The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-07-30
FLOWERS.
Gather Them When You Can.
lForney's Progress.l

Flowers by the wayside are like opportu-
mites neglected; we pass them by without
noticing them, although they often beckon
to us with their fragrance and beauty. l
have three or four women in my memory to
illustrate my thought: one who was I'M
taught by her opportunities; the Others who
cultured and added to them; and the last,
who began by gathering the weeds of pow
erty, then secured drop of professional sue
cess and finally left to her country and her
sex the perfume of a virtuous name and the
aroma of sweet benevolence blended with
patriotism
Eugene, the childless widow at Chisel-
hurst, who became empress of France by ac-
cident, had thousand opportunities to be-
come illustrious; but she lost them all,
because neglecting the flowers by the way
side that taught her of her early poverty
and obscurity. She devoted herself to poll
tics, became an active ally TO few reckless
partisans of the Church of Rome, and after
the death of her husband allowed herself to
be absorbed in an attempt to make party
for her son as the future ruler of France and
so sent him forth to die at the hands of the
savages of South Africa, whittier he went to
make for himself military fame
How much more womanly and Christian
like if she had followed the example of Anna
Dickinson, of Philadelphia. or Mrs Willard
of Chicago, both poor girls at the start, and
now among the expresses of American in
tellect because they gathered the flowers bv
the way, improved their many opportunities,
and now, by self-reliance, culture, unparal-
leled courage, have made themselves abund-
antly happy and prosperous, and are held up
as examples for their own sex. A million of
women will strive to emulate their career
while only silly coquettes will be attracted
by the follies of the disappointed Eugene.
Flowers by the wayside are sometimes SO
mingled with the weeds that it requires a
sharp eye to pick them out. They seemed to
be all weeds which first bloomed for Charlotte
Cushman, but she looked we'll and discerned
the roses near at hand, hidden, 1T is true, be-
yond the sharp thorns of poverty and disap-
pointment, but waiting for her to pluck them
Once she had them almost in her grasp but
she only shook the BUSH and the leaves fell
with her tears to the ground. That was when
her voice promised her fame and fortune;
when the bright career of prima donna
seemed to open for her. and in its wealth and
luxury silence the memories of the theater
ballet. 1t needed brave spirit to look fur
ther but Charlotte Cushman was brave and
| proud even in her failure and she simply
stepped little aside, courageously fought
for her flowers by the wayside, and carried
them off in triumph Not only did she lose
no opportunity, she made opportunity.
Where was the chance for the ugly girl by
| the side of her handsome sister, who was re-
| garded as the favorite child of fate? Yet to-
day, of the thousands who honor the name OF
Charlotte Cushman, not a hundred know that
| the beautiful Susan ever existed, and that the
two girls stepped together upon the first
round of the ladder. Charlotte lives though
dead, herself the fairest flower of her time in
her profession, blessed for her charity and
her grand womanhood. Of Susan the re-
cord says nothing, save that she married.