Las Vegas free press. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1891-1???, 1892-02-23

glories; we feel the influence of its
walls.
Divin es tell us that to Christianity
is due the present elevated condition
of womankind; that when pagan
Rome suecumbed the shackles fell
from her nights. l could wish that
it were so; but it must be remem-
bered that, acting through miserable
human agencies, eighteen centuries
passed before woman was little better
than chattel. Some restraint is
placed upon the right of the glrl to
give her hand where she has already
bestowed her heart. AS many cen
turtles passed before we evolved the
conception of the distinction between
meum and teum and application
made of it to a married woman's
property.
The ducking stool has only ceased
tolerably active existence and has
been relegated to the museum OF
things curious which were once in
common use. 1t is but recently that
we have learned to blush at a super
stition that associated witchery with
wrinkles and staff to support de-
crepit age. A better sense now rec
ognizes the witchery of female grace
and substitutes reverence for good
life that has long hewed the brief
span of human existence.
1t Is in our own time that society
has applauded the approach of the
poet which reprobates the conduct of
husband to his wife when he steals
the roses from her cheek to color his
wine.
Oh! | honor the chivalry of mod
ern knighthood that has couched its
lance against dark vizored ignorance
and crashed through mail clad pre-
iudice, and man kneels before queen
ly feet with woman's favor still I'M
sullied on its helm.
A poet artist of our time has
drawn picture of female loneliness.
There is a CLINT and sparkle of hui
man sympathy in the eyes; there is
a composure and dignity in the coun-
tenance that commands respect and
enkindles love; there is an aureate
splendor falling from golden tresses.
What wonder if our Pygmalion
worships this ideal of his fancy and
that he centers all his hopes on the
realization of this dream of his art.
He called it the Future. | confess
to an idolatrous instinct on seeing
this vision just emerging from the
indistnctness of girlhood and setting
steps on the Threshold of maturity.
There is a radiance of beauty as of |
a wandering ray Of light before it
touches earth; there is a limpid
clearness as of mountain spring;
there is a purity as mountain air
leaving on its throbblng bosom the
lark's first salutation to the dawn.
Forgive the alteration, but woman
was the last and brightest of the
works of Gods creation.
Placed upon an equal plane, with
education as common for her as it is
with man, what new possibilities
fling their lights across the sky.
Time never was when some gifted
warbler did not twitter her native
wood notes wild beneath lowly caves
aud humble cottages; but now a
thousand female poets choir their in
'pirations, making life gladness, ex-
stence a choral harmony.
Not simply do they sing the hum
Die missives to warm the heart and
garland the tender emotions, they
mount into the empyrean and intel.
ectual heights resound with women's
,oice; while clubs are formed who
strain their strength to thread the
of Roberts mysticism,
hey pant with the arduous exercise
If climbing to the heighth of Eliza
,eth Barrett's meaning.
The sudden change is not without
IS humor. When an English uni
,ersity awarded the dignity of senior
vrangler we, too, may enjoy with
he conservative faculty the irony
onveyed with the honor in the dis
melton, for though Joshua success