New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-03-02
NOBLE WOMEN.

Brave men. in all ages, long before
~oneu's rights ever mustered its weak
phalan1 o. "etrong minded feIninality.
delighted 20 honor vight-principled and
gifted women. This gentlemanly virtue.
, obtained in dim records OF antiquity and
tie eulogisms bestowed by earliest annal.
ists on Soman's nobility. are too yo!umin'
ous 10 be quoted.
We will not advert 20 Seiniramis. sor'
geOl!s sovereign. noble in manly daring but
disgusting when viewed stripped OF her
diadem. in the eex's legitimate sphere.
Zenobis, more attractive. added soitness
and love of letters 10 heroisn of an e1-
allied type. A for Cleopatra. Aspasia and
corrupt syrens-such as Helen. whose
charms the poet. by a fine fiction, declares
for Dire long years compelled the world to
arms-nobility in no way attaches 10 them.
ThIa. We know. was asserted OF Helen by
the blind old bard. only 70 heighten effect
on introducing his paragon of mortal lowell
Dess. herself as worthless as beauty is evan
escent. Yet Homer knew well how to com.
mend the exalted virtue Of Penelope. and
in after years Roman annalists exhibited
equally good taste and pure sentiment in
their delineat;on Of Cornelia.
Coming down 10 comparatively modern
times. we still see with what manly pride
authors record the sweetness OF Marie An.
toinette. Catherine Of Aragon. good Queen
Eleanor. and other female sovereigns. who
,nS
by that true nobility which. Independent of
worldly distinction. is often found IN the
fairer and weaker portion Of Gods human
creation.
Il has been said that woman affects
worldly pomp and display-that titles
dazzle her eyes and rank obtains her
homage. This may be so. but We wholly
ignore the truth Of ByTOn's protane asseT-
ton that
.Msids like moths, are ever caught by glare.
and Namm0n wins his way where seraphs might
despair
Byron had his own reasons for indu'glng
in severity where women were concerned,
and we fear the same cause operates with
others adopting his sentiments. That cause
is 70 be found N their association with at
tractive gu: corrupt women. the inferior
Helens and Aspasias. regarded only with
pity and loft, scOrn by their noble and more
respectable sisters.
lie: US glance for a moment into realms Of
mind. and noble women rise round lis too
numerous 20 he even named. Nine. De
Staei, as.ute as any political leader of her
Nrs II aictitfa who SbOnUh he1nD Uintt !
TO an exploded school of novelists. fur |
nished msterial 10 many tragic and i1nagi. |
native bard: johanna Bailie. on whom Sir |
Waiter Scott declared the mantle of Shake |!
spea-e had fallen: Caroline Norton. whose |
- Child OF the Islands" Slows all over with |
ByrOnic power, without being tainted by |
the sgotisIE and irTeverence Of that grand
production: Mrs. Hernans. whose liquid
iyre sometimes cheats us into the belief
tina: Twickenhams nightingale was again
vocal in Its groves; Letitia LandOn. who
knew best how 10 stir the fountains Of the
hear: and thrill US with pathetic emotion.
But :Lls host Of noble and mindful
mined women rises 20 wildly before the
minds eye that we stop short, only re-
marking that genius is not their highest
quality; no, 1t is the moral purity which
sheds halo about their beautiful thoughts
and glowing descriptions, which most of
all endears chem TO the heart of the world.
and 20 their own sex in particular. who.
when corrupted. are gifted with finest
moral sense.
There are nutie women in Iife's hum.
bies: walks, aud their deeds Of heroism 20
with them silently 10 the grave. Weary
and worn with selfsacritice. they walk their
.horny path accomplishing: foot-sore and
near:-sore, they finally quit their present
scene. knowing that to them there remain.
eth res: on the better shore.