"It's been a good thing f'r ol' man Donahue, though, Jawn. He shtud
ivrything that mortal man cud stand. He seen her appearin' in th' road
wearin' clothes that no lady shud wear an' ridin' a bicycle; he was
humiliated whin she demanded to vote; he put his pride under his ar-rm
an' ma-arched out iv th' house whin she committed assault-an'-batthry on
th' piannah. But he's got to th' end iv th' rope now. He was in here
las' night, how-come-ye-so, with his hat cocked over his eye an' a look
iv risolution on his face; an' whin he left me, he says, says he,
'Dooley,' he says, 'I'll conquir, or I'll die,' he says.
"It's been comin f'r months, but it on'y bust oh Donahue las' week. He'd
come home at night tired out, an' afther supper he was pullin' off his
boots, whin Mollie an' th' mother begun talkin' about th' rights iv
females. ''Tis th' era iv th' new woman,' says Mollie. 'Ye're right,'
says th' mother. 'What d'ye mean be the new woman?' says Donahue,
holdin' his boot in his hand. 'Th' new woman,' says Mollie, ''ll be free
fr'm th' opprision iv man,' she says. 'She'll wurruk out her own way,
without help or hinderance,' she says. She'll wear what clothes she
wants,' she says, 'an' she'll be no man's slave,' she says. 'They'll be
no such thing as givin' a girl in marredge to a clown an' makin' her
dipindant on his whims,' she says. 'Th' women'll earn their own livin','
she says; 'an' mebbe,' she says, 'th' men'll stay at home an' dredge in
th' house wurruk,' she says. 'A-ho,' says Donahue. 'An' that's th' new
woman, is it?' he says. An' he said no more that night.
"But th' nex' mornin' Mrs. Donahue an' Mollie come to his dure. 'Get
up,' says Mrs. Donahue, 'an' bring in some coal,' she says. 'Ye drowsy
man, ye'll be late f'r ye'er wurruk.' 'Divvle th' bit iv coal I'll
fetch,' says Donahue. 'Go away an' lave me alone,' he says. 'Ye're
inthruptin' me dreams.' 'What ails ye, man alive?' says Mrs. Donahue.
'Get up.' 'Go away,' says Donahue, 'an lave me slumber,' he says. 'Th'
idee iv a couple iv big strong women like you makin' me wurruk f'r ye,'
he says. 'Mollie 'll bring in th' coal,' he says. 'An' as f'r you,
Honoria, ye'd best see what there is in th' cupboord an' put it in ye'er
dinner-pail,' he says. 'I heerd th' first whistle blow a minyit ago,' he
says; 'an' there's a pile iv slag at th' mills that has to be wheeled
off befure th' sup'rintindint comes around,' he says. 'Ye know ye can't
afford to lose ye'er job with me in this dilicate condition,' he says.
'I'm going to sleep now,' he says. 'An', Mollie, do ye bring me in a cup
iv cocoa an' a pooched igg at tin,' he says. 'I ixpect me music-teacher
about that time. We have to take a wallop out iv Wagner an' Bootoven
befure noon.' 'Th' Lord save us fr'm harm,' says Mrs. Donahue. 'Th'
man's clean crazy.' 'Divvle's th' bit,' says Donahue, wavin' his red
flannel undhershirt in th' air. 'I'm the new man,' he says.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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