The Opelousas courier., 1888-05-19

The world has read our best i'm
migration documents, our news
papers, and we are to get the
benefit we have earned. Immi-
grants are coming to us and men
and women ia all places are ask
ing where they shall find land
for pleasant homes beneath kind
skies and among neighborly and
intelligent people. No person
in the world can answer them so
we'll, so clearly as the press of
Louisiana.
A few days ago l had the pri-
vilege of standing up among
three thousand bright women
from all parts of the world, as
sembled in council at Washing
ton and speaking for the press.
| scarcely know now what |
said in that big opera house;
but it was something for a little
woman FROM tfar-off Louisiana to
be there at all, -and [ was proud
of myself for being there, and
because I was q worker, weak
and humble as | may be on the
press of Louisiana.
Oh, l thought OF the newspa-
per boys, and the brave, bright,
good, womanly women, whose
pure pens are doing great work
on our newspapers. The most
distinguished woman editor in
the world runs her newspaper
in this state, and besides the
slender form of ''Pearl Rivers
are in the state such real women
and frst-rate newspaper editogs
as Louise Garner, Mrs. Marie
Williams, Mrs. Hildenbrand,
Mrs. Julia Rule, the McGrath
girls, and Ella Bentley, for [ am
pretty certain that at least a fair
half Of the brightness and good
work that gets into the Donald
sonville Chief is due to "our
wife"
Gentlemen of the Louisiana
Press Association, here's to "our
wife," How many items she
has collected, how many spank
ing editorials she has suggested,
how patiently she has patched
UP and worked over s'copy," how
unweariedly has she read proof,
how kind and how helpful she
has been since the day she wore
orange blossoms for you above
her gentle brow, only you may
know. Honor her, give her a
good noSce every time. Earth
upholds no one Drawer, more
cheerful, more observing than
she who sits with us tonight as
"our wife" And then, when
you are dead and gone and the
devil has fixed up your obituary,
and the undertaken has arranged
to take it out in advertisements
heres to your widow! Now
she must be mother and father
both to the lite brood for whom
you neglected to get your life
insured. Hometender and
housekeeper, pudding-mixer and
stocking-mender, she must now
become bread-winner as we'll
She will take up the pen jus1
as bravely, just as simply as she
would take up the sword If duty
called her. She is here and
there, busy, devoted, growing
in strength and skill every day
She pays her debts, she keeps
her columns pure. She is eve
enlisted on the right side. Mod
est and womanly and capable
she is a queen among women
and III the great neWspape
world she is one in ten thousant
aud altogether lovely.
Brightest and best of all ar
the young girls who have adopt
ed journalism as their profession
They are clever, alert, full of If
and wit. They go about skim
ming the cream Of experience
and giving their papers yer.
good stuff indeed. They vii
make good wives for good edit
ors. There is plenty of room
and a real welcome in the news
paper Office for the sensible
earnest, ambitious girl VIII
knows what to write and how t.
write it.
!, You have doubtless heard tn
story of Mrs. Gadabout, VIII
paid a first visit to Mrs. New
conner, and who asked her VIVA
her husband did for a living.
; "Oh," said Mrs. Newcomer
she is a reporter"
: "What's that?"
"Why, he goes about tow
finding out things about peopl
s anl thnn hn nrinfc If in TIL