MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN. 89 



I am not an alarmist. I hope I am as 

 cool as anybody this hot summer. But 

 I am quite ready to say to Polly, or any 

 other woman, &quot; You can have the ballot ; 

 only leave me the vegetables, or, what is 

 more important, the consciousness of 

 power in vegetables.&quot; 1 see how it is. 

 Woman is now supreme in the house. 

 She already stretches out her hand to 

 grasp the garden. She will gradually 

 control every thing. Woman is one of 

 the ablest and most cunning creatures 

 who have ever mingled in human affairs. 

 I understand those women who say they 

 don t want the ballot. They purpose to 

 hold the real power, while we go through 

 the mockery of making laws. They 

 want the power without the responsi 

 bility. (Suppose my squash had not 

 come up, or my beans as they threat 

 ened at one time had gone the wrong 

 way : where would I have been ? ) We 



