You don't know in England what such words as 'infant-marriage,' 'baby-
wife,' 'girl-mother,' and 'virgin-widow' mean; but they mean unspeakable
horrors here."
"Well, but the advanced political party here will surely make it their
business to advocate social reforms as well as political ones," said Pagett.
"Very surely they will do no such thing," said the lady doctor, emphatically.
"I wish I could make you understand. Why, even of the funds devoted to the
Marchioness of Dufferin's organization for medical aid to the women of India,
it was said in print and in speech, that they would be better spent on more
college scholarships for men. And in all the advanced parties' talk--God
forgive them--and in all their programmes, they carefully avoid all such
subjects. They will talk about the protection of the cow, for that's an
ancient superstition--they can all understand that; but the protection of the
women is a new and dangerous idea." She turned to Pagett impulsively:
"You are a member of the English Parliament. Can you do nothing? The
foundations of their life are rotten--utterly and bestially rotten. I could
tell your wife things that I couldn't tell you. I know the inner life that
belongs to the native, and I know nothing else; and believe me you might as
well try to grow golden-rod in a mushroom-pit as to make anything of a people
that are born and reared as these--these things 're.
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