The Monitor-register., 1896-05-15
woMAN's RIGHTS.
BY MIS- DEKIN v

"i Aikn1S OaPuTOua Diaria, DuC
haven't never objected t o FOUR doing
everything you wanted to, have 1? OF
course. continued he, 10 an injured tone,
with a signiiercant wave of the hand
across the street, ''you can't NOV grass
because we have no lawn; but you can
push a lawn mower around, all the same,
if you want to-"
Just at this moment the busy woman,
having clipped the last spear of grass,
showed the machine beneath the side
porch, and disappeared in the house.
Directly she r~eappeared, dragging fifty
feet of rubber hose behind her, which
hose she proceeded to attach to the water
pipe. and in a few minutes she was tnrn-
ing a brisky stream of water alternately
on the dusty shrubb. ry about her, and
the dusty road that stretched itself away
in the rays of a hot sun.
Dekin SPAWN watched the sparkling,
sparkling stream a moment, as it dashed
itself into glistening drops upon the
fragrant june roses, that partly hid the
form of a man, absorbed in his morning
paper, just within the lace draped win
dow ere he exclaimed, with a smothered
sigh:
"Great Scott! but it must be nice, to be
the husband of the woman that's got all
her rights. Go to the League, Saphrona,
by all means; our kitchen needs papering
the worst way, and I expected I'd have
to hire a man to whitewash the cellar
and while you're gone I'll go and buy a
hose and lawn mower"
AS | didn't make no response Peletire
continued on, ~anxions like:
"If there's anything else you'd like to
do just let me know, Saphrona; there
amt nothing mean about me, when it
comes to woman's rights"
At this instant the ice man, coming
slowly dow the street, paused at the
opposite curb long enough to deposit a
fifty pound cube of Joe upon the edge of
the walk. Without a moments hesitancy
our neighbor propped the hose in an up
perright position. aud as her imertation
fountain sprayed itself upon the mown
grass, she dashed out OF sight in the rear
somewhere, returning Immediately with
a pair of ice tongs, with which she pro-
ceeded to drag and pull the great ice
block up the brick walk.
When l came down stairs again, half
an hour later, with my hand bag in one
hand and my umbrell' in the other, I
noticed that woman was standing outside
of her front fence. with a pail of paint
and a paint brush.
AS walked down the front steps Pele-
tire followed me ont to the edge, observ-
ing softly with a shy and furtive glance
toward the painter"
II hope to goodness, Saphrona Maria,
you'll try and get your rights at the
same shop she got hers, they seem to be
yard wide.'"
Someway Peletire's remark suggested
a bold idea, and on the spur of the
moment | crossed the street, and says
unceremoniously to the little woman
Don't You want to vote, missis P"
With a weary look in her eyes, and a
weary smile upon her lips, the small
oma paused in her daubing long
enough to reply, with q weary sigh:
81 want skirt braid enough sight
worse, if l had time to go to the store and
get it,"
"But," interpolated the dekin-and l
hadn't noticed he was right at my heels,
before-"if women get to making the
laws. my dear-I mean madam-skirt
braids will grow Oh rose- bushes, handy"
"Dekin Spavinl" says l, CURLY.
"Course. Saphrona." retorted Peletire.
in an argumentative tone. "When poor
short sighted man can make pears grow
on apple trees, and can whisper in Chi.
cago and be heard in New York, there
amt no telling what women can do when
she once gets ~started-and they're going
to have things just the way they want
'em then, you know"
At this period an irritable voice from
within the house called ont sharply:
"Hang it ALI where are my shoes
Helene ?"
Myl the way that little neighbor of
ours sped up the walk was surprising,
| but before me and Dekin SPAWN had
regained our equilibrium we caught
glimpses, between the swaying branches
of wisteria that entwined that side porch,
of that same earnest little worker vigor-
ously plying the backing brush to a
number eight shoe.
"Another of her rights" commented
the dekin, admiringly.
III couldn't do that for no living man."
says l., as 1 watched that woman's
absorption with scorLfal eye.
'Oh, yes, you could" exclaimed the
dekin eagerly, as his glance fell reproach-
fully on his dusty foot; Il amt never
no objectious; you didn't never propose
it, Saphrona Maria, I'm convinced"
added he, emphatically, 'that it's
woman's own fault when she doesn't
have her rights. Why. I could pile SC
many rights on you, Saphrona Maria,
that you could not wigg lie, let alone rave
around for more at the Woman's Rights
League"
The League! True enough-I'd most
forgot what I'd set out to do-so without
another word to Peletire I started with
haste to make up for lost time.
At the corner 1 glanced back, just as
Dekin SPAWN tipped his hat with a lam
gushing glance-and both speaking eyes
fixed on the wisteria vines didn't have
eyes for nothing but her husbands shoe
and / wasn't noways surprised, when l
got back, to find Peletire cross as cross
could be.
Says he, the first thing. and with a
great scowl:
"Who was that jacksnapes that walked
home with you, Saphrona MariaP ?"
"Why," says 1. as I shook hands with
Robin SPAWN, lolling carelessly in our
shaded bay window, 'sthat is the presi-
dent of the League, Dekin SPAWN. His
name is Seaforth, and" a~ccusingly, "he's
q gentleman who believes in the steady
progression and REIMBURSEMENT of
woman"
"Huh!" commented the dekin, with =
wry face, elf it is in order for you to
begin your rights with q filtration. ! wish
| you'd have some regards for my feelings,
| and pick put a better looking man-'relse
lend him ten cents to get his hair cut"
At this moment Roger gave such a