emulate and outdo. Think of how they have dealt with the
cause of wimmen's liberty for the past few years, and tremble. How dast
you, one weak man, though highly versed in the ways of equinomical
tightness--how dast you to try and set up and be anybody amid that
host?"

He looked skairt. He see what he wuz a-doin' plainer than he had seen
it, and I went on:

"Think of that big Methodist Conference in New York a few years ago that
Casper Keeler told us about--think how equinomical they wuz with their
dealin's with wimmen on that occasion, and ever sence.

"The wimmen full of good doin's and alms deeds, who make up two thirds
of the church, who raise the minister's salary, run the missionary and
temperance societies, teach the Sabbath schools, etc., etc., etc.--

"Who give the best of their lives and thoughts to the meetin'-house from
the time they sell button-hole bokays at church fairs in pantalettes,
till they hand in their widder's mite with tremblin' fingers wrinkled
with age--think of this econimy in not givin' in, not givin' a mite of
justice and right to the hull caboodle of such wimmen throughout the
length and breadth of the country, and then think where would your very
closest and tightest counsel of econimy stand by the side of this
econimy of right, and manliness, and honor, and common sense."

He quailed. His head sunk on his breast. He knew, tight as he had always
been, there wuz a height of tightness he had never scaled. He knew he
couldn't show off at that Equinomical Counsel by the side of them
instances I had brung up, and to deepen the impression I had made, which
is always the effort of the great oriter, I resoomed:

"Think of how they keep up their econimy of justice, and right, and
common sense, so afraid to use a speck of 'em, especially the common
sense. Think of how they refused to let wimmen set down meekly in a
humble pew, and say 'Yea' in a still small voice as a delegate, so
'fraid that it wuz outstrippin' wimmen's proper spear--when these very
ministers have been proud to open their very biggest meetin'-housen to
wimmen, and let 'em teach 'em to be eloquent--let wimmen speak words of
help and wisdom from their highest pulpits.

"Think of this instance of their equinomical doin's," sez I, "and
tremble. And," sez I, still more impressively and eloquently, "what is
pumpkins by the side of that?"

His head sunk down lower, and lower. He wuz dumbfoundered to think he
had been outdone in