Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1866-09-21
A Book.

"Vigncttcs-by Bessie Raynor Parkcs."
What do you make of that? Pictures, por-
traits, photographs? Not eXactly-rather
pcn-and-ink sketches of women more or less
known to fame.
Biographies are rather stale; we fancy
we do not like them. and even Sunday School
children tire of the "Curly headed little boy
that never told lie" and the little girl who
"was born at an early age of poor and pious,
but honest parents" Look over Sunday
School Library, and the "memoirs" are re-
markedly clean and well prescribed
Anywhere a biography rather repcls us,
and yet if well written, which we can soon
discover no book is more attractive. In
these ''vignettes" we read the names rather
curiously brought together, Of Mrs. Delany
and Harriet X. Hunt, Nine. De Lamartine.
and Miss Cornclia Knight, Mrs Jameson
and "Goyernor Winthrop's Wife And
pray, why not Mrs. Winthrop or Madame
Winthrop, when every other woman has her
proper title? Mrs. Winthrop was proper
woman and a remarkably loving and devot-
ed wife, as witness not only her letters but
her life. But we have always felt that Gov.
John assumed too much. lie vouchsaled to
the world once his opinion as to the duties
and the place of women, and from them it
is plain that he lived none too soon. The
present agitation Of ''woman's rights would
have veXed his righteous soul, for he evil
IDENTIFY felt that they had no rights which
men were bound to respect, and should be
content to shine by borrowed or reflected
light and walk quietly as satellites when
they had leave to shine.
But the sketch to which we refer says lit
tie of him and gives all due honor TO the
lady, save in speaking of her only as Gov
ernor Winthrop's wife The writer shows
the usual critical English knowledge Of ge-
ography. when she makes the small vessel
in which Mrs. Winthrop arrives touch at
Long Island her son goes ashore, the
Governor comes on board at once and the
next day the vessel anchors at Boston. And
the writer takes occasion to draw a sort of
parallel or contrast between Madame Win
throp and Margaret Fuller, who was ship
wrecked and lost on the same spot. 1t must
needs have been fast sailing vessel indeed.
that could stop at Long Island at night and
cast anchor in Boston harbor the next day.
This by the bye-we hope the rest of the
book is more accurate.
The sketch that has had most interest for
us, is entitled, MADAME Luce of Algiers."
Early in the time of the French occupation
of Algers a lady goes there from France as
a refuge from trouble. Moved by the for
lorn and helpless state of the women, she
makes the attempt TO raise them by teach
ing them how to live. With promine not
TO interfere in any way with their religion,
for they are strict Mohammedans, she gath
ers few into school, teaches them to read
and write with the simplest elements of
knowledge added and wisely adds the i'm
portant teaching of sewing-necdc-wo
She believed, as we do. that sewing is neces-
sary to women Of whatever grade, to keep
them out of mischief To many of these
poor girls it was doubly important, that they
might sew for themselves and so keep their
clothes in decent order, and also have the
means of earning a livelihood by plain sew
ing, or by embroidery.
Madame Luce won the confidence of the
people, and they trusted their daughters to
her, though such an idea as paying for tut
ton never seems to have occurred to they
wanted to be paid for allowing them to come,
and in the case of many, who were poor,
Nine. Luce was obliged to give them one
meal Il day, or they could not have come to
her schools.
An Eastern traveller once told her of the
Unsuitable cry of the Arab for 'bakshcesh.n
One day he found poor man sick in the
desert, fed him, helped him, gave him medi-
cine, attended him many days without fee
or reward. AS soon as the man could walk
he rushed forward, demanding "bakshcesh.n
in the old way. For what? Why?n asked
the traveller. What service could he. posi-
bly, bring forward us the ground Of his de-
mand. For giving him the opportunity to
display his skill in curing the disease No
wonder Arabs want to he paid for going to
school.
Madame Luce was not rich, her work was
one of pure benevocncc. and was Il very eX-
pensive one. For long time she cntreated
and demanded aid from the French govern
ment, which had, as matter Of course, es-
tablished schools for boys. II was only at-
ter she had exhausted her own resources
that she obtained grant from government
and the countenauce and support she re-
CURED Finally, her schools were fully es-
tablishcd and were crowded, the girls learn
ed readily, and many earned in the end
comfortable support by embroidery, an art
for which the Moorish women used to be ia
nous.
This work OF instruction has been going
on for over twenty years, and hundreds of
girls have by it been rescued from utter TO-
norance and degradation, and have been
made more or less intelligent and indepen-
dent. That there was need of it will he I'M
derStood by any one who knows anything of
the internal economy Of families under the
faith of the false prophets The depress-
ion of women is one of its cardinal doctrines.
History records the names of five learned
women in Algeria in n quarter of a century.
and in population Of three million souls.
And these were so remarkable that their eN-
istence is considered little short of miracu-
lous and their influence upon the destinies
of the country is recorded with honor.
All honor to Madame Luce for having en-
tered upon such well nigh hopeless task
and perseyered till she commanded success.
We confess to looking ON the "Corsair CITY"
and the province generally with some hope,
since learning that some at least of the wo-
men were elevated by education. The sons
OF these mothers must respect and not de-
spise them, and men trained by them will be
more truly men. Women are avenged upon
society when they are trampled under FOOT
X.