arked about the women bein' set free? That's always the way
in life. If you are spiteful about anythink it always comes back on
yourself."

The street opposite the court-house--for the time converted into a
polling-booth--was thronged like a show-day with an orderly crowd of
citizens of both sexes. The voting had become so congested that
vehicle loads of voters were being conveyed over to Kangaroo, and each
contingent set out amid the cheers of small boys, who were most ardent
politicians.

Laughing and banter were exchanged between people of all ages and
classes, one as important as the other for the time being.

As we crowded round the door, a jovial-looking man with a twinkle in
his eyes, as he was unceremoniously shoved against a pillar, announced
that women should not have been allowed the vote, for its disastrous
results were already evident in this crush; while the equally
pleasant-faced policeman, who, as soon as intimation came from within
that there was a vacancy, wheeled us in like so many bales of wool,
replied--

"Women jolly well have as much right to vote as men, and more, because
they can do it without getting drunk or breaking their heads."

Many displayed colours and some did not. There was the truculent woman
who voted as she thought fit, and who loudly advertised this fact; the
man who voted for Henderson because he lived in the district; and the
woman who supported Leslie Walker because he was rich and would be
able to subscribe liberally to all local institutions. A shallow-pated
Miss favoured Walker because his colours were the prettier; and an
addle-pated old man balanced this by voting for Henderson because he
"shouted,"[1] and Walker was temperance. There was a silly little
flaxen-haired woman who also supported the Opposition to spite her
husband,--a Henderson man, and the prototype of Mr Pornsch,--because,
being over-grogful, he had made tracks for the polling-booth alone,
leaving his wife to go as best she could. Alas! there was a poor
little woman at home who could not vote at all because she had
succumbed to the gentlemanliness of Leslie Walker, and her husband
being against him had tyrannously taken her right from her; and there
was also the woman who _would_ not vote at all, because she considered
men were superior to women, and boisterously proclaimed this to all
who would listen, in hopes of currying favour with the men; but
fortunately this, in the case of the best men, is becom