The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-05-06
The Women Of LIE Petit Paris. I"
ST. MARTINvILLE, La, April 90, SO.

II, breathe: there man With soul 20 dead
Ny own. my native lasd.'
Some years ago, will not say how many,
when I was filling my mind with some of
the beauties from the pens of Shakespeare.
Milton, Pope, Cowper, Burns, Byron and
Scott stored away in the recesses of memo
~ the above quoted lines. Occasionally,
something transpires, or presents itself to
draw from the inches of the mind the treas
ured thoughts Of others. Though the pow
er to originate beautiful and sublime ideas
has been given to few, many have the capa.
city to enjoy the creations Of great minds.
Although my eyes did not first open in
this historic town on the Teche, I have been
here long enough to feel certain amount
of pride and interest in everything that per-
tains to it's attraction and welfare. Fate
has been iEnpclling me from place to place
so long, 1 sometimes imagine that Death will
be at q loss to find me when he gets ready
to take me to the mansion of eternal bliss.
But am Distressing. I want to tell you
what surroundings suggested the patriotic
lines quoted above. 1t is not the even and
compact pavements; it is not the imposing
edi6ces; it is not the jingling bells of street
cars nor the glare of electric lights of which
we are proud, for none of these are here;
but the rural attractions seen in the UNI
brageous trees; in the sporting of the 6nny
tribe in the sluggish waters of the Teche;
in the lowing of the herd while vending its
way home at eve; in the cheering songs of
the mocking- bird whose warblings are heard
upon every house and tree-top. But SUI
perior to all these picturesque scenes may
be added beautiful and lovable women of
Eve before her fall:
:.Graee Is in every step.
And 10 every ~, gesture dignity and love-
When Charles Dudley Warner wrote of
our town ~ growing in nothing but age,
he must have been influenced by impressions
made on = rainy day, when the streets were
not decorated with representatives of
.'EIeaven's last best gift to man, Though
she is growing old, she is, in her old age.
giving to the world more than her share of
pure and beautiful women; though the roofs
may be covered with moss and the dwellings
otherwise dis6gured by the hand of time,
they shelter brighter intellects and nobler
characters than many towns of more pre-
tentious claims. Nature in dispensing her
charms of person and manner to the women of
this place, has been most lavish. If they
are As good as they are beautiful, and if
their virtues are as varied rs their beauty,
they have exhausted the catalogue of fe-
male virtues, and their salvation is already
assured. Now, my fair readers, do not get
offended because the word ladies is not used,
for have omitted it purPosely, for the rea-
son that the word .voD,<r is = more exalted
appellation.
Our town possesses another rare feature
which 1 cannot pass unnoticed; although she
is dressed in the garb of extreme old age,
her Oldest daughters-the old maids, if
may 50 designate them, wear the bloom of
youth and the smile of contentment. If
there has been any other type of that fasti-
dious sisterhood, they became disguised with
the world and died early.
In contemplating the picture presented
by the other sex, an involuntary smile illu
mines the face; for it seems that Providence
has played joke upon the boys. Now
young men, particularly those with an in
FAINT nustache and mouth of wide domain,
do not imagine that you are not included
with the boys But you are not 10 blame Tor
not being handsome in form and feature, for
know you try to make yourselves captivat-
ing; but fate is against you. To pass in
spection you will have to 60 where there is
not much reflected light from the opposite
sex to dim your !uster: Nature balances her