The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-02-18
THE HOME CORNER.

Miss Mollie Elliott Seawell, a writer
who has sprung into prominence
within a few years, has taken ques-
tionable way of achieving immortall-
ty. She has written an article for the
New York Critic, in which she derldes
the intellect of woman, and her claims
TO recognition. She declares i'll so
many words that no woman has any
creative genius, or has ever done any
thing in the intellectual world that
possessed the germ Of immortality.
AS might have been expected protest
inc voices were heard at once from all
over the land, and deluges OF INK
were spilled by indignant women
who resented Miss Seawelrs charge
in the name of their slandered sex.
Truly, it was an unwomanly thing
tor Miss Seawell to do. If she had
really believed that what she said was
true, womanly pride should have
kept her from saying it. But as Tor
| the weight such an assertion can
carry with it, there really is none. lt
| is so easy, you see, for writer who
can string sentences together cleverly
and who, through wealth or influence,
| has found means of reaching the
public, to assert that there is no
creative faculty in the creator of
"Aurora Leigh or "Prometheus I'm
bound" of Maggie Tolliver, or Mrs.
Poyser, of "Corinne,n of "The Despot
of Broomsedge Cove" But how the
assertion pales and withers before
the calm Immortality, of these books
written by women! The years gen
orally decide such things for them
selves; and the years will probably
put Miss Seawell where she belongs.
Happy will it be for her if she be not
utterly forgotten by another genera
ton, her own work, at least, contain
ing not the smallest germ of immor-
tality.
~
If | had all the girls in the world
all together in one place, and could
talk to them all at the same time, do
you know what l would say to them?
Oh, it would be just one speech, and Il
very short one, but an hours preach
ing could not make it stronger or more
comprehensive. Girls, don't be fast!
That is all of the speech, but if it
could only be needed! l really pity
the young girls who have some
how taken on the daring action,
the questionable speech, the bold look.
They really have no conception of
bn n tn fn1
and they do not know how cruelty
the world will hold them responsible
for these lapses from the purity and
modesty that ought to belong to girl
hood. How easy it is for the fair
name to be breatbed upon! how i'm
possible for the stain ever to be wiped
away. People will laugh at these
equivOcal speeches and actions, and
afterwards when the actor is out of
sight will shrug eloquent shoulders
and lift significant eyebrows. These
shoulders and eyebrows are to be
dreaded. They have ruined many a
girls life for her. Or rather, perhaps
she first ruined it for herself. Perhaps
she thought that being fast was syn.
onymOus with being bright, and gay
and popular. Perhaps, too, some day
when she is matrOn with girls of
her own growing up around her, and
she still finds herself followed by the
dark and suspicious glances, the
venomous ISLANDERS, the pitiless stories
that have been on her track so long,
she will look YEARLY back along the
thOrny road and wish that she could
60 back and begin over again. [
wonder, if any Of these fast
girls could look into the future
little way and see the life
they are preparing for themselves,
would they stop in midcareer and
take another road? Poor, foolish
girls !-Vainly thinking that they are
winning the worlds applause, when
the worlds scorn and contempt is all
that they will gain.
~
There was woman Once-a talent.
ed, cultivated woman, whose life had
been very broad one,-and through
some injury to her eyes she was com.
PEELED to stay for months in a dark,
ened room. Every one heard of he1
atfiictiOn with sorrow, and wondered
how the weary months would drag
away with the books she loved en-.
tirely shut out Of her darkened life,
But when one day friend who had
found her way into thai gloomy room
ventured to express her pity, what a
peaceful smile beamed on her through
the shadows! "Ionelyw she ex-
claimed. "Oh, MOI 1t is change, OF
course, and l miss the free
air and the sunshine, but sometimes
| almost think this was sent, not as
an affection, but to give me a little
breathing time-a kind of rest day
when | could just sit still and think.
have read a great deal, you know
and | have a good memory, and oh
the beautiful and thrilling things that
| can call around me at moments
notice. If were magician could
do no more! l can see the sunlight
falling through "swaying, COLDER
ladder" Of ."shade and shine and
eglantine." | can see how
The roots of the roses
Are kept alive in the snow