A FAIR ADVOCATE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume V, Issue 47, 22 November 1890, Page 19

A FAIR ADVOCATE.

< W hat stuff you do talk, Etta. You girls never will understand politics!’ That was what cousin Gerald said, but I only laughed, and told him that his nerves were in need of reform. Men and boys always think that women and girls care for nothing but dress and fashion. Now I mean to show them that we girls, at least, have other ideas. So after school was over I called Daisy Turner, Annie Pace, and Emilv Burford to a consultation. Of course, to begin with, we 'put several school regulations right. One we thought very absurd—" No young lady is allowed to linger about the school after being dismissed, but must go straight home.’ We all knew what that meant. The boys from the large school up the road usually left just after we broke up, so that those of us who had brothers there whom we wanted to see. found it much pleasanter to stand carelessly chatting to a friend within our own school grounds, than to wait about the road as if we were dancing attendance on the boys. Various other disagreeable rules were discussed as we slowly sauntered down the road. It would have been so much nicer to have sat outside the school and arrange.! our plans, dust then the boys overtook us, and I had only time to whisner so the girls, ‘ Saturday morning in father's large barn,’ before they all began asking what the gossip was about. Of course we did not tell them, but the next Saturday morning quite a number of girls met in father's large empty barn to taik over our grievances. We had made a sort of rude railed platform at one end it was very unsteady, and we had -to keep still , and in this Daisy, Annie. Emily, and I took our places. I was voted to the chair, and explained to the meeting that we were all here assembled to discuss onr rights. There was so much applause at that I began to fear we should attract attention, for above all things we did not want any of those teasing bovs to find us out. * Then I called upon Daisy Turner to address the meeting. She stood up, waving a’ paper on which was printed in large letters ‘Justice.’ She had written out a long list of home and school grievances. One we specially wanted putting right. Most of us were actually required to look after the little ones, do some mending, get tea. or various little services of a like nature on our return from school. ‘ Now,' Daisy argued, ‘ it’s not right that we girls only should have to do all" this : it’s not justice. We work fully as hard as the bovs, yet when school is over they rush off to play, whilst we have many little domestic and social duties to perform. I move that'there be perfect equality between girls and bovs.’ \Ve all clapped rigorously, but I fancied I heard some laughing which did not come from the girls. Annie Pace, who was a quiet, thoughtful girl, got up and said, if there w as perfect equality, wouldn’t it mean standing on the edge of the step of the ’bus or tram platform in the pouring rain, whilst the boys sat niee and dry inside ? There was a cry of ‘Good for you. Miss Pace,' and we all rushed to the trap-door leading to the hayloft. Those rude, sneaking, dishonourable boys had overheard every word we had said. The hayloft was full of them. Some girl had told her brother, and lie had told ours, and they had all crept up to the loft to listen to our discussions. <>f course this discovery broke up the meeting, and we were righteously indignant at the chaff and laughter our speeches had provoked until the boys proposed we should test our equality bv a cricket match that very afternoon. We were too excited to be wise, and refuse,! all offers of left-handed play on our opponents' part, or to handicap them in any way. The consequences may be imagined. What chance had totally inexperienced petticoats against practised costumes specially designed for running ? We attained the immense score of five. What the boys made. I will not say. They seemed to think it all excellent fun, whilst we privately resolved to start a cricket club of •our own as the first-fruits of our meeting in favour of Girls' Rights. Jack Frost.