3o6 Musings by Ca7np-Fire and Wayside 



sions. He took his medicine like the good and 

 brave warrior that he was. 



There was a good deal of alarm when missionary 

 societies, and other organizations of women, began 

 to show strength. One learned divine said to me: 

 "They will not be allowed to usurp authority, no 

 matter what they accomplish." He said it with a 

 great deal of firmness and resolution. I could see 

 from his eye that though he was scared, he had the 

 courage of his convictions, and was ready to hurl 

 theological defiance at "one and all" of the gentle 

 missionary and temperance women; but it is not 

 necessary to quote the language of James Fitz 

 James to Roderick Dhu. Every man who has a 

 good wife ought to obey her — that is all there is to 

 it. When Captain Underbill referred to the subject 

 condition of Father Abraham, he clinched the argu- 

 ment; and he didn't want to hear any more "clamor" 

 on the subject. Two hundred and sixty years ago 

 in New England, a thousand years ago in Palmyra, 

 four thousand years ago on the Jordan, it has always 

 been the same — and there is no use in making any 

 more fuss about it. 



I have in memory a daughter of Eve who must 

 have been very much like her mother in appearance, 

 vivacity, and freedom. The little girl was a sprite 

 of the Alleghany Mountains — flying flaxen hair, 

 blue eyes, small, white teeth, perfect health, and 

 perfect freedom. I went over that scenery a few 

 years ago, and could imagine what it must have 



