The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-16

"
Gle on "The Position OF Women in Amer
lea" from the pen OF Miss Kate stephens,
OF Cambridge, Mass. Mary Wolstencraft,
Mesdames de Stael and Roland, George
Sand, Frederika Bremen, Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Frances Wright and George
Eliot arc among the women who, In this
century, in prose and poetry, have pict.
ured the wrongs OF women. Mrs. Brown
ing YOU know as one OF the loltiest singers
OF our era, and George Eliot has long
ago been placed on pedestal us
the prose Shakespeare OF tho century
And let us add amongthe men and women
novelists who have helped the cause OF
women in general, il not special way,
Dickens, Thackeray, Bulwor, Dinah Mu-
lock Mrs. Craik), Charles Reade, Wilkio
Collins, Anthony Trollope, Disraeli, Charles
Kingsley, Thomas Hughes Mrs. Gaskoll,
Mayne Reid, George Macdonald Mrs. Oil
plant, Thomas Hardy William Black, Miss
Thackoray, George and Augusta Sala.
And then our own Hawthorne, Mrs. Stowe,
Mrs. Burnett. Edward Eggeston, Julian
| Hawthorne, Howclls, James, Mrs. Rebecca
Harding Davis, Louisa May Alcott, liar.
riett Prescott Spoilord, Louise Chandler
Moulton and Mrs. Amelia Rivos Chan
Ter and Charles Egbert Craddock Miss
Murlree). What contrast these and the
other writer's hereafter to be named, present
to those OF the previous century. The much
lamented Sydney Lanier, in his lectures on
THE English Novel" delivered in the
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore,
a short timc before he died, treating of
"rhe Mill on the Floss" tho heroine OF
which, Maggie Tullvor, from certain UNI
questionable traits is regarded rs the
counterfcitoi George Eliot herself, aud
while he classed us an autobio.
graphic work, said that in succeeding
lecture he proposed to read some extracts
| from il, that the great soul might speak
for herself without comments from him,
and because he "wished 20 compare tho
figure OF Maggie Tullver, specially, with
that OF Aurora Leigh, in the light Of the
remarkable development OF woman
hood, both in real life and in iic-
ton. which arrays itself before
rs when We think only OF what
We might call the Nictorien women;
that is, OF the Queen herself, Sister Dora,
Florence Nightingale, Ida, In Tcnnyson's
Princess" Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronto
and her sisters, Mrs. Browning with her
Eve and Ca,arina and Aurora Leigh, and
! George Eliot with her numerous creations.
81 shall thus make much more extern
siye study" he said, "of the Mill on the
| Floss than OF either OF the fine works
that preceded IL. IL Is hard TO leave
Adam Bedc and Dinah Morris and Barlle
| Massey, and Mrs. Poyscr, but | must
select; and have thought this particularly
| profitable because no criticism that have
seen OF George Eliot does the least
/ justice 90 the enormous, the sim
fslu NHtfI
she comes into English fiction, or
in the least prepares tho reader for those
/ extraordinary rcyou,ionss which she has
wrought with such demure quielness that
unless pointed out by somo diligcnt pro-
| lcssional student, no ordinary observer
/ would be aptto notice them. Above all have
| ! done this because Il u my deep conyic-
! ton that We can lind morO religion inGoorgo
! Eliots words than shu herself dreamed
she was putting there, lnd u clearer nith
/ for "a than she ever formulated Tor herself;
/ q strange aud solemn result bat one not
without parallel, for Mrs. lirowning's
words OF Lucrclius. in Tho Vision OF
| Poets, partly apply here, Iucrciius
noblcr than his word. And Ianiermade
his extracts from "The Mill on the Floss, +"
aud his contrasts OF characters in IL with
those OF Mrs. Browning in aurora
Leigh" and concludes, 81 sincerely
wish IL were IN my power 20
develop, along side Of the types Of Maggie
| Tuliyor and Aurora Leigh, u number OF
other female figures which belong to the
same period OF life and literature.
please myself with calling these the Vic.
iorien women. They would include the
namc-giying Queen herself, the Eve In
Mrs Bnwning's Drama OF Exile
Princess Ida in Tcnnyson's Princess
Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronto lone Of these
figures, YOU will observe, is Just as real 10
US a. the other, and have lost all sense Of
difference between actual and literary ex.
is,encel. Mrs. Browning, Dinah Morris.
Milly Barton, Janet Dcmpstcr, Florence
Nightingale and sister Dora, Romola,
Dorothea Brooke, Mym, Charlotte Cush-
man, Mary Someryillo aud some others.
II We arc grateful 10 our sweet master Ten
nysOu for his Dream OF Fair Women
how grateful should We be 10 an age which
has given MS this realization Of ideal
women, OF women who at1 80 strong aud
~ beautiful that they have subily brought
about-that can lind no adjective NJ sat.
isiactory for them as-'Nomanly' women.
They have redeemed the whoio time"
To the ranks OF these fedccmors We add
known novel, John Ward, Preacher"
She isa strong character, one that oXcmpli.
flies the spiritol AM age In which religion has
gained In spirituality by searching aud
critical examination. Then, there WIS
never a more beautiful aud devoted wife,
either In fiction or Ia fact, than Catherine
Eismcro Ia Mrs Wards novel, Robert
Elsmcrc." Catherine Is thc auiithcsis Of
Mrs Deland's Helen Ward. In some
respects Of faith, aud Cxomplilics all
the spifilualized and emotional qualities
that, investing tho early martyrs, made
them what we almost worship IN
them OF divine and holy strength, pioiy
and holiness OF purpose. kingslcy's
"llypatia," though character that takes
us out Of our time, Is q creation Of II and
would have been impossible 10 the writer's
OF any other. She was martyr 10 phi
losophy, but In laioragc would donbtless
have been n saint 10 thg Christian world.
In 1.-THE New Anligone' We have Hypo-
lite, who, reared aud nuflurcd In modern
socialism, turned at last 20 the Christian
faith, aud cxpiated as q sister Of laboring
order the sins and shortcomings whicd
she counted In her early career Aud
Meredith, who has taken rank with the
greatest noyclsis, gives M, In Diana Of
the Crosaways," Diana, who, though she
offended English conycniiOnalitios, oxom-
plillcd the purity and strength Of soul
devoted 10 her own ideal. These are
among the noblor creation Of the last few
years, following after tie multitude that
Dickens called into existence. and who
Affect us aB almost photographs OF real