Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-12-07

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"The old cantr' she cried. "The old
shibboleth, What is this mission which
is reserved for woman? All that is hum.
BILE, that is mean, that is soul killing,
that is SO contemplate and so i'll paid
that none other will touch it. All that
is woman's mission. And who imposed
these limitations upon her? Who cooped
her up within this narrow sphere? Was
it Providence? Was it nature? No, it was
the arch enemy. 1t was man"
''Oh, I say, auntie," drawled out her
nephew.
"It was man, Charles. It was you and
your fellows. l say that woman is a
colossal monument to the selfshness of
man. What is all this boasted chivalry
these fine words and vague phrases!
Where is it when we wish to put it to
the test? Man in the abstract will do
anything to help a woman, of course.
How does it work when his pocket is
touched? Where is his chivalry then?
Will the doctors help her to qualify?
VIII the lawyers help her to be called to
the bar: Will the clergy tolerate her in
the church? Oh, it is close your ranks
then and refer poor woman to her mis-
sion! Her missioni To be thankful for
coppers and not to interfere with the men
while they grabble for gold like swine
round a trough-that is mans reading of
the mission of woman. You may sit there
and sneer, Charles, while you look upon
your victim, but you know that it is
truth, every word of it."
Terrified as they were by this sudden
torrent of words, the two gentlewomen
could not but smile at the sight of the
fiery, domineering victim and the big,
spologetic representative of mankind
who sat meekly bearing all the sins Of
his sex. The lady struck a match,
whipped a cigarette from case upon the
mantelpiece and began to draw the
smoke into her lungs.
II find it very soothing when my
nerves are at all ruffled," she explained.
"You don't smoke? All. you miss one Of
the purest Of pleasures-oneo of the few
pleasures which is without reaction"
Miss Williams smoothed out her black
silken lap. at is pleasure" she said,
with some approach to self assertion,
(which Bertha and are rather too old
fashioned to enjoy"
mo doubt. It would probably make
you very III If you attempted it. By the
way, hope that you will come to some
of our guild meetings. shall see that
tickets are sent you"
Your &c ldY'
SIT is not yet formed, but I shall lose
no time in forming COMMITTEES. 1t is
my habit to establish a branch of the
Emancipation guild wherever 1 go.
There is Mrs. Sanderson in Anerley
who Is already one of the emancipated,
30 that have nucleus. It is only by
organized resistance, Miss Williams,
that we can hope to hold our own
against the selfish sex. Must you go,
Them
"Yes, we have one or two other visits
10 pay" said the elder sister. .'You
will, am sure, excuse us. l hope that
you will find Norwood pleasant resi-
dence."
"All places are to me simply battle
field" she answered, gripping first one
and then the other with grip which
crumpled up their little thin fingers.
''The days for work and healthful exer-
else, the evenings to Browning and high
discourse, eh. Charles? GoodbyF' She
came to the door with them, and as they
glanced back they saw her still standing
there with the yellow bull pup cuddled
up under one forearm and the thin blue
reek of her cigarette ascending from her
bps.
''Oh, what dreadful, dreadful wom-
AMI" whispered sister Bertha as they
hurried down the street. "Thank good
ness that it is over"
''But she'll return the visit" answer
ed the other II think that we had bet
ter tell Mary that we are not at home"