The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-07-17

reveals to fallen beings on earth, and to
the angels in heaven, in Ills human ma
ture, the perfect image of God, its mas
culine and its feminine features. Chris
tianity makes woman the equal, the
companion of man, and unites the two
in holy marriage, and presents in the
human soul Of the Saviour the spiritual
union of the man and his hclp-mete.
The feminine soul has more love and
less logic than the masculine, more
meekness and sweetness, less seit-rell-
ance and responsiveness. The feminine
soul Of woman determines her sphere.
from which she cannot depart without
! damage to her influence, without sad
descent from position of real glory to
one of positive unloveliness and degrada-
ton. Her organization, both physical
and spiritual, is more delicate and retin-
ed than that Of man. Beauty, grace
tenderness, patience, lovingness, are her
characteristics. Intellectually she is
mans inferior; spiritually, she is bis srl-
perior. Man is the stronger animal,
woman the stronger soul. Courage, foW-
ing with mans blood, darcs lean Cassius
to plunge with him Into the troubled
Tiber on q raw and gusty day." or "sccks
the bubble reputation at the cannon's
mouth" fortitude, an attribute of wo-
mans soul, endures Affections and holds
on bravely to life and duty. Irving''s
much admired figure presents the truth
| in part. Man is the oak, woman the ivy.
In prosperity, the sturdy, self-reliant,
pest-defying tree lifts its graceful
vine into sunlight, proudly protecting
and sustaining its frail, clinging compan-
ion; but when the bolt has struck the
trunk and its branching honors have
been torn away, then the vine becomes
the comforter, binding up the shattered
boughs with caressing tendrils. This
figure presents woman's tenderness and
devotion beautifully; but Mrs. Brown
ing, in the "Rhyme of the Dutchess
May" has laid bare the heart Of woman
as only the most gifted Of her sex could,
revealing in her bosom strength, pride,
dauntless courage for the Vindication of
love, as we'll rs perfect submission, con-
fidence and repose within loves encircl-
ing arms. She can dare dangers and
welcome death for and with the beloved
one. Defying her guardian, the naughty
Earl, who would compel her to marry
one she loathed, flying from his hated
tyranny, she bcstows her hand upon her
chosen knight:
"And the bridegroom led the flight, on
his red-roan steed of might;
And the bride lay on his arm, still, as if
she felt no harm,
Smiling out into the night" 49,.
Their castle is beseiged by the cousin
she could not, would not; wed. lie re-
solves to slay her husband and compel
her to be his. The castle Is about to fall
into the hands of her beseigers. Her
Knight despairs. He resolves to ride,
clad in full armor, from tho loftiest bat
tlement of tho eastern wall, and in that
way save his honor and the lives of his
wife and followers. They are goading
the gallant "red-roan steed" up the
stairs. Inouiring their errand, the lady
learns that hope is gone, and that Sir
Guy has resolved to ride the wall. Sic
bc,US her head and aUee0S.
/. She is exhorted to braid her hair and
clasp her gown, that her beauty may
find grace with the victorious Leigh.
Then,
."She stood up in bitter case, with pale
yet steady face;
Like C statue M,tnder-strwck, aChich,
though guiveaing, seems to look,
Right against the thuncscr.i'tace."
DIE LLC liClSc W LllS W ASlS
her husband stood.
"Soft he neighed to answer her, and then
followed up the stair,
For the love of her sweet look.
On the east tower, high'st of all-there,
where never a foot did fall,
Out they swept, vision steady-noble
steed and lovely lady,
Calm as if in bower or STALL"
She has determined that, if her hus-
band leaps over the wall, she Will 60
with him. He wrings her hands in vain.
She clings to him. At last, when the
horse, rearing on the verge Of the battle
ment, was about to topple over, "She
upsprang, she rose upright" and was
seated beside him:
"Aad her head a1Cts on lis breast, achere
sic smiled as one at rest"
There are women, strong in womanly
love and womanly pride, who could, like
the Dutchess May, smile upon & hus-
bands breast when falling headlong into
the abyss Of death.
Modern rcformers, proposing to strike
at the root of human miseries and intro
duce the golden age Of universal freedom
and enjoyment, clamor for universal
equality. Ignoring the laws of the uni
verse, blind to the demonstrations of the
earth beneath and the heavens above,
they insist upon the vines ability to
flourish unsupported and fight success
fully the storm. whcy demand that the
various departments of Government
all trades, professions and pursuits
open to all, without regard to sex. In
the name of philanthropy, bent upon
the overthrow of despotism and oppres-
sion, they madly seek to amend the con-
stitution of the universe, reconstruct Gre
alton and improve upon the plan OF God.
Because some husbands are brutes, they
deny the wisdom and benevolence of the
Divine appointmentofhc of hcddship for man.
Because some marriages Ere infelicltous,
Ithey would break the indissoluble bond
whenever inclination and convenience
suggest. Because some women are
strong-minded and some men are ci-
pliers, they ridicule the central idea Of
civilization, that the union Of differently
endowed beings, with different spheres,
| is necessary to conserve the family, the
community, and secure both domestic
peace and public order. How wild
rhe intuitions of every healthy heart
cry out against such degradation of wo-
man, such an attempts Ito uproar the
universal peace and pour the sweet milk
of concord into hell"
Woman is degraded when removed
from her position of help-mete. Itwould
degrade sweet Venus to force her away
from her proper place in the SKY, to take
bolder circuit among thelarger planets
of the heavens. Now, she is our bright
est, loyelest, morning and evening star
star Of love and peace, Of home and
hope-but, moving in the orbit Of Jupi-