The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-09-20
SOUTHERN WOMEN.

The editor of the Columbus (Ga.) Enquire
pays the following beautiful tribute to South
ern women:
One of the popular delusicns North is tn
hauteur and undisguised dislike which South
ern women are supposed to entertain for PEG
pie from the Northern States. ''The gentle
men will receive you and your wife kindly, fo
Southern men. are proverbially courteous ant
gallant but you will be compelled to SOFA
isolation" We did not believe this, as we die
not believe the many other lies that have KEEP,
so many away from this fair land; and resolv
ing to come, she to whom we self the fruit
and flowers (the editors Northern wife, bYavely
| came 20 share whatever fate WAS in store tol
US.
I Bot the threatened Upas valley, on a neare,
approach, has turned out to be a land of fruit
and flowers, and the Southern sisters have
taken her by the hand and drawn her 20 then
hearts. arc all that is good III our natures is
made better by this more than generous re-
| ception. But the ials ehood has gone abroad
about the bitterness Of southern ladies, and
it might be we'll to look at the cause. When
the war broke out there could be no kindly
feelings in the hearts OF women on either
side, tor they saw their brothers, husbands,
sons and lovers going out to soldiers graves
| Tor a cause each deemed right; and woman s
! heart OF faith was more sorely tested in those
| black days than were the men who went down
before the blaze of artillery. or fell in the
| jungle, gave up life for God and tatherland
| i'll the hospital or cruel prison.
Leaving out the questions involved in tn.
cause OF battle, men never fought and suffered
with a grander .heroism than did those poorly
fed, i'll clad, never paid troops Of the Confed-
| sracy: and if the enduring of fatigue without
int Il
life and property into the scale with the sword
be the test of patriotism, then, indeed, do they
deserve the name. The suffering at that fearful
front of fire that stretched from the A lantic
to the Western plains, and extended down to
the warm Gulf was fearful, but 1t was only the
shadow OF suffering compared to that which
was endured in the happy homes OF the land
Many brave boy fell with the blood flowing
earthward from his heart. but the bullet tina
struck him stopped not when the tide OF his
lie had run out. went on and on, till it
reached home and settled in mothers
hear. OF struck down u loved one whose life
was crushed by the blow that sent the yo ing
soldier to his grave. The charge, the terrible
struggle, the night. wounded on the battle.
field the forced march, the short ratlons. the
PRISON and the escape We're the things that
tested the physique and pluck Of men. But
the real suffering OF the war was ia the anXi-
Gus hearts OF women, who felt the blow when
it came, and in dread anticipation Of its ever
coming suffered in silence through the long
days,an nights Of gloomy years. And that
suffering was SO widespread that sympathy
became mute. for she could not soothe the
woes OF all.
Many f.ir-baired boy went proudly ont.
with mothers blessing. though he did not
see the tear that followed; but he never re-
tnrna6-hp in mo Of bn,
harvests Of death tnat dot the land and make
our hills historic. Many husband kissed
his VIE and little ones and went down tor
God and country to the valley of death
Many maiden. whose young heart was filled
with its idol, dear to her as Heaven itself.
kissed him and hoped for the happier day OF
pease, and tie loLgel-for time, but it came
not the bridegroom had gone at the sum
mons OF he mystic angel 10 await his blide in
the land beyond the river of death Yes. |
theirs was the suffering. and theirs are the
wounds that cannot heal-for the heart of
woman ever bl eds when death tears the
loved ones from it.
We cannot wonder, then, that in the South |
women should have felt more keen.y the loss
OF that cause for which their dear ones died: !
while the Southern 50 ers, more familiar
with their foe, had grown to respect the energy |
IN courage shown in opposition. When the |
war closed it was but natural that Southern |
women should see in the blue-c coated soldiers
a. out them the slayers of their dear ones and |
the conqnerors OF their land. Every feeling /
revolted against showing regard they could |
not feel, and when political plunderers follow
ed, 1t was to be expected that Southern women
would step aside and avoid the contagion that
avery honest man, North and South would |
oathe; an it was these men who have belied
the South and misrepresented her beautiful,
daughters
We hear little Low Of the true heroism
of these women, though their sisters Of the
North emulated them in works of mercy and
with suffering. Here in the South
women worked for themselves IL every vii
,ge and hamlet and valley and plain they
made clothing. scraped lint, prepared dainties
Tor the sick and wrote words of cheer for the
well, to show the soldier boys the women we're
linking and praying for them. More. like
angels. they went to the hospitals,
md soldiers turned on their cots of pain to
bless the" as they passed. They took down
he words Of the dying husband ere its spirit
ook It's flight, and sent them to the widowed
me far away; they cheered the ftintiug boy
MO life, and the touch of their soft bands
lad heal lng balm for the burning brow on
which they were placed. Kind words for the
respondent; gentle acts for those racked with
pain, and tears pure and sympathetic as the
nSels Tor those who lay on soldiers bier
MI tins has often me to our minds and in
linking of these women we have wondered
in the great hereafter departed spirits will
ave sex Tor If they do the angel spirits Of ..
romen will rest nearest to the throne Of God. F.,
nd their voices will bear the sweetest song.
nd their harps resound with the sweetest
train in praise OF that God who rules over
'orh and South and orders things in accord l.
nee with his great design.
The FRENCH AND ENGLISH DAY or REST. =
loncure y. Conway puts forward the follow |