The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1897-11-26

dent nature she pursued the work OF
her education.
Thus from week to week we listened
with delight to the welcome budget
Jim would bring. Sometimes Mary's
letters were only Of her life at school,
her books, her new friends-and my
heart would sink-for then she seemed
SO far, sc very far away! Again, she
would write Of herself, of the love she
bore her father and her home, with an
o~ccasional-a very occasional-message
for Harry, at which, Of course, my
heart would beat with joy, and 1 would
cough or light my pipe, do anything to
hide the tell-tale light l knew was in
my eyes. During the last year she had
written most of her homecoming; and
lately her letters had taken a tone of
great seriousness, with many illusions
to her duty as a woman"
In her latest letter she begged that
her father would take her more serious
ly; she could not be a butterfly" and
she spoke of "woman's sphere being
broad and far-reaching." Mckenzie
only laughed and said, Poor child! she
is signing for the mountain air." He
wrote her of the beautiful illy he had
trained and made ready for her use,
very long and broad her woman's
sphere could be.
At last a letter came telling that she
was surely coming home, and telling
how anxious she was to be with him on
Thanksgiving Day. She complained
ever so gently that she feared he had
not taken her exactly as she wished
that she was no longer a child, and
that her mind was quite occupied with
the problem of "Woman's Mission" In
fact, she had lately been made president
Of the Woman's Emancipation Circle,
which organization had originated in
Ter school with every promise of be-
coming a power for great good among
women. 81 subjoin," she added, 'the
principal maXims for which we pledge
ourselves to labor without ceasing:
1--WE claim equal rights before the
law.
I'VE ask equal pay for equal work.
I'VE ask that men cease to impose
upon us by their empty f1attery, and
THAT we be recognized as reasonable
human beings with eyes to see for our
selves; hands to work as we will"
This time even Mckenzie could not
fail to catch her meaning; he looked
puzzled and troubled, and finally said:
"In the morning she will be half way
home and I shall go to meet her. I
think" he added slowly, 81 think Mary
needs her father. Yes, I'm sure-dead
sure-she needs her father"
Meanwhile I had registered a solemn
VOW that every claim and every asser-
ton of this New Woman should be dis
proved and contradicted by Mary in her
own sweet self. When I closed my eyes
that night it vas to dream of Thanks
giving Day and Mary and I really be-
lieve that in my sleep I heard the sweet
sound of wedding bells.
+ Il
For some time the next day McKen-
zie was shyly making his daughters
acquaintance. He could not for the life
of him see the slightest trace of the
dread phantom her last letter had Gre
ated. He thanked God that she was
womanly and gentle; that her heart was
whatever error of fancy had got
ten into her head.
"Why, dear Mary!!" he answered her,
"you don't want to work like a man.
You can't do it. When 1 was your age
I could handle a pick all day; I could
do it now. A woman's work cannot be
equal to mans; so it is hardly fair for
her to ask equal pay-besides, it was
to Adam the command was given to
earn his bread by the sweat of his
brow"
Poor Mary! She could not help be-
ing disconnected. Her fathers opin-
ions, she knew, were always based on
common sense. So it was some time
before she spoke again; and then 1t
-.:s TO ask why it was that women did
net have equal rights with mec SSeiiore
the law. He answered that women
surely do have equal rights before the
Law. "You see," my dear, he went on,
their rights are really identical, their
interests the same: and it is a mans
first notion of duty to see that these
rights are respected. I would like to
see any person interfere with your
r shts or hear of any law that would
be unjust to you. By George! I would
soon show that your rights were my
rights, and that the law exists solely
for the benefit of mankind, which you
12@ O.