St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-01-13
WOmcR as pIctinis Of Uap.
BY JUNIUs HENRI BROWNE.

BY JUSIUS HENII BROWNE.
l. Is common. almost universal, to con-
~iddcr war merely a~ Ii aft g men ;
while It's real and greatest victims are
women. All history, public and private.
rccounts the courage, torJItulr, and sui
trrngs OF soldiers in the field; but hard
y any one thinks Of the lOu9 and patient
agony winch the mothers and wives. the
sisters and sweclheartS OF the sul,licr>
are forced to endure.
There are heroes. many and "rrat, in
every battle but away from the battle
there are h,roines more and greater than
the world can ever know or the muse Of
history will ever record.
WDman's destiny. compared to mans.
i hard ut best; and war shows his con
ciu~ivrly She slrinks from strife and
conflict in~:incriveIy. Her ways are the
ways Of pcac'. and tier sotrcst and sweet
81 shelter i unlcr the olive. Man, a.
has ben said, j. Il military animal, de
li1hiiug III gunpowder aud woman is
ctirl upon TO atone with deSulated lite
and broken heart for his leruciou- raturc
Il = aS unjust as pitiable that >hr should
receive in her own breast .hc cruel ar
row~ Whose fabrication she has done her
almost 10 picvrni. Achilic, and Hector
and Iy-S,'S We're not half - much
the heroes OF the sicgc of Troy as Thcli-
and Audromac!.c and Penelope were it,
hrroinc> for they bore the silent wait
/. H.. =
-.,r a.ony winch invariably t,li to wo-
mems lot Every war since at- repeat
rd thrir experience, and Wi, repeat il
until the ,uu OF arm- >hrll b. un re.
DIrIm- tn present Stru@Lia between
France and Germany We have admired
and rNtnll-d the daria9 and determine
tIuu ut both countries. Nc lave APP
II ,ul TN" hrl.li:u, vi tfi - OF one, ami
nave >,mpat!,izcI Ni,h tin disasters OF
tic other. We have had honor for the
brave. pity tor the fallen. sorrow Tor tue
dyictled. Bui, amid the clam I Ut con
.i.i ana lie .rOlr.s ui the wuuudel and
tmv DYING. W. have not hc.ri tac weep
Iu- and the wailln" Of lhc bcrravcd We
uca from the RHINE 10 the . Ter. from
the Mouse 10 The Rhoue. The stricken
widows and orphans ere not remembered
Lriurc the external horror, of gA~piug
wounds and gory ii-lI>
WA.lc We regard the prowc>- and the
rcul ui the actors on .uc ~tagr, we for
- tuc poor mougn,r- behind the scenes
10 u 1t j. a pageant /" them it l. a
terrible reality. Their tears tall unseen
and unh,,dri: but they are no.c the
!r,S bitter TOR Jhrt. hr m1urr c~~ d.
nui bleed. their .imh- are no. shat cred :
yet tncir suffering i tar greater than
ilIal OF the men whom stcrl has cut and
-h.t have struck. Healing or death will
kindly come to these; but !or those i
only the slow torture "t broken hope and
affections rent in twain.
Fate has ur,ltired that woman must
pay the penalty ol mans tuiliys. faults,
and crimes. lie crrs. and she l. puni>h-
ed. lie strikes, and on her lals the
blow returned. No man. however low
IL, insignificant, or worthless, can Isolate
himself from the ~IStcruUud OF the race.
Th, mranrSt wretch thai cr;twl> must
have had Il mother and il often happen,
Ihat lie who Is rude and vile and coar-c
l. mated with her who Is gentle, pure.
and fine. An unknown woman dcrkrd
Nrro's tomb- with flowers; and MilOnia
Ir-ouia bc"gcd for death, from the as
-a>slHs OF her husband, the cluelcst ty
rant humanity has known.
Ol the hundreds of thousands who
marched nIougn France and Germany
20 Inc battles front, each ind all bore
some wOman'S kisses and affection, some
wuman'> happiness and blessing. Iinag
inc. ii!cn, the crushing woe and dark
despair which must have gone out from
tie fields u! slaughter to dcsolated iItarths
and shattered homes.
There was Il pomp of banners al
Woerth, a pcin of victory at Hagenau,
4 song of triumph at Grayelotte, the joy
ol Il splendid success at Sedan. War
seemed great and gor,uu> from the PrL>-
SIAN side, even in the midst Of cdlnagc
and destruction. But what was the
seen 10 the unseen, the head to the un-
heard Far away from the roar Of
/ conflict, beyond the bright rivers and the
graceful hills, in cities and towns aud
hamlrts, were watching eyes and thrOb-
Iing hcari-, 10 which the dreadful truth
came with OycrH ,iming shock.
/ 1hc women, waiting and weeping anl
praying at home for the absent anI tnc
! loved, found 10 iuster il the clmpa -,
saw no laurels growing On victorious
brOW~. In SONIC corner o, the Gdcttte Il
common name was printed, which brought
lao eclipse ali the radiance Ut the world
On the impression OF the few types the
eye fastened us upon basliisk, ami
could not be turned away.
Nv hat Is honor what l. fame what
j. glory :" ak thousands OF choking yot-
,cS Ecu they learn OF the ca-uailue- ci
.hc day. hin Wl.iIan my IL proId ,
81 .naTk may oecJLle .mInloI.a., u,v.-
inalIy may Dc Ii.suo ar empire, bu, ,nr,
yIi. not rc,totc ~ mc my dcaI ld.n,r,
nay lost musUand, my slam ann. We
were poor and humble. We had ~
cause for quarrel. Wars may benefit
kings but they crush and destroy the
people, and those who perish are more
fortunate than they who survive. Why
= should We, who hate nobody and d. "'
wrong, ue compei.cd 20 eve our ~
and dearest to the wholesale UutchCry
we shqdder at and hate Have we IL