Huntsville gazette., 1889-08-17
down 10 the most uncouth. love "a .ce

down to the most uncouth, love to see
| their female friends evince taste for
neat and becoming costumes
When / say that women Graves tho
lesteen and admiration Of man, / have
| in mind the pure minded woman and
| the honorable man, and it is not to
| such a woman's disparagement if she
| dresses herself to please her lover or
her husband or is especially consider
ate to her personal appearance in
presence of her male friends. The silly
sentimentality and extravaganza in
dress, which characterize some women
are to be severely condemned, but the
desire to be charming in the eyes of
| her friends can not be set down to any
woman's discredit. 1t is natural, a
| legitimate feeling and one that is alto
| gether womanly. 1t has always been
| a mystery to me how women can de-
generate into an abominable slovenli-
ness, as some do, as soon as they have
| captured husbands or have little child
rem to love and rear. Surely such
creatures lack the qualities which are
the distinctive mark of a lovely woman
| hood.
A woman's manner to greater de-
gree even than her dress marks the ex-
tent Of her claim to the title Of wo-
man. The manners of true woman
are the reflex of gentle spirit and
kind heart They are manifested by a
| low voice that excellent thing in wo-
man" and by the unostentatious way in
which the truly feminine nature de-
| lights to move and act. In direct oppO-
sition to her mode of deporting herself
is her manner of thinking. The model
woman is vigorous thinker. Her ed
| ucation has been directed to that end
and if parents would have their daugh-
| tiers exemplify the beauties of a strong
and pure wOmanhood it behooves them
to begin early the work of moral and
intellectual development in the minds
OF their daughters. Every father that
has a serious thought concerning the
welfare Of his country will educate his
daughters. The veal or woe Of ma
tion depends in a great measure upon
the extent to which its mothers are ed
ucated The work which men have
agreed upon as rightfully belonging to
woman can not be accomplished eff
GENTLY by the unwomanly, the weak
minded or the illiterate of the sex. A
clear understanding, a refined manner,
cultivated taste, good judgment and
strong moral tendencies are conspicu-
Gus qualities of the woman who fulflls
her highest mission. Ignor-
ance and sIavish dependence upon
men are not 'womanly charac-
teristics. Women, like men, have their
distinguishing traits and their attract
iveness to men is increase in proportion
to the prominence which these traits
assume. The true woman does not de-
tract from her worth as woman when
she engages in any work to which duty
calls her; womankind has not been de-
graded by the labors Of such reformers
as Ellice Hopkins, Francis Willard or
Lucretia Mott. Mon have not found
their wives less helpful homes have not
been made less bright or little children
less happy because Of the interest
which women have manifested in poll,
tics, literature and the arts, and in the
advancement Of their own sex.
A discussion Of the subject Women
as Women" at the Women's Conven-
ton was not necessity, for every low
ing mother, every affectionate wife and
every tender sweetheart is testimonial
to that truth which can not be gain
sayed. Woman is first last, and all
the time Il woman, and as such she
longs for no wider kingdom than a
home, no stronger scepter than love,
and no greater power than that which
she wields over a husband and chill
dren,
To have such an ambition a woman
need not be 'old-fashioned,H she need
not be a conservative or q domestic
slave, for it is an attribute Of the high
est, the lowliest the most gifted and the
strongest minded Of the sex.