to annoy depended not so much upon what he
said as his way of saying it.

Dawn chipped into the rescue at this point.

"I'm dead sick of that yarn about women fighting. It's a mean lie.
They never fight half as much as men; and girls always love each other
more, and are more friendly together than men. The only women who
fight with their own sex and call them cats are a few nasty things who
are trying to please men by helping them to keep women down and make
little of them; and the fools! that sort of meanness never pleases any
men, only those that are not worth pleasing."

"Well, now that women has the vote they ought to plough, an' drive the
trains, and let the men sit down inside," continued Jake. But Mrs Bray
descended upon him.

"Yes; an' the men ought to come inside an' sweep, an' sew, and have
their health ruined for a man's selfishness, an' be tied to a baby and
four or five toddlers from six in the mornin' till ten at night, day
in and day out, like the women do. What do you think, Mr Eweword?" she
inquired of this individual, who had joined the company and awaited
the conclusion of her remarks ere he greeted us.

"I think the women ought to vote if they want to. There's nothing to
stop 'em voting and doing their housework as well; and the Lord knows
it doesn't matter who they vote for, as all the members are only a
pack of 'skytes,' after a good billet for themselves. Think I'll have
a go for it to see if it would pay better than farmin'," he said, with
his mouth extended in a laugh that redeemed the weakness of this
feature by exhibiting the beauty of a perfect set of teeth.

"What about women havin' to keep theirselves in subjection?" persisted
Uncle Jake. This subject apparently lay near his heart.

"I always think that means for them to take care of themselves, and
not bust over the hard dragging work that men were meant for," said
Mrs Bray; "for I've always noticed that any man who puts his wife to
man's work never comes to no good in the finish. If a man can't float
his own boat, and thinks a woman can keep his and her own end up at
the same time, she might as well fold her hands from the start, as the
little she can do will never keep things goin' and only pave the way
for doctors' bills."

"You might try to argue it, but if you believe the Bible you can see
there in every page that women ain't meant only to be under men," said
the gallant Jake.

"It ain't a case of not believin' the Bible,