Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-12-31

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She is, with all her nature, like great
statue, picture, poem. All may admire, but
time or intuition, which answers for expe-
rience, is required to understandsher fully.
| The Gentlewoman is to her sex, as are the
| planets to the stars the diamonds to the
earth not many but precious; not recog-
nized always, but, to the educated sense,
| for ever clear.
She aggregates whatever truth, or GOOD.
or interest, or beauty is represented by her
sex, and reflects the ideal Of the artist and
| the poet.
She elevates the soul, expands the mind,
| and purihes the heart; her voice is music
and her touch is inspiration: her confidence
| is glory, and her love religion
Not an ideal, she approaches it nearly,
and it is hard to believe her woman only,
though she is completely such.
She is what Nature, in most genial mood,
| with all that Art could give, has made her
not perfect but perfecting; not absolute, but
actual; not mythical, but marvellous.
| The Gentlewoman is the proper peer, and
! ht companion therefore, Of the Gentleman.
| She is his spiritual sister they are alike de-
scended from psychal Agamemnons-the
| rulers of the realm of heart.
When he and she are mated, and Nature
| is the priest presiding at their nuptials, the
law of harmony is fulfilled, and the echo of
| the union is heard in Heaven.
The idea of the Grecian sage is realized in
| their high blending-the uncompanioned
soul has found its anti-type, and in unison
there is unity.
For all the foibles, follies and fatuities of
Terras daughters the Gentlewoman COM
Man forgives, and must forget, in her mild
presence, the numberless defects of her frail
| slsterhood.
Here is the being of our dreams, the good
| angel stolen out of Heaven, the peace-oherer
and consoler of the world, the spirit of hu-
| manity, the feminine Samaritan by the way
side of life; and when we see we can but
! bless her.
She comes nearer unto us we 90 nearer
unto her. She dazzles less--the star-beams
care lost, but the star is clearer.
She rises steadily out OF the atmosphere
of imagination into the higher air of truth
No angel after all; but loving, trusting,
| perfect woman, dearer even than a spirit of
the skies; lovelier still than when she sat
upon her splendid throne of fancy, beyond
the 'benediction of human hands and the
reach of human prayers.
The GentlewOman, like her spiritual
brother, is)greater than, and absorbs, her
| circumstance; yet this seems as the frame
to the picture, the setting to the Jewel !;
showing it to advantage, but increasing not
its worth.
Beauty and wealth are the Gentlewoman's
doWry and yet with personal plainness aud
material poverty she is the Gentlewoman
still.
In her veins is the true blood of gentle
| ness, purer and richer than that of the long
est line of princes and of kings.
The Gentlewoman can not be otherwise
than lovely and rich in the spiritual and
tTuest sense.
The good and noble soul looks out of or
dinary eyes until they kiudle with celestial
| treLand aspiration, sympathy and charity
transtgure the plainest face and form until
| they reflect the poets dream.
Gold and jewels may not be hers; but in
| her heart is the wealth of the Orient, and in
| her soul the treasures of the Incas.
Upon the brow that beams with gentle
| ness and love, no pearls nor coronets are
needed the breast that swells with SYM
pathy,s emotion requires no diamonds
| sparkle.
Beside her glide the Graces of the soul,
and in her~being dwell the MUSES. of the
| mindl
The roses of affection blossom at her COM
ing, and the meek.eyed violet, as she passes,
sheds rarer perfume bene tn the hedge.
Where is this glorious creature2 aesthetic
curiosity inquiries. Where can she be found2
In no fixed position, in no unvarying
circle; for she makes position, and where
| sLc Slduusj tu0 cOuleT Vi tue ClTCl6 is.
She forms society, and is its nucleus: from
her are the Delphic oracles that sentiment
translates to action, and humanity to good.
The Gentlewoman is SO proud she can not
| be vain: her consciousness of motive is so pure
she can not be fattered.
At court and in the cloister, she hears a
voice above the p@an and the chant.
In the castle and the cottage, she alike in
! terprets Nature by the intuitions of her
nd oil In raria1
| the spirit of the same.
She is herself, and, though modest, she
| would not, for she could not be more.
Not envy, nor jealousy is hers; and if she
| be unhappy, as she must be often, from the
| fneness of ber texture and the fullness of her
| feeling, she visits not her sorrow upon those
around. her; but through her tears, unto
others the rainbow of consolation beams.
Like an angel of mercy she passes from
| the palace TO the pallet of the poor.
The pride that shone upon her brow is
| gone, and seDsibility is there.
The Highland that Princes would have
kneeled to kiss, smoothes the coarse locks of
the sufferer and bathes his fevered brow.
The voice thatmurmurs poesy, and kindles
passion with its earliest syllable, exceeds the
! power of medicine to heal, and fails a vocal
| benediction there.
I Hundreds of leagues away, beyond the
mountains and across the sea, is the sister
| of the queen, uncrowned, unjeweled, un-
recognized by title; yet the Gentlewoman
| still.
Her life as she conceives, dedicate to
| Heaven her existence spent in prayer as
the flower with its out poured perfume.
Or, she may be the pallid, haggard dying
| girl, stitching her little life into the
crude cloth she can scarcely see with her
wan and weakened eyes making at once her
! subsistence and her shroud and all for the
feeble mother who bends over the seanty
fire that can not warm her long.
Disease is in the atmosphere, and grim
| death is waiting without the trembling door.
He can not be an unwelcome guest.
Enter there tomorrow, and he will have
come and gone; and he win return and de-
part again.
| The Gentlewoman will be no more but
the odorof sanctity will be yet in the apart
ment where she died.
So life flows on and death; and oft the
GeDtlewoman perishes unknown because
| the eye of her brother rested not upon herr
the heart Of her sister felt not her presence
nigh.
On the throne the seamstress would have
| deported herself a queen.
L The queen would have struggled, suffered
and been a martyr to the worlds injustice,
| ps the broken-bearted girl that lies in the
! eheap earth, in an unnamed grave.
Their circumstance was different, but il
changed them not. Even the Gentlewoman
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