The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1868-12-05
Written for the St. Louis Home Journal
Quiet Women.
BY DOCTOR JOHN

<SoifS "oAASh DAO SCAC iOdau ctlt
sparkle, quiet women, the crime O
life. The senses ache and grow
weary of the perpetual glare ane
brilliancy Of the former, but turn
with a sense of security and re
pose to the mild, mellow glow IRA
dating the sphere of the latter.
We associate all ideas of res
with quiet women. They are soul
divinities revently guarding Their
sacred trusts in the Court of Si
lence. The quiet woman moves
in an atmosphere of benignant
grace. Appealing, strong, com.
pelling, her pure life is a petition
or a prayer. When she speaks
her words are aptly chosen, and
fifty spoken. She is wise and
thoughtful, but loving and meek
''Still waters run deep" but not
in the world applied sense; bab-
bling rills do not wear their chan
nels deep, but streams of calmest
flow have hidden depths un-
dreamed of, unsuspected. "h&
The touch of a quiet woman's
hand is charmed indeed. It re-
calls, by its magic, all the pre-
ciolls memories which Time has
blotted from life's calendar OF
years, and restores the beautiful
lost visions of childhood, when
the rainbow of a mothers smiles
spanned the rosy horizon, and the
young heart thrilled to the music
of her lullaby, as she roekedu in
dreams upon her pure bosom. ,
We eonfde i'm quiet women.
Truth encircles them as, with a
halo, and they give lis constancy
in return for our faith. In,sorrow,
adversity, or illness, the quiet wo-
manis nurse, counselor and friend.
She soothes, comforts, and caress-
es, and is the unfaltering guide of
the weak and erring, through her
own noble and rlnerring instincts.
Into her steady and skillful hands
the physician trusts the liehering
spark of life, well knowing that
the faithful sentinel will not tire
in her watch, nor sleep upon her
post. She moves silently and or
derly; even her light garments
falling in soft harmonious flow.
She does not irritate with ques-
tions, but surprises and pleases
by her unobtrusive antieipations.
She rarely speaks, but when she
does her tones are. frm4 and sweet,
and low, and linger upon the sick
and drowsy ear like the musical
vibrations of murmuring waves.
No other hand can SO comfortably
adjust the heated pillows, or so
tenderly lave the feyerish brow.
No other step approaches SO bree-
zyEand life giving Such a glory
OF repose surrounds her, and her
kisses-rarely bestoWed-are like
benedictions.
The love of quiet women is i'm
perishable! 1t has no butterfly
birth like the creations of fancy,
retaining its gorgeous hues only
while the skies are sunny, and the
flowers blossom, leaving in the
eager grasp, when storm-clouds
darken, q faded, dead meth, with
all the brilliant dust brushed from
it's broken wings; but it is an
amaranthine flower, fadeless and
fragrant forever; whose germ is
immortality, whose native soil is
Heaven-a love all sacrifice and
devotion. Too often this ezqui-
site blossom wastes its sweetness
upon unworthy shrines; but, like
ivy, it grows richer and greener
around ruins where no sunlight
falls. Too often these calm-eyed
women build. in their quiet hearts
sepulchres in which to bury all the
bloom and brightness of their
lives, wreathing the senseless mar
BILE with Withered hopes, where
the worlds cold breath may not
reach them but we know it not.
They grow holy through their.
sunreTealed mysteries, sanity
through their silence. We mark
patient, yearning eyes droop low
or under their fringes the cheek
thinner, the brow more thought
fn1, and a frmer fold about the
'uncomplainig lips, but that is all.
The tear of sympathy falls as
readily from the eye, the hopeful,
cheering word from the lips, and
the soft, strong hand, fallen away
from loves clasp and kisses as
warmly e1tented, with a universal
tenderness for the whole wide
world. In that hour when our
own Life approaches its dissolu-
ton, though all the world forsake
'ls. may our dying head be pillow
yaf5 m ssf..a. The -. n -