The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-14

WOMEN or THE OLD TIME AND TIE NEW.
Mr.. George William Curtis gave exceedingly en-
.oyabc lecture at Chickering Hall last evening hav-
ing for his subject women Of the Old Time and tho
New The proceeds OF tho entertainment for tho
benefit OF the art department Of the approaching fair
OF the Young womcn's Christian Association. Mr.
Curtis said:The past is always the golden ago. The
gamor Of distance makes beauty moro beautiful and
yaIor heroic While wc read history for
poetry experience Is fun or 1t. The
gunner OF Gettysburg less a hero than r
Philip Sydney. He Toll wounded by his gun, and cried
s'ror the love Of God, Jimmy, give me some water. y
Jimmy answered, Thcrc is not drop In my cantccn !;
II leave tho gun tho enemy will take Itn mo
matter then, Jimmy stay BY the !" and when the
army moved it tho poor gunncr's dead body.
The hcrosm and poetry In tho Decd not in the dis
lance All that best In the old time have now.
We see Lorenzo and Shyock In the counting
houses; we seq Romeo; and aforward we see him
cutting OF his wiic's head with unkndncss.
We appalled, by the extravaganza and luxury OF tho
time The dress Of fashionable woman costs her hus-
band thousands Of dollars sit was 50 in oldcn
time" we say. Softly, softy; there IS Queen Elizabeth
800 years ago, who was the happy owner OF 1900
dresses, and who issued her solemn proclamation
against extravaganza in dress We political
ruption all around and we justly fear that u may
consume tho very moral foundations upon which our
government rests. hare man In the lobby OF
the Legislature holding out handful OF bank bills and
brandishing them, and saying ir'umphantly, THAT
century ago the British King bought members OF Par
lament as he bought meats IN the market. But within
SIX years | have heard Mr. Mundclla, who repre-
sents OF the largest constituencies IN the British
Parliament, say that he had no more influence IN APP
pointing clerk in the British Custom House than they
who heard him. and never shall we lay our hand af the
root OF our political corruption till every American
representative truly say the same thing. Jap
pIausc Let remember that the greatest glory OF the
old time
THE DIVINE Discomfort
within foreatncrs that drove their children TO find
better times. Tho past goou tune, the present
Is better the future Is best Of all The position OF
women Is always test OF civilization and the
greatest illustration OF that advancing scnti-
neDt ~ the opening Of every opportunity Tor the rdu
cation OF women. In the oIdcn days educated women
outiawcd class Pcrclcs said tho greatest
glory OF woman not to be talked Of among men for
her virtue or otherwise Had Periccs lived to-day he
would know that 10 be talked Of Florence Night
ingac and Maria Mitchell IS glory. The PurItans
founded ,chooDs for boys but the girls we're not gen.
orally admitted. But forty years ago the ncautious
heroically resolved that there should DO high school
for girls well as boys. and thclc were I'M
mcdiatcly $50 applicants, whereas the boys
school had never had ninety, and the rush con.
tinucd great that after eighteen months tho school
closed lest the Boston should know moro
than the Boston men Az tho beginning Of this cen
tury education for women thought necessary,
but toward the end OF II Is thought that the
knowledge woman has the better wife and iruer
mother IL shc and all the or education begin TO
open. II is the swell OF the tide OF humanity that
bears us forward and VIC 60 forward God hcplng US,
TO ind the true woman N Tree American homca.