He was much incensed against the girls who were working for Kenneth Forbes, for he realized that they were proving an important factor in the campaign.  He even attributed to them more than they deserved, for Uncle John’s telling activities were so quietly conducted that he was personally lost sight of entirely by Mr. Hopkins.

Mr. Hopkins had therefore become so enraged that, against the advice of his friends, he issued a circular sneering at “Women in Politics.”  The newspapers having been subsidized by the opposition so early in the game, Mr. Hopkins had driven to employ the circular method of communicating with the voters.  Scarcely a day passed now that his corps of distributors did not leave some of his literature at every dwelling in the district.

His tirade against the girls was neither convincing nor in good taste.  He asked the voters if they were willing to submit to “petticoat government,” and permit a “lot of boarding-school girls, with more boldness than modesty” to dictate the policies of the community.  “These frizzle-headed females,” continued the circular, “are trying to make your wives and daughters as rebellious and unreasonable as they are themselves; but no man of sense will permit a woman to influence his vote.  It is a disgrace to this district that Mr. Forbes allows his girlish campaign to be run by a lot of misses who should be at home darning stockings; or, if they were not able to do that, practicing their music-lessons.”

“Good!” exclaimed shrewd Miss Patsy, when she read this circular.  “If I’m not much mistaken, Mr. Hopkins has thrown a boomerang.  Every woman who attended the fete is now linked with us as an ally, and every one of them will resent this foolish circular.”

“I’m sorry,” said Kenneth, “that you girls should be forced to endure this.  I feared something like it when you insisted on taking a hand in the game.”

But they laughed at him and at Mr. Hopkins, and declared they were not at all offended.

“One cannot touch pitch without being defiled,” said Mr. Watson, gravely, “and politics, as Mr. Hopkins knows it, is little more than pitch.”

“I cannot see that there is anything my girls have done to forfeit respect and admiration,” asserted Uncle John, stoutly.  “To accuse them of boldness or immodesty is absurd.  They have merely gone to work in a business-like manner and used their wits and common-sense in educating the voters.  Really, my dears, I’m more proud of you today than I’ve ever been before,” he concluded.

And Uncle John was right.  There had been no loss of dignity by any one of the three, and their evident refinement, as well as their gentleness and good humor, had until now protected them from any reproach.  It had remained for Mr. Hopkins to accuse them, and his circular had a wide influence in determining the issue of the campaign.

CHAPTER XIV