The record-union., 1894-10-25
WOMEN At HOME.
BeseIena" and Her Friends Discuss
the Situation.
Miss Bloomer Fails to Make Converts,
and Departs on Her Bicycle
''BuIIt for One.''

One day last week was standing near
the window, debating with myself
whether 1 had better go out or not. for the
weather looked decidedly threatening,
when the question was settled for me by
knock at my door; and in response TO a
''come in''-uttered by me in stentorian
tones, for the electric cars and heavily
laden express wagon were passing at the
time-the door was opened and there
came into the room my old friend, Miss
Bloomer
Hello, Bessp' was her characteristic
greeting, as she gave my hand hearty
shake. 1t is noticeable fact that Miss
Bloomer never kisses any one, as some
women sometimes do. ''You have de-
veloped excellent lung power during the
sumner" she continued, as she sat down
and took my latest pet bow-wow, Andrew
jackson, upon her lap and amused her-
SELF and sent him into impotent agonies
OF rage by thing his long silky black, ears
under his little chin.
IF L wasn't Jane Bloomer and didn't
know what such a thing as nerve was"
she proceeded, Il positively would have
been frightened.'' Here Miss Bioomer
laughed and pushed Andrew Jackson OFT
his seat and walked across the room, aud
as she did SO l made a discovery. Miss
Bloomer had discarded her bloomer cos
tune and instead now sports divided
skirt. l could scarcely believe my eyes.
and l was quite speechless FOR fully five
minutes while took it all in. Suddenly
Miss Bloomer turned and saw the sur
prise depicted upon my countenance, for
she gave that jolly, big, goOd-natured
laugh of hers which wins her so many
friends, and said, while. she primped in
front of the glass. for Miss Bloomer,
while desplslng anything TOO intensely
feminine, admits without a blush par
tiaIty for long pier glass:
How do you like it, Bess? Don't you
think 1t IS decided Improvement over
the old custom?''
L thought so, too, and told her so
frankly, when l added as an after
thought, that we might soon expect to
see her in skirts like the rest of our sex.
Never" cried Miss Bloomer, turning
from the glass, to point tragically out the
window. Not while Jane Blooner rides
that" Here she turned back to the glass,
and whistled the refrain of daisy Bell"
while she carefully adjusted her necktie,
and l looked out the window and saw
Miss Bloomer's bicycle below. Know
ing her idiosyncracies of dress, speech
and manner so well, L confess | was not
so surprised at this latest acquisition OF
my friend, as might have been.
Presently there came another knock,
and this time l went to the door myself
not wishing to Shatter the nerves OF any
one else, and admitted my lately married
friend Evelyn. Sheis looking much bet
ter and happier lately, and she is good
enough 10 attribute the entire change to
me, but l tell her with my usual modesty
that only supplied the means whereby
she could attain the desired result, with
entire satisfaction guaranteed, for / had
never yet known the plan L gave Evelyn
To keep husbands home nights TO fail. AS
might be expected, Evelyn and Miss
BloOmer are as diametrically opposite IN
their likes and dislikes as the poles
Miss Bloomer regards Evelyn with
good-natured tolerance. I believe in her
heart she rather pities Evelyn's slavisb
devotion to the tyraDt man, The tyrant in
this case being Charlie. Miss Bloomer
does not intend to marry. She speaks of
marriage as matrimonial fetter,"
which is accompanied by a horrible
shudder. She would just as soon tell
married woman what she thinks upon
this subject as the young girl. When she
airs her views 10 the former they, with
touching Wifely devotion worthy of
better cause, retail the entire conversa-
Lion at the very first opportunity TO their
liege lords and masters, whereupon the
man laughs satirically and says ''sour
grapes" which is brief but expressive.
Miss Bloomer / believe to be one OF the
few women who never had beau; not
up the single wrath OF Il man who WAS
once her lover She positively giories i'll
this, and tells you that she has al
ways been able to take care of her
self, thank heaven! ana when she
isn't able to do this any
longer, that she will go to the Old Ladies'
Home, II she can afford it, or TO the poor
farm, If she cannot. and she seems SO re-
signed to her future fate that no one has
the heart to interfere with her plans.
Alter a while we have tea, and while
Miss Bloomer lights a cigarette and
admires Andrew Jackson's points" and
smokes 1t IN solemn enjoyment, for she
believes in women smoking, Evelyn duly
then the talk veers around to woman and
her relation to the home circle. We are
all interested upon this subject, for we
have been reading a good deal about it
usual, each and every one OF
US hold entirely different opinions.
Miss Bloomer, who speaks first, OF
course scorns the idea OF limiting
wonan's sphere to home; she Is perfectly
satisfied to go forth and do battle with
the big. busy, busting world. Give US
our treedom!' cries Miss Bloomer,
stretching out her arms dramatically.
as though she could gather freedom
in her embrace, land we will SHOW
the world. that women are not
the puny. insignificant creatures men
think we are" But ventured Evelyn
timidly, what would the men do were
we to take their positions away from
them ?' BY this remark il VIII be seen
that Evelyn has her own idea upon the
situation.
"Do," echoed Miss Bloomer. "They
will DO as they have always done; there
will be no material difference so lar as |
can see. The world is wide enough Tor
the two sexes TO work on All equal foot
ing side by side. One sex should not be
crushed in favor of the other"
Here Evelyn ventured another remark,
this time on home lie: what would the
home be without someone to superinicud
and oversee things?" But Miss Bloomer
was equal TO this emergency also, and
stated that while her views upon this
matter were liberal and broad enough To
embrace all women, still there W ere some
of her sex whom she regretted deeply
had no other thought, no higher am bl-
tion In life than to encompass themselves
within the four walls of home. For sucn
women there was of course no emancipa-
ton. She had given up making converts
in this direction long ago, but 1t was To
the coming woman TO wnom she made
her strongest appeal, to rise up and Join
her in the crusade against the old exist
ing laws. Then she rose up herself, well
knowing that she could find no converts
here for Evelyn was too much in love
with her Charlie To think OF anyone
else. and Miss Boomer for some in
explicable reason, had never tried 10
make a convert of me. Alter a
while Charlie comes for Evelyn and thew
90 home, and then at dinner | told the
man ] know best Of all about our con-
versation, but l tailed 10 get any satisfac-