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Show Feminism as She Is Revealed in Rural Parts Rural kitchens display tho shaping strugglo of womankind with regard to feminism. In a distance covered of about 130 miles wo met, for instance, the woman wom-an who has no outward lifo whatever, what-ever, as a human being; the woman who expresses herself through her "woman's way"; the woman who is too busy with woman's duties to take part In any other life; the woman, " anti-suffragist, whoso family and social so-cial prestige in tho community give her sway, and who therefore does not care anything about the vote; the woman, suffragist, whose narrow experience has led her only as far as a sense of justice in certain practical prac-tical matters; tho woman, suffragist, active and capable, whoso efficiency has brought her and her husband prosperity, and who therefore sees as far as moro efficiency for women wom-en through suffrage. While her husband, the saddler of tho village, mended our much worn pack tho saddler's wife entertained herself with us and managed him. If that hour and a half in their harness-shop was typical of their entiro life, thcro was scarcely a period when she, with her "woman's way," was not putting something over on his "man ways." They were anagcd pair, but she was still sweet-faced and killarney-cycd, and still had tho physical and-spirltual charm of frish loveliness. They both camo from the soil of strong sex lines. She played tho happy little game of woman wo-man with man that puts tho punch in stories of Irish romance. Ho did the cutting of leather and fastening of rivets with his feebly uncertain hands, but it was she who made the suggestions as to width of straps, how they might go over tho shoulder and buckle In place. Ho turned all such suggestions down and indulged in scornful conversation about "women's "wo-men's rights," which they had heard about through the visits to Johnson-villc Johnson-villc of a certain summer lady. "If she'd had moro children and less i t dogs she would not had to lake up with women's rights." After much fumbling and fussing he executed his wife's ideas. He fumed and fussed and she coddled and silontly bossed and managed. The pack was mended, ho made the charge, took the money and performed the man's part of tho transaction. And wo were ready to go on our way. As wo went out the door she patted his old hips with her two palms and said: "Ahc, he's me biye, and he's just a3 much of a blyo today as the driy I got him." We descended from the mountains and on the front porch of tho big farmhouse met a largo and authoritative authori-tative woman of cheerful manner, in gingham aprpn and calico dress, with her sleeves rolled to hor elbows el-bows in tho democracy of labor. Across the road, in the hot July sun, the reaper was rattling through the grain and farm-hands were perspiring perspir-ing in their elemental toll. A clean collie, with country manners, grcct- ed us effusively. "Peggy, get down!" the woman protested. "Do I have to put you to bed?" The collie put back its ears at the indirect but familiar fa-miliar command. She talked of the siraplo construction construc-tion of the community, where tho poor are taken care of by tlicir neighbors who aro moro prosperous. It was plain to be seen that sbo wielded tho scepter of charity and that her word was generally law in the valley. "Thero aro only two poor families in the valley, and they're shiftless. There was Hiram Scrlbbs. He was just do-less. So long as he got help ho wouldn't worlc For a while ho'd even go to tho moving picturo show in Manchester Man-chester two or three times a week. I've only been twice in my life. Finally. I said to him: 'Now, Hiram, Hi-ram, wo can get work for your whole family. I can put you to work right hero on this farm. And I can find a place for your boy with tho Wil-liamses, Wil-liamses, and your daughter and wife can go to Conrad's farm.' 'What,' says he, 'and break up my family? I don't need your help. I guess I can toke caro of my family all right.' So Hiram went to work." The suffrage club of the countryside country-side was an expression of tho efficiency effi-ciency of the women. Mrs. Rice, the president, boasted two stone pillars at the entrance to her farm, p. wide stone porch, striped awnings lowered low-ered over the windows, red furniture on tho porch, an electric button on the door. A victrola in the parlor had not yet banished the crayon enlargements en-largements on the walls or the crocheted cro-cheted tidies on tho chairs. We left her large, modern stone house, in the midst of opulent fields," and went to the ,housc of Mrs. Hill. She came into suffrage as long as she can remember, through tho object ob-ject lesson of a voteless mother struggling to rear a large family and successfully run a farm alone. There was nothing new in the environment of a suffrago movement to her. It has the historic position with her that homo rule has in Ireland. Sho has no sympathy with It, and sometimes some-times intolerance when it docs not touch her own experience. Sua Is for equal pay for teachers, but her sister was a teacher. She Is for mar- H rled teachers, but tho same sister H got married. Sho was against roili- H tancy and prohibition. They had H both hurt tho suffrage cause. Sho H bad no interest in factory women H votlug. She was even antagonistic H to tho new canning laws. She was H an employer of labor herself In the H haying fields where "tho men havo H to get the hay in beforo it spoils, no H matter how long they work." Sho H excused herself to look after the din- H ner; "Tho farmhands will bo com- H ing In soon and I can't raako them H wait. If they don't get good meals H they can't work." She spoke for the H community when sho said: "There H are a number of women around H here who are running farms as well H as bringing up children and they all H do it as well as. if not bettor than, H their husbands did. Tho best house- H kecpors are tho ones that belong to H our suffrago club. A woman can jH make a penny go further than a man H any time. Men can't'voto for wo- H men. If women and their husbands H agreed about everything tbey H wouldn't got along for a niinuta." H |
