He powed at wimmen's work, at their efforts, their learnin', their advancement.
Neny, good little bashful thing, wuz a member of the WCTU and the Christian Endeavor, and wanted to do jest right by them noble societies and the world.

But, oh, how light he would speak of them noble bands of workers in the World's warfare with wrong! To how small a space he wanted to reduce 'em down! And I sez to him once, "You can't do very much towards belittlin' a noble army of workers as that is--millions strong." "Millions weak, you mean," sez he.

"I dare presoom to say there hain't a woman amongst 'em but what is afraid of a mouse, and would run from a striped snake." Sez I, "They don't run from the serpent Evil, that is wreathin' round their homes and loved ones, and a-tryin' to destroy 'em--they run towards that serpent, and hain't afraid to grapple with it, and overthrow it--by the help of the Mighty," sez I.
Sez he, "There is too much made of their work." Sez he, "There hain't near so much done as folks think; the most of it is talk, and a-praisin' each other up." "Wall," sez I, "men won't never be killed for that in their political rivalin's, they won't be condemned for praisin' each other up." "No," sez he, "men know too much." And then I spoke of that silver woman--how beautiful and noble an appearance she made, in the spear she ort to be in, a-representin' Justice.
And Nony said, "She wuz too soft." Sez he, "It is with her as it is with all other wimmen--men have to stand in front of her with guns to keep her together, to keep her solid." That kinder gaulded me, for there wuz some truth in it, for I had seen the men and the rifles.
But I sprunted up, and sez I-- "They are a-guardin' her to keep men from stealin' her, that is what they are for.

And," sez I, "it would be a good thing for lots of wimmen, who have got lots of silver, if it hain't in their bodies, if they had a guard a-walkin' round 'em with rifles to keep off maurauders." Why, there wuzn't nothin' brung up that he believed in, or that he didn't act morbid over.
Why, I believe his Ma--good, decent-lookin' widder with false hair and a swelled neck, but well-to-do--wuz ashamed of him.
Right acrost from me to the table sot a fur different creeter.

It wuz a man in the prime of life, and wisdom, and culture, who _did_ believe in things.