Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-01-28
FREEDOM AFLOAT.
81 N. ouAp.
Copyright. 1909, BY American Press Asso.
citation.

4
Tour other strong minded sisters 10 the
taith had chartered the houseboat Free
dom Tor cruise OF a month on the
Day and We're ready 10 start. Not a
nan was to be allowed on board; NOT
even boy was 10 be allowed 10 fish
near the craft. 1t was to be indie
pendence Of the male sex pure and
simple. The five husbands OF the ave
strong minded women had raised no OBJ
tectons. They had simply smiled and
winked at each other.
The tug left the houseboat at anchor
forty rods from wooded shore. The
women bossed the job, and the tug
captain obeyed instructions. The an
Choir was hardly down when Eve voices
began chanting their relief at having
arrived where man was not They had
escaped him. They could stand on the
burning deck and defy him-no more
thraldom and oceans Of liberty for a
month.
This state of relief and hilariousness
and general good feeling continued for
fifty minutes by the clock In the cabin.
Then Mrs. Perkins discovered a cock
roach. 1t was not a monster Of ma
lignant mien. but stilI 1t was a cock
roach. Its discovery ought to have
been the merest trifle compared to the
emancipation OF woman after 8OOO
years of servitude. but the tidgety Mrs.
Perkins clean forgot to look at it in
that way. In fact. she said that she
wouldn't have come If she had known
that a cockroach was coming too.
1t was just ten minutes later when
Mrs. Smith discovered flies and bugs
flies and bugs coming in clouds from
the shore and that the Insects had
teeth or stingers. Then Mrs. Frown
and Mrs. Davis asked for fishlines and
learned that no one had thought to
provide them. The talk was blending
into acrimony when Mrs Graham
called meeting of the society and pre-
scented the following preamble and res
oIution:
Whereas, Woman has at last emerged
from a state OF servitude lasting since
the days OF Adam and Eve: and,
Whereas. She has now become the SUI
perior of man and no longer needs his
assistance in any direction; now, there
fore, be 1t
Resolved That the sense of this meet
ing Is that we proceed to show the world
at large. but particularly the male sex,
that we are equal TO any emergency.
The resolution was adopted without
dissenting vote, and for an hour a
| H..
away the groceries. it was discovered
that neither salt nor baking powder
had been brought along. Mrs. Perkins
and Mrs. Smith had quite few plain
words over ii, and when Mrs. Graham
threatened to call another meeting of
the society they were silenced.
On the second day several more
things happened. Ii was discovered
that the craft leaked and no one knew
: how to work the pump. Under the
: brisk wind she dragged her anchor and
: grounded on mud fiat. Five hundred
more cockroaches appeared to see what
what II was all about. The tide
brought i'm a big log. which insisted on
humping the houseboat at the rate OF
five bumps minute. and the fore
handed skeeters didn't wait for the
going down of the sun. The five wo
men staggered through the day. and
q as they arose from a poorly cooked
dinner Mrs. Smith. with look of re
bellion on her face. ventured to make
the general inquiry:
:, HAS woman actually been enamel
e pated from the thraldom Of man. Of
g does she still depend on him just {
s little bit?'
! Mrs. Smith. | shall call a meeting
i Of the society in just five minutes" ex
claimed Mrs. Graham in reply.
"But let us look facts in the face,
suggested Mrs. Davis.
: 1--WE are on a mud fiat" replied Mrs
d Brown.
e "And who can get US off but men?
f solemnly asked Mrs. Perkins.
"And who can pump out the water?
"And get us homer"
"Man. Man. Man. Man."
/ Ladies' said Mrs. Gleason. "ar
you ready. after fighting for 5000 year
l. for your rights aud winning them a
last, to surrender to your areh eheh'
because of an emergency two or tire
simple emergencies
I'VE arer'
Then you are towards and desery
C the heel of the tyrant on your necks
% Good Lord. what's thatT'
Il Two things had happened. The wa
terlogged housebOat had given lure
'e and settled foot deeper into the mu
O. and a young man had come alongsid
In a boat and was yelling az them:
Say. you women. there's going to D
gale. and your craft viii either b
N pounded to pieces here or driven on
into the bay Shall set you ashore
r. "Yes. Yes, Yes. Yes from fou
r. voices.
10 Ladies. let US do things in order
ehided Mrs. Graham. Il call the NEE
ing to order and present the follow