Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-02-26
EXCHANGED RIGHTS

result could talk of nothing else but
woman's rights during dinner.
Mamma" said her little daughter,
who had been listening for a long time
with great attention to the conversation
without being able to gather much from
it, "What is woman's rights?''
Her mamma did not answer right
away; in fact, it was rather puzzling
question, but she thought for few
minutes over what she had heard at the
lecture, and when the question was re-
peated, she had it all in quite good shape.
"Woman's rights, Bessie" she be-
gan
els all bosh," broke in papa, finish
ing the sentence.
"No, John, it is not, f" said Mrs. Nor
rison, little annoyed. tThere is q
great deal of justice and truth in it.
and I don't want any child to grow up
with any narrow and bigoted ideas
about it. Woman's rights, daughter, is
the emancipation Of our sex from the
yoke of inferiority under which we have
30 long labored, and as natural result
it allows to woman the right Of suf-
frage."
"Well, if that is what it said," said
Bessie, after pausing for sufficient time
to let the long words sink in, "if that's
what it is, guess I'm not woman s
rights. don't want any more suffrage
than I've got already. Why, last week
when Carlo killed our poor rag baby"
mic Of %,o ot,,,or, no
of the awful tragedy, 81 know I suffer-
ed more than George did, cause he just
said the dog had eaten one of the dolls
and went on making Indians all over
his spelling book, and felt SO misera-
BILE couldn't even go to Cousin Ada s
tea party"
"Come here, daughter, and TIL tell
you all about it SO as you can under
stand" said papa, laughing heartily.
"Woman' S rights is where all the mann
mas and big sisters and aunts and girl
cousins go to meetings and make speech
es and vote and form clubs and preach
sermons, and all the papas and brothers
and boy cousins of every one stay home
and take care Of the babies and cook din
ner and scrub floors and darn stockings
and everything like that. Mamma ism It
that far gone yet; but, never mind,
you II know all about it soon enough. "
This was something Miss Bessie could
understand, and though mamma laugh
ed and said papa was only joking, and
''that wasn't it at ALL, it seemed more
fun than just suffering and my lady de-
termined to try how she liked it the very
next day. Accordingly the following
morning she hurried over her little tasks
as quickly as she could, and when
George had pored over the much abused
spelling book for the required length Of
time, she told him of her new plan, and
got permission from mamma to play
house in the nursery instead Of going
down to lunch.
Then the pair marched to the kitchen
on an exploring tour and succeeded in
capturing a few slices Of cold ham, a
lemon, a bunch of raisins, two apples,
some ginger snaps and various Jumps Of
sugar, on which to begin housekeeping.
After surveying the provisions for a
few minutes George seemed as fully sat-
isfied with the new plan as his sister had
been, and as they went to the playroom
both thought that "woman's rights"
might be very nice thing.
''Now, Mister Doogan," said the
young lady, as she adjusted her MAN.
mas big red shawl in graceful train
behind and tied a very forlorn little
bonnet, which had been rescued from
the ragbag, on her curly head, II don t
'spect I'll be home before O'Clock, SO
you get the children dressed and put the
things on to cook, and don't let any one
in the house.
Albright, ma 'am," replied her obe-
dient spouse. "I'll tend to everything,
and you just 60 down town and have a
meeting and make some money, and you
can tell the Indians there is not going
to be any war today, cause I've got to
stay home and take care of the chill
dren''
"I'll invite them to hear my sermon,
and then they can be converted, and
there needn't be any more wars ever, !"
said Mrs. Doogan. HAnd don't you eat
anything till come home, George" :"
she added as parting injunction,
cause if you do you re awful mean,
and l won't play. -
"All right, " said George in a subdued
tone. Then he called, "You better let
those Indians alone, cause they're very
savage and might cut your head off and
eat your up.
Mr.. Doogan went back to the house
and obediently started to dress his nu-
merous charges when it occurred to him
that Miranda, Mrs. Doogan's jointed
doll and the only member of the tribe
that the paterfamilias had any interest
in, was decidedly dirty and must have
bath right that minute. So off he went
to the laundry with the fated Miranda
under his arm, and getting on chair
which stood conveniently by he laid his
charge carefully on the bottom of one Of
the washtrays and turned on both fau-
Gets.
AS the tub filed he observed that Mi
randa rose on the waves, and this de-
lighted him very much. "Why, Miran-
da, you can float beautiful" he OBJ
oOA s0u, anu IL yOu II uOb 1rdlQ OI GET
ting chill L II shsw you how to swim. -
Miranda didn't say she was afraid,
but she was beginning to look remarka-
bly, woebegone, especially in the vicinity
OF her faxeE hair. Her father did not
seem to notice this. however. Tying
one OF the girls aprons around his
waist, he rolled up his sleeves and pro-
ceeded to give an object lesson.
You see, my dear, you just put your
two hands together like this and then
splash 'em out as far as you can, and
then splash 'em together again. Just as
easy as anything when you once get in
to it, and it's lots of fun too. -
Evidently Mr.. Doogan thought it was
lots of fun, for he became SO engrossed
IN his occupation that he forgot all
about Miranda for quite long time
Then he saw the meat boy walk down
the oath on his way to the Kitchen. and