The Sister's Tale by Beth Powning (e reader for manga .txt) 📕

“O Lord, our heavenly father,” he said, “high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth: Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign lady, Queen Victoria…”

Flora’s mind wandered as the business of government wended its confusing path: first, a message from the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, after which a group of men left the room, while those left behind spoke, stood, sat, strolled. The group returned. Men rose, then, seemingly at random, and asked leave of the Speaker to speak. Speeches ensued. Then counter-speeches. Flora could not see that any conclusions were reached or actual work accomplished. It seemed a deliberate obfuscation or postponement of the bill which so many women had travelled to hear, and restlessness unsettled the chamber. Women removed their hats and ran fingers through sweaty hair. A parasol slid to the floor with a loud bang. The members of the legislature murmured to one another behind the backs of their hands. They cast slighting, amused eyes at the women.

Josephine crossed her arms.

“So rude,” she whispered to Flora. “Perhaps it is always like this but somehow I doubt it. I believe this was planned for our benefit.”

“…consolidate and amend the law…”

Flora had risen before dawn. She had milked the cow early, and set the milk to cool, and fed the chickens and brought in firewood. She yawned, her eyelids thickened.

“…upon accepting the office…”

“…dispatch of public business…rate of stumpage…non-navigable waters upon ungranted Crown land…suffrage bill which was referred to committee and will now resume consideration.”

Flora ran sticky palms down her skirt. Maud’s teeth closed on the back of a finger. Which man, Flora wondered? Which man would rise to speak for them?

Two members stood and reversed a previous decision they had made to oppose the bill, citing the extraordinary number of signatures to the petition.

Maud caught Flora’s hand and squeezed it. Excited whispering rose from the floor until the Speaker stood and called for order.

The member from Kent County rose. Flora was predisposed to think well of him, following, as he did, the men who had supported the bill. He stood with one hand slipped through the lapel of his jacket; a short beard jutted from his chin.

“I am disappointed in the speeches I have just heard from the Honourable Members from York and St. John. I wish to remind this house of inalienable facts which we would do well not to forget. Despite the presence of the fair sex in our chamber today, I will speak frankly and without mincing matters, with all due apologies. I make the following points. Number one. If a woman is given a vote, then, like a man, she is logically bound to perform certain duties: behind all legislation there is physical force, so she must be prepared to serve in the military—”

A stir of laughter, quickly suppressed.

“—and perform constable duty.”

More laughter.

“She must be prepared to perform road work, pay poll tax, serve on juries or to hold public office. If she is entitled to a full share in the making of laws, then she is liable to do her share in enforcing them.”

He stared out over the room. Men crossed their legs, glanced at papers, stifled yawns, raised eyebrows at one another. Flora felt a flush of hatred, and by the women’s silence, felt the brewing of rage.

“Number two. A woman and her husband are one, and therefore she is legally incorporated. His political voice is hers, and therefore there is no need for her to enter the hurly-burly of politics, for which her delicate constitution is ill able to withstand. Moreover, despite this petition, which I see has been padded by the votes of men, it is not clear to me that the majority of women desire or indeed are even interested in having the vote. I believe that even if they had the vote they would not exercise it.”

Shouts of protest from the women.

“And number three. What are the particulars, I would like to know, that these women are upset about? Can they enumerate them? Are they tyrannized by this despotic legislature ruled by men? Do we not exercise judicious reason? If they are suffering, we do not hear any complaints. To conclude, I believe that many of those sitting in this chamber…”

“Some of us are women.” A woman half rose from her balcony seat.

Another woman called out. “Enumerate? Let’s start with not having the—”

He raised his voice. “…have forgotten that it is the very noble qualities that women bring to the home sphere which make her not designed for the political sphere. The woman’s role is to be wife and mother, that is the divine will! Society shall rise or fall upon that exquisite skill that she brings to the raising of children and the nurturing of her husband. I conclude with a quote from Alfred, Lord Tennyson: Man with the head and woman with the heart…all else confusion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.”

Uproar.

Women stood from their seats, waving pamphlets, shouting, hurling abuse at the Honourable Member from Kent County.

The Speaker stood and waited for complete silence.

“The debate now being ended,” he said. “We will put the bill to a vote. All in favour, please say yea.”

A chorus of yeas.

“All opposed, nay.”

The bill was defeated.

Flora was swept down the spiral staircase by a tide of grim-faced, silent women. At the bottom, they stepped into a crush of people in the vestibule. The Honourable Member from Kent appeared in a doorway.

“Coward!”

“What’s that?” He flushed, sought the speaker.

The woman who had spoken strode forward, drew back her arm, and slapped his face. Another woman shouted “Ignorant coward!” She, too, slapped him. Other women shoved forward, shouting, punching. He crouched, holding his head. Members of the assembly rushed to surround him. They hurried him down the hallway towards the safety of the Legislative Library, a scuttling phalanx, while even though