Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-12-06
WOMAN'S DEPARTMENT.
THE LAST WORD.

Il read a piece in the paper abou
Women's Rights lately" said Uncl
Peter Elderberry, last evening. 81
was by your sister, but can't say tina
agree with it.
.'Oh, WE'LL" returned Bub. ut is no
necessary that you shoutd say so. be
doesn't care what any mere man may sa!
on the subject. It's the women she'
after.''
s'Of course" explained, ga man;
opinion on this subject can not be OF sc
much Importance as woman S opinion
don't see that men need to give them
selves any anxiety about it. ="
s'You dOn'tm exclaimed Uncle Peter
beginning to get interested Suppose
my wife should take notion to go sky
larking off to the polls, what should
doo'
81 know" said Bub. YOU'D go to
work right away to stir up pancake bat
ter. That is what the husbands OF
public spirited women in the funny
paragraphs always do. Then one OF
your grown-up children would be made
a child again just for tonight, so that
he might mingle his walls with the
buckwheat batter, and help to make ii
pleasant for you"
Don't be nonsensical, Bub. What
] want to ask Uncle Peter is this: When
women 20 to church, or market, o. rail-
way station, who takes care of homes
and babies then? And what becomes
of these care. takers when women go to
vOte?"
''They expire instantly" said Bub,
"every mothers child of them"
What mean," said Mr.. Elderberry,
sis that these things don't take women's
minds away from their homes so much
as voting would"
1--we seen a mission meeting take a
wOman's mind so far from home that it
never came back again; and after she
followed her mind to a heather land,
every one said what noble deed it
was. Every woman who earns her
own living-and there are a good many
OF them in these days-must necessa-
rily have her mind taken away from
home"
"Well, now, the hand that rocks the
cradle"
''Ought TO find better employment.
It is Il mistake to rock a cradle, par
ticularly when a baby is in it. 1t
makes the poor child dazed and dizzy
and half drunk. 1t is most IRA
tional way of putting a human being to
Sleep
Isabel" said Bub, gravely, sit is rude
to interrupt
81 beg your pardon. Uncle Peter.
You were about to say that the hand
that rocks the cradle"
''Wields the ruler" said the youngest
boy.
''Bub. who is interrupting now? Do
you wish me 10 WELD the ruler in your
directionp" A playful attempt to carry
out this threat ended in my wrists being
imprisoned by a pair of strong young
hands.
The great objection to woman's vot-
ing is that she can't fight" observed
Dub. aprorOs of the situation. when
you have the physical strength 10 en-
force laws. you may be permitted TO
take hand in making them"
''Oh! then voting is q ma tier of mere
muscle. not of intelligence and con-
science. But a great many male voters
have not the physical strength to en-
force the laws that they help to make.
Let go of my wrists, please, Bulb; you
hurt them"
81 don't see." said Mr. Elderberry,
''why you shouldn't be content with the
influence you have over your brother.
without wishing to vote ALSO"
81 have no more influence over my
brother than he has over me. Why
shouldn't he be content with his i'm
fluence instead of wishing to vote also?
A good influence is not neutralized by a
good vote. When have an opinion to
express in print, don't influence Bub
to express it for me. Why should l do
so when have an opinion to express at
liz poiiS
well. because it doesn't seem a
woman's place exactly. 1t seems to me
the women have enough to attend to at
home. or if they haven't, they ought to
have"
''Yes. they have a good deal to occu-
~ their thoughts and time, but
not more than men. Don't you think
it would be reasonable to deprive mer.
chants of their vote because they rise
early and lie down late. and their days
are filled with cares and duties?"
mo; men like to do the rough out
side work of the world. and save the
women. 1t is the nature of good men
to like to protect and offend women: and
I'll tell you what it is. Miss Bel. just as
quick as you bring your sex down tC
the level of ours. you'll crush out all
heSe-these"-
''Chivalrous instincts" suggested
Dub.
IF you are going into crushing the
business, Isabel. / would like to recon-