Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-04-26

New YORK, April 20.-lt is bit |
curious how many things one thinks of |
when the days are divided, not only by |
the chimes of the little clock, but by |
the times one takes a dose of medicine, |
uris permitted 10 see a visitor introduced,
always with the proviso, as the nurse
says, you will keep quiet, and let her
do the talking" This forces one to the
thinking habit. The other day my
first visitor was vision of health
pretty clothes, and a shrill, high voice. |
She told me of the latest play, the newest |
gossip, and then she drifted in to what
she called "the question of the hour"
She said, "0h, we women must have a
votel You know, my dear. a few days
ago, it was only the cranks and the
women not exactly in our set who went
inSfor Woman's Suffrage; but now it is
quite the swell thing to do. Think of
the years it has been denied us Think
ofAthe thousands of women who have
lived and died without having been able
TO express their views through the ballot
boxl Oh, we must have it; 1t must be
ours. Women must be given chance
to assert herself. Well, goodbye; am
glad to see you are looking better, and
I'll come in soon again and tell you
everything that is going on. Goodbye,
goodbye" And out she tluttered.
WOMEN AT THE BALLOT BOX.
And / was left to think. So it was
fashionable to want vote. II was
necessary that woman should assert her
self was to think, by command, of
the thousands of women who had lived
and died without expressing themselves
through the ballot. / did. And before me
there arose the pictures of Esther, of
Ruth and of Mary. It.seemed to me that
they represented more than the ballot
ever could have given them, for they
pictured in their lives wifehood, faith
fitness and all the beautiful virtues that
belong to the quiet sisterhood. Then
there passed before me in procession all
the women who, unrepresented by a
vote, had stood beside the sick and the
suffering on the great battletields, and
who had received in return the respect
of men and their greatest admiration.
The Sisters of Charity can to-day walk
through any part of the world protected,
not by the ballot, but by the recognition
men have given to goodness and woman
illness. Then thought of the women
who had asserted themselves by bearing
men, by bringing into the world sons
who were glory and honor to them,
and it did not seem to me that vote
would make this any greater.
l got tired of thinking and picked up
paper. In one column | read of a
golden wedding; at this there were
present, in honor of the bridal pair
eight children and "a grandchildren
In the next column | read of young
woman who took it upon herself to an
nounce ave women are weary of the
burden of creation" And she de
manded the right to vote.
WHEN l WAS A YOUNG GIRL
such speech would have been though
little immodest, but the noisy sister
hood consider that the calling spade
spade is an evidence of their independ
ence of thought. Doesn't it strike vol
as rather silly that an unmarried woman
should have made such speech VIVA
doesshe know of the burden of creation
What does she know of the intense
pleasure that comes from bringing int
the world little child2 How does sh
know that it is burden? looked at tn
two columns. l saw, 80 years from now
the woman 'tweary Of the burden q
creation" sitting alone, old and child
less, but possessing vote. And | won
dered which was the finer way to asser
ones self; whether it was in the wa
old age would find her, or whether
was at that golden bridal of yesterda,
where, standing by the man who love
her 90 years ago, and who loves he
just as well to-day, a woman could sc
herself reflected in all those childre
who rose up and called her blessed
Surely she knew the glory, and not tn
burden Of creation.
think it would be good thing fc
women to have the ballot; it would |
interesting to see what they would 4
with it. Surely they would talk abol
it. As very clever somebody said,
WOMEN ARE MARCHING ON
Ito Bedlam." Il go to sleep for awhil
and then l have another visitor, a visit
whose coming isn't heralded by the lou
shrill voice peculiar to a woman used
speaking in public, but by the perfun
of rose, and know who it is. dor
know how she is dressed; only kno
that to look at her is delight, and tn
she puts into my hand one great, sWe
rose-an American Beauty and as
gaze at it know that a sister rose in
itransmigration is the woman before N
She is not interested in the ballot BIO
but she is interested in telling me abo
people like, pictures l have seen Al
books we have both read. And 5
brings me, not as some of the others d
one of the horrible realistic novels
to-day, buta
LITTLE BOOK OF WESTERN VERSE
that she knows will make me lauG
and then, too, make me shed tear
two; but good, honest, healthy te
one that has already arranged for its
a laughing dimple into which 1t IN
fall.
And she tells me as bit of news Il
the writer had present the other di
that there had come to him lit
daughter. And | wondered if aw
across the continent greeting fron
sick bed mightn't go to him. You KIN
that means great deal to man,
coming of little daughter. lie is pre-
of his sons, but it is his girl who vii
herself about his heart, and brings h
Joy forever. 1t is his girl for VIII
future he thinks about; the boys
make that for themselves, but the
must be looked after, tenderly cared
and sincerely loved. No girl needs
ballot to gain their fathers love. Sol
times wish that daughters realized
that they might be to their fathers.
never saw man so coarse or so brit
that tender spark could not lie aw
ened in him 6y his girl-child; when
might be iron to the boys, he would
wax to her, and she could mold him
her will, and without the ballot. L
will keep coming up into my mi
though | have . book and tlowe
nit ha1J "a nrtr 81