Long ago and long ago.
—Christina G. Rossetti.
Lecture by One of the Sex.
My antiquated hearers, male and female. Squenchin’ my native modesty which is natural to the weaker vessels of whom I am which, I feel impelled to speak to you this evenin’ on the subject of woman—her origin, her mission, her destiny. A subject, bein’ as I am a woman myself, I hev given much attention to.
Man, my hearers, claims to be the superior of woman! Is it so? and ef so, in what, and how much?
Wuz he the fust creation? He wuz, my hearers, but what does that prove?
Man wuz made fust, but the experience gained in makin’ man wuz applied to the makin’ of a betterer and more finerer bein’ of whom I am a sample.
Nachur made man but saw in a brief space of time that he couldn’t take keer of himself alone, and so he made a woman to take keer uv him, and that’s why we wuz created; tho’ seein’ all the trouble we hev, I don’t doubt that it would hev been money in our pockets if we hedn’t been made at all.
Imagine, my beloved hearers, Adam afore Eve wuz created! Who sewed on his shirt buttons? Who cooked his beefsteak?
Who made his coffee in the mornin’ and did his washin’?