r till it was quite dark. When she finally came, the skirt of her
dress was ripped nearly off, her hair was down and her comb broken; but
she was triumphant, for Sam Black was with her, and SOBER. "The first
time since we were married, Mrs. Strongitharm!" she cried. Then she
whispered to me, as I was leaving: "And I've killed HIS vote, anyhow!"

When the count was made, our party was far ahead. Up to this time, I
think, the men of both parties had believed that only a few women, here
and there, would avail themselves of their new right--but they were
roundly mistaken. Although only ten per cent. of the female voters went
to the polls, yet three-fourths of them voted the Republican ticket,
which increased the majority of that party, in the State, about eleven
thousand.

It was amazing what an effect followed this result. The whole country
would have rung with it, had we not been in the midst of war. Mr.
Wrangle declared that he had always been an earnest advocate of the
women's cause. Governor Battle, in his next message, congratulated
the State on the signal success of the experiment, and the Democratic
masses, smarting under their defeat, cursed their leaders for not having
been sharp enough to conciliate the new element. The leaders themselves
said nothing, and in a few weeks the rank and file recovered their
cheerfulness. Even Mrs. Whiston, with all her experience, was a little
puzzled by this change of mood. Alas! she was far from guessing the
correct explanation.

It was a great comfort to me that Mrs. Whiston was also elected to the
Legislature. My husband had just then established his manufactory of
patent self-scouring knife-blades (now so celebrated), and could not
leave; so I was obliged to go up to Gaston all alone, when the session
commenced. There were but four of us Assemblywomen, and although the
men treated us with great courtesy, I was that nervous that I seemed
to detect either commiseration or satire everywhere. Before I had even
taken my seat, I was addressed by fifteen or twenty different gentlemen,
either great capitalists, or great engineers, or distinguished lawyers,
all interested in various schemes for developing the resources of our
State by new railroads, canals or ferries. I then began to comprehend
the grandeur of the Legislator's office. My voice could assist in making
possible these magnificent improvements, and I promised it to all. Mr.
Filch, President of the Shinnebaug and Great West