The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-02
TALK ABOUT WOMEN.

| MAN Ia what woman makes him." said
Rousseau, whose respect and admiration for
the sex were always of tho most exalted char
acter. This well known fact places the spirit OF
| Rousseau's observation above all suspicion
but his aphorism Is one that Is compliment
| airy or derogatory according 10 who may
| utter il. From the lips of many good and
noble and happy men 1t has been spoken as
| the highest praise, while 1t is not less fire.
quently uttered by the vicious and unhappy
as taunt, or pitiful plea in extenuation of
their own weakness or wickedness.
| How often do we hear it said of some poor
fellow who has fallen by the wayside, Ellis
wife did it," Oftentimes, alas it may be
| true, but somehow, we can't exactly tell why
we never hear that plea urged in mans px-
| tenuation that 1t does not add modicum
more Of contempt to the pity of which thot
feeling makes 80 large part. Yet the pow
of women for evil, rs we'll as for good, cannot
be gainsaid. The grandest epic that ever
| rolled Its diapason down the ages Is but the
record of the woe and lamentations wrought
by a wanton's smiles. WOman's beguiIement
Is also the theme OF our English Homer's
grandest song. who tells US in inspired num-
bers how
Eve she did the apple eat
And smacked her lips and said twas sweet
The records of history are full of examples
Of women like Helen of Troy and our
mother Eve who
"--wrought our woe
In the diamond morning Of long ago."
But on the other hand the examples are not
less numberless OF the women who have SUD-
ported their husbands and lovers and broth
ers at the crises OF their lives-of women
who have made heroes out Of the very COM
monest clay.
Who has ever read without emotion. and a
renewed and exalted respect for feminine viz
tue, Plutarch's recital of the tenderness and
herotsm of POrta, claiming q wife's grandest
privilege OF knowing and sharing the trou-
bles of her husband; OF how, doubling her
own courage, she first tested her endurance
by piercing her own thigh with knife before
asking Brutus to reveal to her his weighty
secret; and how once, and but once In his
presence, her noble spirit failed, when. as she
was about to separate from him for
the last time, her eye CHANGED to
fall on the picture Of the last parting OF Hec-
tor and AndrOmaChe2 TaCitus tells an even
more touching story of Paulina, the wife OF
Seneca, who opened her veins In order To ac-
company her husband to the grave. After
she had lost much blood her women bound
her wounds and compelled her to live; but the
Romans ever after observed with rev erencn
tho pallOr of her continuance the memorial
or her act. And what a grand family OF women
was that which numbered among its daugh-
ters ARIA, the wife of P@'us, and her daugh-
ter, the wife OF ThraGpa, and her daughters
daughter, the wife of Helvidius. When Pntus
was condemned to die by his own hand, those
who knew the love which his wlfe ARIA
bore her husband. and the heroic fervor of her
character, predicted that she would not long
survive MIN. Thrasea, who had married
her daughter endeavored to persuade
her from self-destruction by asking
her. eff / am ever called upon to
perish. would you wish your daughter
to die with me?" She replied: "Yes, if she
Will nave then lived with you as long and as
happily asl with PBtus." At last ali attempts |
TO dlssuade her from dying with her husband |
were abandoned, and cher death was perhaDs
the most majestic In antiquity" says Mr.,
Leckv who took the account from plinv
"P9tus for moment hesitated to strike the
fatal blow; but his wife. taking the dagger,
plunged it deeply In her own breast, and then
drawing it out, gave It, all reeking as 1t was,
10 her husband, exclaiming with her diving
breath: my PRtus, it does not pain!" or In
The words Other own sweet and classic tongue:
'PRte, non dolet" The younger ARIA was
The faithful companion OF Thrasaa during his
heroic life, and when death overcame him
she was only persuaded to live that she might
BRING up her d tughters. Her daughter went
'wice into exile with her husband, HpIvldius,
md was banished after his death for defend.
ng his memory. But why go back - the old
pagan days for examples Of that WomanIy