The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-06-07
THE HoeBLE LADY AND HER
DOLL

behind the tea-table and so surround
ed By people that he could not get
near her, so he took his way to a
window seat. where the Doll sat, her
arms stiHiy held out and a broad gel
low sash across her chest with Votes
for Women" displayed upon it.
Jeremiah could not help smiling as
he took her waxen hand.
II suppose" he said tentatively,
that you are what might be called a
silent witness 10 the truth"
Unless YOU appreciate the rather
obvious reasons of the situation" she
replied. "a doll crying in the drawing
room. the kingdom of woman is at
han! A symbol OF her animate pro-
totypes demanding something they do
not want"
IT Is but a step from the animate
20 the inanimate." said jeremiah,
Razing longingly toward the Hobble
Lady.
"A step down." corrected the Doll,
somewhat realistically, from the
gold Of silence to the silver of speech,
but nevertheless, when it comes down
20 the sawaust, we are all the same"
who are those notwithstanding
people gathered about the tea-table?"
asked jeremiah, his eyes still upon
the Hobble Lady.
Cause men and Cause women"
the Doll answered. They are always
trying 10 lose themselves and others,
principally others. in some movement
FOR the betterment of the human
race"
n know Them" said jeremiah, not
without a tinge of bitterness in his
tones. They are eve roffering some
new breakfast food which they say
win make us as the gods, knowing
GOOD and evil More than once have
/ gnllelessly eaten and found to my
surprise and disappointment that /
didn't grow god feathers all at once,
bat still remained my same old self,
half devil and half child wonder"
he added. after a moments keen scru-
tiny. "why they always have that
eray-green tinge to their compilations
and that particularly dank-looking
hairg"
Its their livers." returned the
Doll. THAT Is why they are Cause
people. born TO bay the moon. For
ever al war with their own livers,
they cannot be at peace with the
world Never good diagnosticans,
they invariably idealize the liver ram
pant and call IL a conscience or a
soul Scratch a muckraker and you
come % his liver"
but why does the Hobble Lady
want them about?" Jeremiah was
plainly puzzled
Its ratner smart. you know, the
orchid taking up the cause of the veg
etables and playing with an idea
which she is far from adopting or
even comprehending- sisterhood
Of woman"
"If I were a woman" affirmed Jer-
emiah. Il should feel that my priv
ileges were worth more than any So
called rights equal suffrage could be-
stow upon me. Think of the laws
made in her favor-her property
rights are safeguarded; she need not
pay her husbands debts. while he
must assume the responsibility of
hers: neither in case of divorce need
she pay him alimony. Then how
golden are her undisturbed moments;
she Is never haunted by the fear of
being summoned to the wars or to go
on jury duty. or OF having to pin on
her hat to go out and help quell a
riot. or TO tuck up her train and take
a hand AT putting out a fire"
The Doll looked at him with an
amused smile. My dear boy you do
not really dream that the Cause Lady
has any idea of giving up her priv
Ioges on acquiring her rights? She
would laugh to scorn such a sugges-
lion Our rights and our privileges,
one and insepsrable; now and for
ever"
AZ this moment the Hobble Lady
came across the room to speak to
Jeremiah. He gave her his hand
without raising from the window seat.
A flush rose upon her cheek; she
looked her Indignation.
My dear Hobble Lady" he cried,
"you are inconsistent. When you set
those rights which you are demand
ing so vociferously. we snail be on an
equal footing. To be ready for that
time We should all be in training.
There Is no reason why men should
continue to show you these meaning
less and old-fashioned courtesies.