respectful
folks; not but what / hev noticed-an
it's singular dispensation, allow, an
one tibet has GURUS sort of appearance
to me-that the best and respectablel
folks amt, skerce ever, on the dimm
cratic side; not but what there's excel
tions" (suddenly remembering the d.
parted Hiram and her present guest
"but ye know exceptions prove the rule.
"Well, seems as though you was age
tin off the matter in hand, Dorkis, bu
now l put it to ye square, amt thel
heaps of things wimmen folks is misuse
about tibet would be clean changed eff the
made laws2 Look tot about none,
Supposin' woman hes money, why hi
husband can go and spend an scatter i
and she darsn't no more say why-do-y
80 " than she darst club him."
swell, I don't deny that. l don't SO
that's right, but it's so men have han
erin, after money th at an y natural-hard