The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-31

hair that was pasted against her forehead.
and then began to busy herself with the slops
We'll. must be going-its getting toward
supper time Make yourself at home. Mr..
Tracy: you'll hear the bell when IT'S ready"
The landlady took her tranquil departure
without commanding either OF the young peo-
pie to vacRte the room. The young man Won
dered that mother who seemed 50 honest
and respectable should be so thouGhtless. and
was reaching for his hat, intending to dsem-
barrass the girl OF his presence: but she said:
Where are you going2'
well. nowhere in particular. but a. am
only in the way here-"
WHO said you were in theway Sit down
I'll move you when you are in the way"
She was making tho beds. He sat down aud
watched her dot and dilgent performance.
what gave you that notionY D o you reckon
/ need whole room just to make up bed or
two imp
Well. no: It wasn't that exactly. We are
away up here in nm empty house. and your
mother being gone"
The girl interrupted him with an amused
laugh. and said:
Nobody to protect mo? Bless you. I don't
need that I'm not afraid. might be II was
alone. because do hate ghosts. and I don't
dony 1t. Not that believe in them. for don't.
I'm only Just afraid Of them"
HOW Cuu YOU U0 SNulu VI tu0A IL yOu AOh
believe in them?"
"Oh. don't know the how OF it-thats too
many for me; only know it's so. It's the
same with Maggie Lee
WHO is thatl"
"One OF the boarders: young lady that
works in the factory"
"She works in factory"
"Yes. Shoe factory"
I'm shoe factory: and you call her young
LADY,"
Why. she's only %: what should you call
herr"
,"Iwasn't thinking Of her age: was think
ing of the title. The fact is. I came away from
England to get away from artificial forms-for
artificial forms suit artificial people only-and
here you've got them. too. I'm sorry. HOPED
you had only men and women: everybody
equal: no differences in rank
The girl stopped with pillow in her teeth
and the case spread open below it. contem-
plating him from under her brows with a
slightly puzzled expression. She released tho
pillow and said:
why. they are all equal. Where's any dif-
ference in rank?"
III you call factory girl a Young lady. what
do you call tho Presidents wife.'
Call her an old one.'
'Oh. you make age the only distinction ?"
"Thcre amt any other to make as far as I
can see
Then all women are ladles?"
Certainly they are-all the res pectablc ones.
SWELL. that puts better face on it. Certain
ly there 10 no harm in title which is given to
everybody. 1t is only an offence and wrong
when it is restricted to a favored few. But.
Miss-er-"
Hattie
Miss Hattie. be frank: confess that tn 20
title isn't accorded by everybody to everybody.
The rich American doesn't call her cook lady
-isnt that 500"
"Yes, IT'S so. What Of IT,"
He was surprised and q little disappointed
to see that his admirable shot had produced
no perceptible effect.
What OF it ?" he said. why. this-equal-
ity is not conceded here. after all. and the
Americans are no better off than the English.
In fact, there's no difference"
Now. what an idea. There's nothing in
title except what is put into it-youve said
that yourself Suppose the title is clean. in
stead OF lady. You get that?"
II believe so. Instead Of speaking OF a wo-
man as lady. you substitute clean. aud say
she's clean person."
That's it. In England the swell folks don't
speak Of the working people as gentlemen and
ladies'
"Oh. no."
And the working people don't call them
selves gentlemen and iadies?"
Certainly not
80 il you used the other word there
wouldn't be any change. The swell people
wouldn't call anybody but themselves Clean
and those others would drop sort OF meekly
into their way OF talking. and they wouldn't
call themselves clean. We don't do that way
here. Everybody calls himself q lady or gen.
tleman. and thinks he is. and don't care what
anybody else thinks him SO long As he don't
say 1t out loud. You think there's no differ
ence. You knuckle down and we don't. Amt
that di6erence2
1T Is a difference hadn't thought Of:
admit that Still. calling ones self lady
doesnt-er-"
II wouldn't 60 on IL were YOU"
Howard Tracy turned his head to see who it
might be that had introduced this remark. 1t
was a<short man. about 40 years old. with
sandy hair. no beard, and pleasant face.
badly freckled but alive and Intelligent, and
he wore slop-shop clothing which was neat
but showed wear. He had come from tho front
room beyond the hall. where he had left his
hat and he had chipped and cracked white
washbowl in his hand. The girl came and
took the bowl.
"rll get it for you. You 90 right ahead and
give it to him. Mr.. Barrow. He's the new
boarder-SIr. Tracy-and I'd Just got to where
1t was getting too deep for me-"
Much Obliged II you will. Hattie. was
coming to borrow OF the boys" He sat down
ut his ease on au old trunk. and said: Two
been listening. and got Interested: and as
was SAYING. / wouldn't go on II were you.
iou see where You are coming to. don't you
Calling yourself n lady doesn't elect you; that
Is what YOU were going to say: aud you saw
that II you said it YOU were going to run right
up against another difference that yon hadn't
thought Of to wit. whose right Is 1t to do
the electing? Over there. 10000 people in Is
million elect themselves gentlemen and ladies'.
and the 060.O00 accept that decree and swal-
low the affront which 1t puts upon them. Why.
II they didn't accept it. it wouldn't be an cleo
tlon. 1t would be dead letter and have no
force ut all. Over here the 10000 would-be
exclusives come up to the polls and vote them
selves to DO ladies and gentlemen. But the
thing doesn't stop there. The 96OOO0 come
and vote themselves to be ladies and gentle
men. too. and that elects the whole nation.
Since the whole million vote themselves ladies