From Canton we went back to Hongkong, intendin’ to go from there to Calcutta. But Dorothy felt that she must see 190 Japan while she wuz so near, and we concluded to go, though it wuz goin’ right out of our way in the opposite direction from Jonesville. But when Dorothy expressed a wish Robert Strong seemed to think it wuz jest as bindin’ on him as the law of the Medes and Persians, whatever they may be, and Miss Meechim felt so too, so though as I say it wuz some as though I should go to she that wuz Submit Tewksberrys round by the widder Slimpsey’s and Brother Henzy’s. We found some mail here to the tarven, letters from the dear children and our help. Thomas J. and Maggie wuz gittin’ better, and the rest well, and all follerin’ our journey with fond hearts and good wishes. Philury and Ury writ that everything was goin’ well on the farm and the Jonesvillians enjoyin’ good health. Arvilly got a paper from Jonesville and come in to read it to us. It had been a long time on the road. It said that a new bill was a-goin’ to be introduced to allow wimmen to vote, but she didn’t seem to be encouraged about it much. Sez she: “The law won’t do anything about that as long as it is so busy grantin’ licenses to kill folks via Saloon and other houses of death and ruin and canals and trusts and monopolies to protect to steal the people’s money.”
But I sez, “I do hope the bill will pass for the sake of Justice, if nothin’ else. Justice,” sez I, “must have been so shamed to see such things goin’ on that she wuz glad she wore bandages over her eyes; and her hands have shook so she hain’t weighed even for some time; to see her sect taxed without representation, punished and hung by laws she has no voice in makin’.”
Josiah sez, “I admit that that is ruther hard, Samantha, but that hain’t the nick on’t. The pint is that wimmen hain’t got the self-control that men has. The govermunt is afraid of her emotional nater; she gits wrought up too quick. She is good as gold, almost a angel, in fact, as we male voters have always said. But she is too hasty; she hain’t got the perfect calmness, the firm onmovable sense of right and wrong, the patience and long sufferin’ that we men have; 191 she flies off too sudden one way or t’other; govermunt well fears she would be a dangerous element in the body politick.”
Jest as Josiah finished this remark Arvilly read out a thrillin’ editorial about the war between Russia and Japan; the editor commented on the wickedness of men plungin’ two great empires into warfare, slaughterin’ thousands and thousands of men, bringin’ ontold wretchedness, distress, pestilence and destitution just to gratify ambition or angry passion. For it wuz this, he said, in the first place, whatever it became afterward.
A war of defence, of course, argued an aggressor, and he talked eloquent about Courts of Arbitration which would do away with the wholesale butchery and horror of war. And he called eloquent on Peace to fly down on her white wings bearing the olive branch, to come and stop this unutterable woe and crime of war.
(Arvilly left off readin’ to remind Josiah that Peace wuz always depictered as a female, and then resoomed her readin’.)
In conclusion, the editor lamented the fact that in the annals of our nation men so often forgot the Golden Rule and gin vent to voylent passions and onbecomin’ behavior.
Sez Josiah, “I guess I will take Tommy and go out for a little walk, Samantha, I feel kinder mauger.”
“I should think you would!” sez Arvilly, lookin’ hull reams of by-laws and statutes at him.
And I sez, “Whilst you’re walkin’, dear Josiah, you might meditate on the danger to the govermunt from wimmen’s emotional nature, and the patience and long sufferin’ of men voters.” I said it real tender and good, but he snapped me up real snappish.