Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-04-22
A Beautiful Tribute to the Women
and children OF the South.

A Beautiful Tribute to the Women
and Children OF the South.
The following article from the pen of
Father Ryan, in Saturdays issue of the
Banner Of the South, is so deserved and
beautiful tribute to the women and chill
dren of the South, .hat we take the lib,
erty of transferring it entire to our col
umns, assured that our readers will peruse
1t with as much pleasure as We have done ::
SOUTHERN WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
Where are the women and children in
History? Why do they so seldom ap-
pear? Have they had. nothing to DO
with shaping the events of this world
Are men the only actors i'll the great
drama Have the women and children
no part to play? And if they have, why
do we so very rarely meet with them IN
the scenes and acts of history? And
wien their gentle faces do appear, how Is
it that they are kept far of'.in the obscure
background, dim as shadows, scarcely
at ailo-ob if seen, s.most unnoticed We
read the annals of thousand years: we
turn over page after page; hut the names
upon them written, land The deeds in them
recorded, arc names and deeds of men,,
What OF the women and children OF those
thousand years? Have they done nothing
worth recording and if they have, where
IS the record We follow the histories
of hundred nations, through all their
viciss;.udcs, from their births tothe burla!S
we find the footprints alone of men. Has
no mark been left to tell that women and
children had aught to do with the desti'
MES of the nations! Do men alone make
History? From them alone is all its
Glory derived Have they so occupied
the Stage upon which the drama of history
is acted as to leave no room upon it for
the women and children? Do these ex,
crt no, influence cn'the course of events I!
0. so imperceptible an influence that only
oace or twice in a hundred years they
make mark and leave memory?
There are historians Of men and mems
achievements, but women and children
have neither history nor historian. And
vet. the weak hands of women and chill
dren have done their part in the building
up of every nation. They have suffered
too and struggled; they have given their
tears to the tragedies of this world; they
have helped nations to attain glory and
men to win fame; they have influenced
every day of history, but in the blaze OF
mems achievements they have been hid
den, Just as the stars in the heavens are
vciled from our gaze by the splendors Of
the SUI. in the march Of nations to glory
we hear only the firm tread OF the war
rior: we listen in vain for the patter OF
little f2et. In the field Of battle we hear
only the shouts of the combatants-not
the sis shs Of women who are .walllngifor
those who will return no more. Memo
ras of Inc blood of brave men shed in sa.
cred causes history gathers and preserves.
hut the tears of the widows and orphans
in the desoiate home are forgotten. And
which is holier-the blood Of the soldier
or the tears of his orphans! The tlSto,
rian finds on the battle-plain a grave, and
the name of the sleeper in it he gives to
the world but the names of the weepers
for that dead one find no place in his
PAGES. Aud which is -ho!ier-the pulse
less heart of the warrior buried in his bat
tie grave, or the broken hearts Of the wife
and children at home? History takes
pains and feels pride in recording the sut-
iierines and sacrifices of men for right:
but all unknown and umwrittcn are the
greater sacrifices of the women and chill
dren; greater because they feel them
more intensely and are less able to make
them and bear them. Ilo% often have
we noused over these unwrittcn histories.
How often have We striven to fill up with
orr own imaginings the blanks in the an
mails of earth! How often have we won
dercd about these women and children
who stand in the silent, sladowy back
ground OF. history, and yet who are init
q Hmately related to every eyent!- They
share the fates of their people-they
suffer and rejoice-they weep-they make
sacrifces-wield quiet, yet tremendous
power, over the acts of history; and yet
historians scarcely deign to mention Them
a passing tribute now and then they re-
ce;ye but the full need OF praise which
thew deserve is withheld. The great deeds
of men occupy page after page, a sentence
here ard there -jntimates that back Of the
great men and their deeds are the women
= and children. Who will write their his
torv2 Were it written how it would, in
interest transcend the records of men !
What briyht and beautiful pages-what
sad and pathetic pages it would present! J!
how tragic it would be! What sorrows
and sufferings-what faith and fidelity it
would contain! DO we meet in the front
lines of history with men great, good,
and true2 Back of them would We not
find women and children as true, as good
and Is great? Does the heroism of men
On bait le.felds in just causes thrill us
wi,h admiration? What of the heroism
in the homes of these.men? There goes
The soldier to the fray firm and fearless;
. nroud figure for the historian to sketch !;
= bnt look at his little girl standing on the
3oorstep r. bitterly weep; ng, and kissing
her white little haud 10 her soldier-father
ue1 ""s Tti,ero r,oas the ~ varrio,,