gnized the injustice done woman in not allowing them to
vote, you would feel differently, and since women are obliged to obey
the laws, should they not have a voice in choosing the lawmakers? When
you vote, it will not take you out of the home. You and Uncle John
will merely stop on your way to the store, and instead of Uncle John
going in to write and register what he thinks should be done and by
whom it should be done, you too will express your opinion. This will
likely be twice a year. By doing this, no woman loses her womanliness,
goodness or social position, and to these influences the vote is but
another influence. I know there are many things in connection with the
right of equal suffrage with what you do not sympathize.
"Aunt Sarah, let me tell you about a dear friend of mine who taught
school with me in the city. Emily taught a grammar grade, and did not
get the same salary the men teachers received for doing the same work,
which I think was unfair. Emily studied and frequently heard and read
about what had been done in Colorado and other States where women
vote. She got us all interested, and the more we learned about the
cause the harder we worked for it. Emily married a nice, big, railroad
man. They bought a pretty little house in a small town, had three
lovely children and were very happy. More than ever as time passed
Emily realized the need of woman's influence in the community. It is
true, I'll admit, Aunt Sarah, housekeeping and especially home-making
are the great duties of every woman, and to provide the most
wholesome, nourishing food possible for the family is the duty of
every mother, as the health, comfort and happiness of the family
depend so largely on the _common sense_ (only another name for
efficiency) and skill of the homemaker, and the wise care and though
she expends on the preparation of wholesome, nutritious food in the
home, either the work of her own hands or prepared under her
direction. You can _not_ look after these duties without getting
_outside_ of your home, especially when you live like Emily, in a
town where the conditions are so different from living as you do on a
farm in the country. Milk, bread and water are no longer controlled by
the woman in her home, living in cities and towns; and just because
women want to look out for their families they should have a voice in
the larger problems of municipal housekeeping. To return to Emily, she
did not bake her own bread, as you
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