Catoctin clarion., 1899-11-30

| JuuktS hHu IWO VIGIL nsS WV VI thShA
and outside watchers and three committee
women, one from each party, with carriages.
Nearby was the second polling place for the
bond issue, held in private cottage where
gathered costly around the library table were
the four officials three Of whom were ladies.
And that was about the tout ensemble in each
precinct. The voters passed from one build
ing to the other as quietly as tho passing
from ladies club or sociable; and ladies,
must say was paralyzed by the decorum
and order observed. No crowd nor lounging
about; no loud talk nor electioneerlng; no
liquor nor tobacco-at least l saw none.
But must confess the precincts were not
all so quiet as mine
What did do? Why there was nothing
under the shining sun for me to do except
to get into a carriage and drive about all
day long and haul ladies to and fro, and
think every other woman in my precinct was
an Uitlander, for had to smile and flatter
and wheedle and coax and cajole to get her
out, IN way that convinced me the women
are not dying to get into politics, and the
men need lose no sleep over the fear that the
women are all going to forsake their homes
and babies and rush into Office. One anxious
mothCrly old soul exclaimed in a tone that
made my knees knock together:
"Young woman, don't for the Lords sake
have anything to do with politics; It's rotten
clean through from top to bottom, and will
lead you straight to hell. have son in it
and l pray the good Lord every night to
take him out, and never vii, vote again,
never till the judgment day, it is coming in
1900 and pray the good Lord that YOU may
not be found among the goats" and as the
door closed behind me, l crawled into my
carriage, pondering over the awful situation
that we women were in.
found that class of women who don't
keep informed, rather Indifferent to the re-
suit. One bright little woman who regarded
the matter much as lottery created little
ripple by tossing up penne, saying, "hcads,
Rcpub!icans;taiis, Democrats 1have known
people to decide marriage in the same way
and can't say but what it rs safe plan
as any.
Did we women quarrel and argue and fight
and pull hairs? Let my first experience nail
forever chat charge rs an infamous slander
born of masculine brain. We just stood
about between times and chattcred together
as friendly as magpies, how to raise babies
and keep our homes. and make pickles and
other stcws and things; and lay wagers on
our candidates, and whispered to one another
what we were going 10 do with the munif
cent sum given us for our days labor and
patriotism. One pretty, sparkling brunette
was going to use her fiver for one of those
nobby hats at the Denver. Another serious,
Bostonic looking blonde in glasses was going
to use hers to buy membership into the
woman's club In Denver you can't get in
the swim unless you are in the woman's
club Gee whiyl how it makes the money
fly to be clubwoman! | will tell you all
about the club ari>,ocracy in another letter.
And now | have told you all about the
election. the distribution of plnms, pie and
cake comes next Ofcoursc | am expecting
State Senatorship or something of the sort.
Why not? Other ladies have had it, Demo-
Gratis promised me and never knew II Dem
ocrat to tell lie.
no ,iced your kind words about me in
The CLARION, and your desire to know
about my doings personally, and now think
you may guess partly that am working for
the Metropolitan press and politics. and the
contract with them thus far has so dcmoral-
lied me that begin to suspect the Old lady
and the tract man were not far of as to the
road am travelling; and you must let this
suffice for the present. In my next | can
tel better what shall be doing then. In
Colorado you never can tell today where you
will be nor what doing tomorrow. Fickle
fortune plays us many a trick; we bob up
and down like the weather and mining stocks
Last Sunday preacher from his pulpit
portrayed in eloquent language, the beauty
of pure heart and righteous life; next morn.
ing he figured in the police courts in n
naughty affair. Another: in the Federation
of Woman's Clubs a prominent lady read an
elegant paper on the Philosophy of the Rea-
soning powers; next day she was committed
to the insane asylum. And so when you
hear from me again, may be the sport Of
tickle chance, figuring in police cour:, or
starring the country with Sd class minstrel
show. However let me predict what you
will find me doing in the fall of l9O0-work.
ing and voting for Willie Bryan; then if my
....-. L.. a..,,a 1 .L.,ll u.ith IrilAu q wile