The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-31
ORDERS OPEN TO WOMEN
Scars and Crosses That are Used
for the Decoration Of
Gowns.
The Iron Crosses Of Prussia and
the Legion Of
Honor.
Order OF tho Fun md Other Badges More
or Less Interesting The shah's
Gallsntry.

When you come to look into the matter
there are u good many orders, badges and
moro or less valuable decorations of one
kind and another. either instituted to COM
raomorato the patriotism Of women or to
which women as we'll az men arc eligible,
says the New York Recorder. 1t is true
That the British parliament, before Victoria
gave the Red Cross to Mrs. Grimwood, ran
sacked its records to find some honor it
could bestow ON the heroine of Manipur
without lighting on any. 1t is also true
that the general public displayed a general
ignorance as regards the Red Cross by cir
culating the statement that Florencs Night
ingale was the only other woman who had
received it; the fact being that it is worn
by some forty princesses n noble ladies
connected with the Engliah royal family,
though, to be sure, princosses are hardly to
be reckoned as in tho running. They do
not need to show special devotion or hero
ism in order to cover their frock fronts over
with medals.
The Iron Cross of Prussia is one of the
decorative badges worn by the sex which is
supposed to like gold better than iron.
Frederick William founded the order as
long ago as 1918; it was revived in the
Franco-Prussian war and remodeled by
Emperor William l.. The first woman who
received it was Miss Florence s. Lees, who
was superintendent of the ambulance of the
crown princess. now Er"press Frederick.
Miss Lees was English, nd she was with
the Tenth Prussian corps before Metz. She
has written a handbook since for hospital
nurees, but she seems to have faith in the
r$nro -N.nA 1f EvrD, 49, ohn 4,lu onn
medal enough for her satisfaction. for she
has married a country clergyman, and it is
not unlikely that this infants of the Rev.
Dacie Craven cut their teeth when they are
particularly we'll behaved on the cross of
the PruHsiRn medal.
is worn bv quite a number of women, but
1t was never meant to be. Napoleon estab-
lished it as the Order of the Eagle, and he
was not a man to bestow eagles, or any
other birds bigger than canaries, on women.
1t became a ~"cross'' in later days, and then
an Order OF this Holy Ghost" and then
under Napoleon III. a cross again. The
FIRST woman who received it was Rosa Bon
heur. The Empress Eugene personally
asked for the cross for the great animal
painter and met a refusal. The ministers
said that ''as it had never hitherto been
granted to a woman they protested against
Grating q precedent"
But in those days Eugene had her own
way. 1t was only a year later when the
emperor went off to Algeria and left her as
regent to do quito as she pleased. She
didn't ask the ministers this time, but went
off by herself to Rosa Bonheur's studio and
pinned on the cross and kissed the artist as
ahe did SO. 1t is not reported whether the
ministers smiled or grieved, but the wilful
emprees' action proved a precedent, just as
since the governor general of Ionquin con-
ferred tho cross in the presence of his troop
on the superior of the sisters OF mercy sorv-
inp in the field.
If France didn't mean to DO gallant in the
beginning, Turkey and Persia, from which
countries you would least expect gallantry,
have displayed quite a good deal. Sultan
Abdul Hamid III. instituted the Order of
Nishani Shefakat" for the express purpose
of acknowledging the benevolence of the
Baroness Burdett Coutts, Lady Layard and
Others toward tho victims of the Russian
Atrocities in 1873. The insignia consists of
u t%ive-pointed star in red enamel.
That Interesting %potentate. the Shah OF
Persia has conferred the Order of the Sun
on several women. The order WAS founded
in 1908 by Fsth Ali, and in 1878 tho Shah
sent the badge to Paris to be given by the
Persian minister to Nine. Ia Marchale Mac
Mahon.
King John of Saxony founded the Order
Sidonia in 1871 in memory of the duchess
of Sidonia and designed it especially for
tle reward OF Women>s service IN war. 1t ls
u Maltese cross of white enamel edged with
gold, n is worn on a scarf of violet rib
hon. In the same year Charles NIL. of
Wnrtemburg, instituted the Olga for his
wlfe's sake, a silver cross conferred like the
sanatory Cross of the Grand Duchy of
Hesse on both men and women.
The list is too long to carry it forward to
completion, and it would not be worth while.
Clara Barton has badges enough to cover
herself over with stars and cross es, but they
make her neither more nor less of a
woman.