Mrs Grumble on Women's Franchise

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 9, 9 July 1892, Page 2

Mrs Grumble on Women's Franchise

Mr Heditor, —l hope .you're not single, as Grumble says is a Innovation what oughtn't to be allowed of women a-wnght-ing to heditors as is only mortals like theirselves, and adds to the stock o'wanity which all men have a-deal too much of already, as is a shame and a persecution I of our rights as women a-scribing to newspapers, and I do 'ope you're wot married a3 Mrs Heditor might be thinking I want to fringe on her rights of dictating to yon herself; as I wouldn't stand from no woman as dared to write to Grumble, so I trust you're not either, bnt will advocate Women's Franchiss in .your journal now Grumble's turned the other way, and give it to him strong, the selfish old thing as didu't ought to 'aye any children of his own the way he ill-uses them, that is that gentle and blind obedient to him. which though I say it is jist like their mother, and don't take after their farther a bit, and is all through that peanner, which I had quite 'igh words with him about. As I was saying about that peannor Susan was a-practising on, when he wanted her to knock ofi to sew a button on with her young man a-going through a dooet with her on his fiddle, as was beautiful, being the Canary solo, thongh a little squeaky through only 'aving one string, which peanner I bought with my own 'ands a-weaning Mrs Tompkinses baby, as was that cross a-nights that made me sit up in bed a-playing on the young man's fiddle to it to keep it quiet, and broke three strings, which he thought was the weather as he said he ought to 'aye unscrewed afore he put it away in the box. But as I was a saying about them 'igh words I had with Grumble, says I " Grumble, what do you want with all that 'eavenly music about your ears, jist like the orkistra of the Alambera," when he said: " Drat the music," going on dreadful. I says; says I: 11 Grumble, you ought to be ashamed of yourself, and you'll never go to that Blessed Land a-usin' sich words," when he ups and tells me as he didn't want to go ; though one time he thought he should like to ha' gone jist to 'ear the singin' and the music, but since that peanner had come into the 'onse he was full up of it, and didn't care if he never 'card another word o 1 music, not even the Salvation Army band, which, though I says it, plays 'eavenly with their torches of a night a-frightening the horses. I was obliged to cry, and said to 'im in a holler voice : " Grumble, repent! " but he only laughed and said: " Not me," that determined I knew nothing wouldn't never turn him. He said he'd be shot if he'd be | seen going to that place now, not if anybody was to pay his expenses, but would be a M.H.R. and go to Parliament and sit in the 'Ouse of Assembly instead, then he'd see if he couldn't get his shirt buttons sewed on, or else he'd vote dead agin' the " Female Frenchise." And says he: " If yon want that blessed frenchise as is goin' to be a nuisance to everybody you'd better come canvassin' along with me," but my sperits was up, and I answers : " No, Grumble, I've had enough o' your filthy paints and 'iles and turps, to say nothin' of the one I changed to a fly-ketcher man for a bran new ketch-'em-aiive as I hung up in the parlor, and looks better than all the nasty picters you've been and stuck up on the walls to make the children think of you when you're gone, and* for you to call 'em " Fine harts" as can't come up to my cart-de-wisit, though it has gone yeller through being like me when it was done a long time ago ; but he would make me go, though I did put my foot down agin' it, as though I could help the ketch-'em-aliye a-blowin' down on a-top of his 'cad and smotherin' up his face and mouth while we wasarguin' it out. Not as I minded his head, his not havin' no^'air on it, which I got off quite easy with a hot flannel and turpentine if it did raise a blister, and made him put his hat on a bit jauntly, like the volnnteers, but had to cut all his beard off being too painful to pull out by the roots what it stuck that tight to. And for him to drag me along with him as knows nothing about the dual tax and the rubbishing income association (as if he'd ever have any income) with their small farm notes, and then after we come back, for him to tell me I lost himthe election through my confounded fe£^nrenchise mania as though every respectable man wasn't in just the same mind as me. Which I look upon''you as one of ourselves, and in course you'lt do all you can to further the cause and be' a champion a women's rights ; And when you're at it you as well might advocate for a peanner to be provided in the 'Ouse of Assembly for the use of the women., when we gets the frenchise and sits in Parliament. It could be got on the long $jme payments, and I'll send the young man as we got ours from, and is very civil and obliging and don't press nobody hard if it should happen to be a wet month and you ain't got the money when he calls, so it wouldn't be mnch for the 'ouse to club together to get, especially if Bellamy's was done away with. So trusting you'll stick to the frenchise and earn the gratitude of the pining fair sects. I remain, your admirer, Mrs Grumble.