West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-03-30

liiliulldDle.
Mrs. Highburn's associates in the
city could be counted on ones an
gers; one or two historians a college
president, one minister, and a half.
dozen old families, who have never
done anything in life but live ON
the money their Observation-Disclosures
earned. Occasionally the governor
was invited, but he was politician
and self-made man, and Mrs. High
burn had no affinity with the gov
errors wife because she was formerly
a school teacher. Now, while certain
things might be forgiven in a man.
II a woman had ever earned her
living she was tabooed forever after
Mrs. Highburn drew up her dain-
ty garments from politics, and had
no respect for men who attended
primary meetings. The common
herd must do that, and she unwit-
tlngly was living under and obey
ing the laws they made for her.
She had no liberation for the social
ed strong-minded She ruled Mr..
Highburn with rod of iron, but
she continually advocated submits
sion on the part of women. She
believed in their intellectual infe-
riority, and openly said 80.
She was a member of a church in
good and regular standing, and she
stood up when poor people joined,
and promised watchcare, and then
never went to see anybody outside
her circle. Even the minister
good man though he was-was
greatly influenced by Mrs. High
burns desires, simply because She
was select The little Highburns
played with the minister's children,
and as this familiarity was scarcely
allowable with any other family, this
may have had its influence.
She was very harsh in her iudg-
ments, and had little forgiveness,
especially for her own sex. One
wrong step was never forgotten. A
blessed thing that the Son of Man
was not like this kind. Failures OF
business men, and inability to pay
debts, were sins not to be wiped out.
The Highburns' income was GER
tain and what need was there for
other men to be unwise, or, as she
thought, dishonest.
By and by James and Annie
Highburn came back from Europe
he a handsome fellow not over fond
of books, became fonder of the stu
dents balls in Paris in the Latin
Quarter, the only amusement to
which guides will not take respect
able women, the Jardin Mabille be.
ing quite pure in comparison; she
pretty, winsome, convent-educa.
ted creature who knew scarcely any
thing Of life, and had no strength
as a background for her charming
gentleness.
1t issuch mistake to suppose that
these two graces should not be de-
veloped together. The redeeming
of the world to all that is good and
lovely and pure needs the utmost
strength of character in woman,
coupled with all the tenderness and
sweetness and sympathy which God
has given her. We can never have
too much ofthe latter, and never too
much Of the former, if rightly di-
rected While a woman should be
suggestive of flowers and music and
poetry, she should not less give you
the feeling of perfect trust that she
will be strong enough to stand for
the right in whatever emergency,
God puts her. Intellectual devel-
opment and the girding power of
circumstances are essential to this
strength. She cannot work well
for humanity until she has studied
life.
Of course a party was made for
the young Highburns-not a large
affair like those of the lovely lady
across the street, who once year
invited all her elegant house could
accommodate, not forgetting her
dressmaker, milliner, and grocer.
Mrs. Highburn despised grocers,
dentists, commercial travellers, and
the like, and never went to the par
ties across the street, because she
said "who knows but one might