Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-07-27

agone, orders that / accompany him to the
session Of the Grand Division and ruth to
say, hayinga great desire to do so myself, as
in duty bound, ! eheerfully yield obedience.
In the absence, then, Of an opportunity to
write anything for my column, fill it much
better by continuing extracts from the able
article in The Eclectic, entitled
Womanhood and It's Mission.
what, then, Is pure womanhood?
Ibis difficult 10 write clearly on the sub
iect, a subject so much dreampt OF, and so
little thought Out; and the difficulties which
meet rs mt the outset arise from both the
sexes. Womanhood has been so idealized by
men, and 80 unrealized by women, that, on
both sides, a fair judgment is almost irspossi-
ble.% Some men scarcely allow her any faults;
Others, who have passed this stage, have
stopt short in thereaction from it, and blame
as much as they praised before.
For example, the young mar sees before
nim, Er away, seaeeu oh unn nane
lived apart from real life, embody all the hid
den tenderness Of their nature in her who
visits them in the evening dream. But when
the youth meets and lives with real women,
when the student comes in contact with the
substance Of his vision, then the reaction
commences, and the actual falling far short
OF the goddess he has worshipped, his world
Of phantom beauty is shattered rudely.-
Happy IS ne who, trusting in humanity,
springs away from this, and finds in the ac-
tuai 3le real womanhood, whose human in
firmities he has to support, whose weakness
es draw oHt his own nature, whose failings
are but the shadows thrown by great quail
ties, and whose faults prove woman to be of
the same dear, erring humanity, which he
himself possesses. But many there are who,
disappointed in their early ideal, remain for
ever lonely, and grow sour in heart, and
smile n bitter smile, when w~omanhood is
named and praised. Now, this contrast be-
tween the ideal and the experience of these
men will make them hard to convince of the
lovslness of the feminine nature.
Again, on the side Of women there are
arising from their very nature, difficulties,
which will prevent many Of them from agree
ing to the truth of a real picture of their wo-
manhood.
FU example, it is one Of the deepest pc.
culnFities of their nature that they love the
concrete, while man desires the ABSTRACT
Therefore, by their very nature they long to
embody their ideal in persons. Now, either
hNlh NhN ANNBN VI hhN "NdhilOoSGS
Of their sex, which their subtle perception Of
character produces, or from a jealousy of one
another which is n perversion Of their noble
quality Of individuality in attachment, they
are not disposed to see pure ~womanhood in
women and they never can find it in men
Thus they form no clear idea of womanhood
Again, loving the concrete more than tn,
abstract, they do not possess much power O
generalization. .Subtly percipient of things
in forming n conception Of their own sex
they dwell on the minute details Of feminin
character, and do not consider it as a whole
Again, loving the concrete more than tn
abstract, they desire to embody their Unfit
ences IN the seen and the present. Now, thi
by the nature Of ~womanhood can rarely be
anti, therefore, women resent any represents
tiop Of their nature, which ends to establish
the contrary, and prevent them from reali2
- Fof ne TCwofy By wnTcn n rs0-ssss ~ss@=-s
spiritual whohas ever seen love or tender
ness, meekness or submission ? Who ha
ever even translated into words of humal
speech what we mean by these? When hav
their effects become rapidly visible in an ac
knowledged and open form ? Power, strength
and force Of mind, or body, these are NANTES
to all the world. A great speech, a scientif
discovery, n giant aqueduct, a land trace
with railroads, a nation subdued, a revolutiol
in fhonght-these are the work Of man, an
they are visible in themselves or their effects
because they act on the material and the in
tellect1al worlds. But she who works Oh
the secret spirit must be content to suspec
and hope that the results she feels are hers
but never dream that she will view them wit
the eye Of sense. Things seen-these ar
not the sphere Of woman's labor.
And tho nnuarc Of ,ynp,onhood oe Iboxy ~
spiritual, so their influences are slowly &
veloped. Rooted in the present, they be;
fruit only in the future. No m plantin
her tree in the world can expect to see
blossoming in her lifetime. She sows, b,
another reaps and sad would be her exi
tence, bad not God bestowed on her q Yol
drous powe r of faith. She blesses and a
sists without knowing what she does. 81
stands ike the worlds lighthouse, SEER
naught herself but the cold rocks she res
on but Car away on the tossing waters
life's tempestuous sea, the stormy light 81
carries falls in long lines Of radiating comic
to warn, and cheer, and save those whom 81
has never known. For never ia the seen
present can woman hope to realize the
lives. Still, this is the very thing they wi
for and there is no greater trial belongil
TO her sex than this, that the nature of h
PVWNiS II lhuHtNh MildROHlSm 10 Tic ueSlTeS
her nature. And further, there are no OF.
ter obstacles than these desires, to her for
Ing a true conception of her womanhood.
We shall often have occasion to bring IL
great popularity, this love of the concre
prominently before our readers. AbandC
ing II now, we will enter upon our prcst
taak, and sound with a bold but revere
plnmmet, the ocean which sleeps above
heart Of woman.
Who Is the true woman II Is she Wy
essentially human, finds all the Joy Of |
life in humanity. Separated from her
lows, she dies ~unrequired by others,
subtle vitality Of her existence perishes.
she can not live as wife or mother, as sis
or daughter--if she has been robbed Of tn
relationships by death, she becomes these
all who need, Take from her the law of
creation, force her to cease as ''helpmeet'
man, or as mother to ali living" and
life becomes a living death. Unable to
herself in others, she can not bear the wei
OF her feelings, nor the burden of
being. She can not I'm herself possess
own desire" and thus her life is the with
to the truth and the redeeming power of s
sacrifice. She exists not to be happy, Blu
bless not to gain, but to give. She O
finds her rest, when she has lost her bein
the objects Of her love, and found a new
IN thnpn IL Aar .-Io.I