The Political Woman

A State with a hermaphrodito f nrm of governnient, if oven it could exist íor a generaaon, is by nature doonied to extinction ; it may, however, be worth while to contador what kind of being a woman would become who should take an :ictive part in the elcction of a representativo. As an energetio member of lus oommittee, sho would have to fight the battle; fbot by foot, with his opponpiitf? of either sox, she could not always sit ut home and restrict herself to the use of a roting paper beoause she would then tacitly aduiit hor unfitness for political life with all its hard work and its turluoil oi' speech-making ; she would be liko a foruigner giving a vote from a distance, without a knowledge of the qualitios necessiry for succoss iu Parliainent. It would be necossary for her to be thoroughly prepared for the fray, breeched instoad of pettieoated, with n voice hoarso from shoutitig, with her hair croppod close to her head, with her deltoid uiusclt'S devoloped at the expense of her bust, prepared with syllogisme instead of emiifcs, and moro ready to pluut a blow tlmu to shod a tear. Sho uurries from Ler Iiusbaudle88, childloss h?arth, to make a spoeoh on the hustiugs ; with her hard bióépf and harder elbows she forcea her wny through the eluction mob ; her rful intellect fully appretistea all thu ribald jests and obsceno gestures of the líritiííh "rough," she knows the art of couoilintiiig rude naturoa, and can exohange "ohaff" with a foul-mouthed oostermoager ; or, if nocessary, she can defend herself, and blacken the eyo of a drunkcn bargee. She hus learned all the catechism of politice, and when sho momita the platform she cari glibly recito hor duty to the world according to the sido sho has choson. Experience has taught hor tho vuluo of invectives, and sho denounces her oppononts with a choice selection of tho strongest epitheta ; at flrst sho speaks ioud, in a tone of contempt and solf-satisfactiön : ho ends by losihg hor tempor and brawling at the top of her voice. The crowd, never very indulgent, has no mind to respect a sex which makes no claim and has forfeited all rights to forbearaiico. Tho hardoned lines of her ace :iro batterod with apples, brick-bats, and rotten oggs - tho recognizod weapons of political warfare. Perhaps the very placo whure sho stands is the mark of a storming party ; and uftc r enjoying the glory of an oncountor witli a prizo-fightcr (it rnüy be ono of her own sex,) she ia at lust brought to tho ground by superior skiil and strength. Then probably Bhe retires to her home ; bnt I, for one, would rathcr not follow her thithcr, or to tho IIouso of Parliament, of which she ií destinad ono day to becomo an ornament.