The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-13
THE HARMLESS HEN.


why does a woman object TO being called a hen?
We have had in the investigation into the alleged
delinquencies of the Washington police on the
occasion of the great Suffragette parade many
vague illusions to vulgar jeers' and sneers by
the crowd, to "scurrious and opprobrious cpl
thets' applied to the marchers. Now the worst
has been revealed. One of the woman witnesses
blurted 1t out to the Investigating committee
o. congress. In fearful and indignant tones she
said the men In the crowd of spectators shouted
I'VE came TO see chickens but all these are hens"
abiding to the perambulating persons then before
them
Many people will be surprised to know that
authority SO respectable Webster's dictionary
gives as one of the definitions of chicken" "a
young person; child: especially young woman,
maiden" and quotes from Dean Swift "stella is
no chicken" as one source Of the definition. So 1t
appears that the Objectionable CALCULATIONS of the
mob signifed that its members, talking by the
dictionary, had Jared forth to look upon maidens
and were disappointed to discover only-hens.
Why should a lady resent so bitterly being
called a hen? 1t is easy to understand the OBJ
lection to the word cat" That is recognized
as the epitome of feminine vtuperation, the final
and supreme summary Of unpleasant and hateful.
characteristics. the last tremendous word in
which the quarrel eliminates before the door
is slammed on an Indignantly switching skirt
and the. conversation abruptly and triumphantly
concluded. The cat is supposed to have certain
qualities of treachery and ngratitude and when
a woman says another is "cat" she
has said all--except indeed, when in an out
burst of wrath absolutely volcanic 1t is made
old cat" The "cat" simple may be atoned for
by many tears and seasonable tokens of penitence
and tenderness; but "old cat is final. It never
is forgiven. "A hen, however. Is reputable and
useful fowl. But for an incurable moral weak
ness In the direction of freshly planted garden
seeds her character is unimpeachabe. White her
voice uplifted In song, as she MARBLES her lays
and chronicles in cackes her various and ovarious
achievements is not strictly musical 1t is cheerful
and conveys promise. She is not intellectual ex-
actly but she is diligent, attends to her own bus
mess and during the process of incubation APP
pears absorbed in profound thought. Where,
then, is the offense In comparing panoplied suf-
fragette to a hen reminding her that she is not
chicken. as Swift says. Usually she is not
chicken Why should she regard an insult
COMPARISON with matured and harmless dcmes-
tic creature? There is mystery here requiring
explanation
A he suifragist witness, melted and strength
ened by the recital of the lady from whom We
have quoted conhded to the committee that he,
also had endured laceratlon of the feelings.
He testified that as the male division was pass
ing. rude persons Of the popuace called out
"henpecko!" The same was intended to imply,
he thought. that he and his fellow sufferers
were henpecked. In this also 1t is difficult to
find occasion for police interference. Probably
every policeman then present is In private life
henpecked man. The martial front, the swelling
chest the official shield and baton of the cop, are
not protection against henpecking, Nothing is.
No man is so mighty or so formidable as to es-
cape that common lot Every well regulated and
normal man is henpecked; save he be the father
Of daughters in which case he is chickenpecked.
So why should proudly parading sufragist pro-
claiming his condition before all men, permit
his p1umes droop and his feathers TO draggle
because he is derided as one henpecked? Were
the police supposed to discriminate between
these gallant fnarehers really subject to the re
proach and those who were not, and arrest those
who made unjust accusations? Is there som out
ward sign symbol or token, known in the suf-
frage brotherhood and sisterhood, by which the
henpecked may be discerned from the free, and
casual observers may know whether pair OF
trousers contains the real captain of a household
or merely lieutenant obscure and I'M
considered commissary sergeant?