The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-09-10
Miss FinSer'S
Disappointment

AT every election Tor years our
votes had been unanimously cast for
the same party; we were all doing
pretty WELL and few of us ever gave
thought to making any change In
politics, so there never was any ex-
citement on voting day.
But about year ago, Bill Sutons
maiden aunt came to live with him,
as she put it. ITO spend the rest of
her days with her dear nephew and
keep an eye on him."
She was supposed to have little
money, chow much Bill was anxious
to find out), had been through some
ladies' college years ago, and had lee
tured several times before different
women's clubs, her favorite subjects
being, How to Manage a Husband"
"How to Bring up Children" and
"The Care of Household"
1t did not take her long to get ao.
quainted with every woman in the
village; it wouldn't take her long to
get acquainted with every woman in
ten villages. She was a thin. lively.
meddlesome, specialized, but clever,
old lady who honestly thought she
improved everything she butted into.
She formed a Married Woman's I'M
provement Society, and made all our
wives members, Miss Clara Finser,
the old lady herself, being president,
secretary, lecturer and chief adviser.
At first we men looked upon the
thing as a joke, and when we met
at the village store would have quite
laugh over 1t, but we were careful
in our comments as none of us was
anxious to get next to Miss Finser
and her lively tongue.
But we soon began to feel the ef-
fects of the NJ ". Improvement So.
cietJ in our homes.
John" said my wife to me one
day, don't you think we should go
out with the team at least three after.
moons a week! We are working too
hard, and l don't feel so we'll as
used to some weeks ago."
"Whose idea is that. Miss Fin
ser's? l asked.
"Yes, and / quite agree with her."
she replied.
"Then we will think it over"
That evening some Of the neighborD
met at the store; each of them aired
some grievance that was put down to
the work of the M. w. l. Society.
Peter Barrows' wife was insisting
on visiting the nearest city two days
week and taking singing lessons;
Miss Finser said her voice was
worth it. Another mans wife wanted
his property arranged so that any
check or deed he signed would be Of
no use without her signature also;
another wanted mandolin lessons; an
other seventy-fve-dollar set of false
teeth; the work she was doing
around the house and farm demanded
the best. she said. and so on.
We talked these things over and
decided not to notice these demands
of the women and at the same time
notified Bull Sutton that If this condi-
tion of things Gid not cease soon
there would be trouble for both him
and his aunt.
Bill said he did not want to inter
fere with her, and we all knew why,
He had found out that the old lady's
bank account was pretty good, and
above all he was afraid OF her tongue;
she would sail into him on the least
excuse until he was glad to go out
in the fields and work for a rest;
she would continue to talk when he
came back to meals, he got 1t fol
breakfast dinner and supper.
He was taking more hard cider
than was good for him since his aunt
arrived; he said it was impairing his
hearing.
The State election was coming
round and one question that we were
to vote on this year was woman suf
frage The Women's Society, acting
under the advice of their energetic
president, eased up in their small in
dividual demands and began to work
in body for al affirmative vote.
Miss Finser was almost as good al
chasing the voters as she was al
talking; every voter in the village
she buttonholed, every voters wife
got instructions not to let up, but re
mind their husbands every day what
was expected from them, and every
voter, l believe, promised severa
times to vote the right way. I know
I promised to vote correctly on the
question-correctly as l saw it.
While the men did not arrange any
concerted action, and did not ever
talk very much among themselves
about it, it could easily be seen, how
ever, that there was an undercurrent
of feeling that boded i'll for Miss Fin
ser's pet object.
In an address to the voters, in the
store, the night before election, Mis-:
Finser said, among other things
while it may be doubtful about get
ting a majority throughout the Stat,
for woman suffrage, we want this lit
tie village of Farnum to be unani
nous for it, thereby showing the peo
pie that, though We may be one o
the smallest villages in the State
in progressive ideas we won't taxi
- I.v. IL