The Meeker herald., 1919-01-04
Margaret Stand. BY
The Cause"
Copyright, 1317. b. the Mcclure Nswspa,
per DyAdioAto)

<Copyflgnt, uQJs ~ the AoC1uro NoW0pA
per 0yndioAtAl
A man who has any imagination re-
ganiins feminine psychology must 81.
ways look with something Ike concern
toward the hrst meeting Of his mother
and his wife-or the woman whom hs
intends to make his wife. 80 when
Blackstone Loomis' mother wrote to
her son that she was coming to New
York from her home In q middle West.
ern metropolis for . short stay at no
tel of nationwide fame. he was not al.
together sanguins In his anticipation
Of the meeting Of these two women
10 important In his life.
How would the housewifely and
farm-bred mother regard the city and
ohice-bred nanceef At heart Black.
stone knew them to be much the same
sort Of women. He consoled himself
In thinking that had his mothers az.
perience and training been Identical
with those Of Margaret she, too, would
have wanted the ballot. He also be-
lieved sincerely that had Margaret
been married from q farm, a. had his
mother at the age Of eighteen. Mar.
garet. too. would have been ~ keen
about the housewifely tasks ~ was
his mother.
Would the elder woman be shocked
at the younserf Would the young
or woman b amused BY the elderl
Had he been too lavish In his praises
Of these women to each otherf He
had not. perhaps, thought that they
would meet 70 soon. He had never
dreamed that his mother would have
the opportunity or the means to take
the eastern trip % soon. or he might
perhaps not have written 20 giowingly
Of the girl to whom he was to be mar.
ried. He might have somehow pre-
pared his mother for the fact that
Margaret was sometimes q little too
advanced and progressive In her views.
It was several years since he had
seen this mother Of his and he had
not had an opportunity to chat with
her about Margaret and letters had
perhaps given q too one-sided view Of
her.
whatever else happens," he told
the girl on the eve Of his mothers
expected arrival. don't let the mother
know that you are feminist"
Blackstone had planned to make
this request at the outset Of his call
on Margaret In her little uptown apart.
ment. where she kept quarters with
two other young women who were en-
ployed In downtown omees. But II
hadn't been 20 easy ~ he had a,
pectsd. and the quick lash that came
from lafsaret's eyes made him realise
that his mlsgivings had not been III.
founded.
Margaret was outspoken and she die
not mince matters at all now. Con.
ceal from his mother that she vas Q
suffragist 4 feminist" a. he calls IT.
why, he was asking her to be . traitor.
And what good would It dot Wouldn't
the truth come out sometime9 Did be
want her to act . LEI
Then came the masculine APPEAL for
nationality. .Don't be silly. Margaret"
hs said. .No ono has asked you to
act q lie. You don't have to say that
you are an anti. or anything like that;
put you Just needn't say anything about
It at ALL"
"But doesn't your mother know that
you are q su6ragistr queried Mar.
saret.
II can't say that I have ever told
her-no." Blackstone had to 60 eau.
hously here. for he was well aware Of
the fact that his conversion to ''the
cause" had been one Of the prereQuis-
ties Of their engagement. At nrst
Margaret stormed and suffered . good
deal over the request, but finally she
acQuiescsd and gave him to under.
stand that. unless the subject were
brought up b. his mother. she would
not volunteer any information concern
Ing her own convictions.
The next morning early, when Black.
stone went to meet his mother. their
nrst connected words were directed to
the subject Of Asrgaret, whom the
mother was to meet that evening at
dinner In NarEaret's little apartment.
The other girls had agreed to 20 out
for the evening 70 ~ to leave her sole
hostess for this little family party.
Blackstone WINGED little when one
Of the nrst questions the mother asked
was this: u don't suppose your Mar.
garet II . suffragistr
"What makes you think she could
bei' he evaded In way not altogether
worthy Of one who claimed to be .
convert. "Just because she works In
an once and hasn't had the advantages