The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-08-18
What o Northern Woman Thinks os
Southern WOmanllOOd.v


Even unjust condemnation is good fo,
the soul, Tor IT, leads to selfexaminatior
ana sincere purpose of amendment. and
Helen Campbell, " i'll the Boston Herald
gives southern WOMEN such food for re.
nectlon III an article entitled "Woman.
mood III the South" That her conclu.
sions are honest, frOr. her standpoint
can scarcely be doubted but that they
arc just, law Southern women will admit
though she says her knowledge comes
from long watching of many represent
ing the best blood of the South" we
must perforce conclude that she has
Drawn most OF her views from the super
mciai type of woman who most freuuents
me summer resort and idle watering.
pace, ana not from intimate association,
Win tnoso true wives and mothers who
"orthiiy minister at the hcme altars al
our sunny South. Such women as she
pictures are not confined 20 any section
OF country, but North, South, East and
west may bc found lowering the stand.
ara OF womanhOod and the tone of socic.
y through lack of education, purity or
sstrcngth. However, much that she saws,
II exaggerated, has groundwork OF
!ruth, sufficient, ut least to give US some
idea how our women may appear TO
stranger eyes, especially if those ewes
view them through the distorted lights
of prejudice.
The Southern girl of to-day" "Helcn
Campbell writes, "owcs her CHEF char.
actcristics TO forces set in motion two
hundred years ago. The delicate hands
owe their dimples and baby.like softncss
TO generations of immunity from pel. ,onal
labor. The tiny feet hay, small knowl.
edge OF the uses Of feet, and falter if
urged TO walk Of mile The slender
| iigurcs are corseted and made still more
slender ny fashion now happily nearly
unknown Mt the North, and from bahv.
hood up delicacy, fragility, helplessncss
are taught as the proper expression of
womanhood-tho only expression that
can ensure the interest or sympathy of
manhood. The first duty Of cyery wo.
man, from CHILDHOOD on, is to make the
most OF every personal attraction"
Ihis seems like an echo of some of tbc
ideas current about Southern women in
the Old days when the South was tho
seat OF opulcnce, and when the institu.
ton or slavery seemed to give color to
the fancy of utter immunity from pcr-
sonal labor" Yet, even in those luxu.
rlous days, who that has power to sneak
from intimate knowledge and association
would dare picture the Southern woman
as only handed idlcr? To
"Helcn Campbell' no doubt the picture
would arise of n fair and lanruid creo.
ture, couched all day in utter useless
ness her cheeks of "waxv pallor.n
cooled by the motion Of great palm fans
welded by wretched slaves; her "tiny
feet extended, like pretty TOYS. on the
cushions of n costly divan. TO ewes that
watched her in her free plantation life.
ana IN the stately city home. how differ
ent the picture! In the first. sec her.
the wholesome wife-with her
sunny. presence and her bunch of iinp
ing Keys, Up at the dawn of dny,
brlght'eyed and capable, eager to set the
machinery in working order for a busy
day Marshalling the "sewinp. women
TO their task overseeing the spinning
and weaving of cotton 10 "plantatio5
CLOTH. trotting briskly to the "smcke-
mouse" and the barn" inspecting per-
sonaliy the treasures of her poultry ward
running IN Mt the cool "sprinr house for
comprehensive survey of dairy affairs.
All this, perhaps, before gathering her
household about her in the dining. room
LOT morning prayers, where she sits,
facing the line of cheerful black faces by
the door, with her own kindred grouped
around her, looking herself, the embodi-
ment OF home peace and calmness and
sunshine. And then follow the many
interests that absorb the hours of her
day the instruction of children, the
comforting of the sick and the old, the
soothing of weary manhood, the warm
outpouring of neighborly sympathics in
times OF trouble or joy What life could
pc more womanly and good moro full of
human Interests and activities, more
healthiul or more strong?
nor WAS her city sister in any wav less
worthy in her daily walk. Perhaps, less
personally active, she was woman of
more thorough culture, and one who
qucened IT In society, with inimitablc
grace and tact. Graceful mplish-
ments TN which, in those days, she far
cxceiled her Northern sister, absorbed
much OF her time, the training of chill
dren and servants, the cultivation of her
garden, and, chiefly, the cherishing of
that beautiful hospitality and refinement
which, in those days, made Southern
homes centres of almost ideal beauty and
rest, hlied up the measure of her days.
Nor were her charities neglected, as
many noble institutions, designed by
Southern women, still exist to prove ::
nor was she lacking in that rarer charity
which suffers not the left hand to know
OF the deeds of the right, and which is
recorded only on High. When the even
tenor OF these gracious lives was broken
by the rude hand of War; when her
slaves deserted her; when her ancestral
homo was burned; when she was left
elono in her unsheltered womanhood to
race the insults of bands Of irresponsible
and wicked men; when her fair past was
plotted with precious blood and her
future shrouded in pail. did her "fra-
gility," her "helplessness" cause her to
succumb? Nay, rather, did not the soul
OF the Southern woman, like finely tenn
Pered steel, prove rs strong as it was del
lcate and bright? Did she not smile in
the face of woe, and rise, elastic, in her
strength and vigor to meet the strokes Of
poverty and desolation Did she not
lay her healing touch on many gaping
wounds, and pour her sunny smiles into
souls sick unto death. with disappoint-
ment? Did she not keep high heart
'hrongn aii, 'Then even brave men grew
cowardly through misery?
These are the antecedents of the South
ern women of to-day. Is it from such
noble stock that feeble fruit can come {?
If we believed it all, we should turn in
disgust from the sickening picture "Hel-
en- Campbell" draws "T6eir love of ap.
probationV she savs Uis q nocu;on thav