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

we reproduce Judge j. d. O'Bry-
ans speech at the Gerystone banquet
at Denver a few days ago:
A toast to the ladies at the middle
of banquet is departure from the
custom that assigned it to the end of
festivities; a grave DETECTION from
established rule, is that the young,
handsome, eloquent and ambitious
members of the club whose faces /
notice around me aglow with the oc-
casion, and ambitious to immediate
themselves in the imminent and
deadly breach of this toast, have
been overlooked; and yet the selec-
tion may not be so unpropitious, for
although modesty has been the bane
of my existence, own up to pecu-
liar sensitiveness to "soft impeach-
ments."
History is so filled with illustra-
tons of the parts played by distin-
guished women that it would be a
trite story to repeat their exploits
and rechronicle their deeds. | con-
fess to a total lack of that spirit of
knight errantry that ever has ready
some lance of speech to cast against
everyone who worship not all the
heorines on the roll of fame.
feel no special admiration for
her of Sheba, who tested Solomon's
wisdom. That sphinx of Egypt ex-
cites more interest on the mimic
stage in the drama of Sardou than
she does at the battle of Actium.
There is scarcely a Greek female
name that survives that excites
thrill of admiration. Rome, more
fortunate in her life or in her histor-
ians, gives it harsh and iron hero
ism so foreign to feminine nature
that we coldly admire but withhold
the sympathy of the heart. Corne-
liza pointing with the mothers pride
to the only jewels she possessed.
The two sons of Gracchi's stand
alone and unapproachable amid all
the imperishable marbles of Roman
female greatness; that picture is
clothed with a vivid and glowing
color of nature, all others are livid
and unreal, harsh and repulslve.
What a frigid creature was that
"The Noble Sister of Publicala, the
Moon of Rome; chaste as the ioicle,
that's cured by the frost from purest
snow and hangs on Diana's temple"
The genius of Shakespeare alone
could warm with the sunshine of his |
language the frozen zone of so much
vestal austenty.
As we approach more modern
times we are confronted with that
medusa's head, Cathaiine of Russia.
French history is dark with the
cruel intrigues that characterize the
Medicis. English history itself until
recently displayed no character act
ing the principle role that claims
special applause. In goes without
saying, however, that in all the
times past all the virtues devised to
adorn womankind bloomed and
fruited in the lives Of countless no
blewomen, but they occupied not the
highest places in their times and the
main current of history swept them
under its wave.
In looking over the general field
we are startled at the comparative
between thepower of men
and the influence of woman in great
periods, and when woman's
power was in the ascendent it failed
of great results.
Without occupying the time to
show why pretended superiority of
man at first condemned her and af- {
forwards to a species of serfdom how
a gallantry that was fantastically un- |
real and fictitious, flattered her into
IN imaginary belief that she was a
whilst really she was be-
ing cozened and betrayed, l will q
cave the great ladies of the past, c
Enowing that their trailing kertes b
will rustic down the corridors of I
line.
But a change has been gradually S
coming on. The long, long night t
,f iDiustice ia pagsin0. The dawn of /