Page:History of Oregon Literature.djvu/543



OREGON HUMOR IN THE 70's 499 3 Susan Sophiar Sofronia Spriggs Writeth From the New Northwest, July 28, 1871 Miss Duniwa, I heerd that you was a printin a paper an that you want the wimmin to vot, and to be jest like the men, a holdin offis and makin speeches an sich. Now I want to know if that's so. If it is you're to be pited. Now, I've heerd that you was a intelligint woman and could tech schule, but I should think noboddy would want their girls to go to schule to a woman to tech them sich stuf. Now, I Beleve in womern Rites. I think evry Girl has a Right to have a man to Pervide for her, an every woman has a Rite to take care of her childern and hous, but if they go round a votin and speechin I think they better put on the Pante- loons to Onct. How would you fele goin up to the Poles with a lot of men? I had to stop Riting a minnit to take my youngun and Lelindy Fely—that's my darter—she's got more edication than me, and she says: "Law, mother! you ortn't to write so to Miss Duniwa—she'l think you're 'pertinent'." Well now I said to Lelindy Fely: "Somebody ort to Rite 'pertinent' to her, an you needn't stand up for her, for fust thing you know you'l be wantin to be gettin on stumps to make speeches before the men." Sum wimmin an't satisfied with anything, they think they ortn't to have to milk and make butter to sell when they're married, and have babys; and if they have to chop wood they think its orful. I wonder if they think they ort to be kep in a Band Boxj and they think they ought to be equal with the men, an have property an all sich. Now, Lelindy Fely thinks its no wus to go with men to the Poles than to go to picnics an sich, but I know better; and she thinks wimmin could man- age just as well as men—much she knows about it—and she thinks wimmin should be edicated as well as men, cos she says they'd be more intelligint, and have smarter chil- ern. But Lelindy Fely, she's sort o' stuck up cos she's bee