Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-08-26

She is more than ever a superb object
to contemplate She is fun of excite
nient and restless energy, says brilliant
things and laughs often, bat her laugh.
though musical as peal Of bells. has
no fnirth in it. II is detiaat. moclying
and cold. Deeply as sylnpathize with
her cannot say understand her, nor
do understand myself What do !
wish to dos
Sometimes lam sure that she cares for
me; at other times dopht it. But say
she does. am willing TO take to myself
a woman of whom know nothing Int
that she has beauty and great soul--a
woman who it is probable is sailing UNI
der false colors aud who has been
wronged, either morally or materially.
by another man? AS regards the last.
hcwever, cannot look at her and be
lieyo that she has ever lost what women
hold most dear. She is too proud, too
for that And yet must
confront that possibility too. Well, then, !.
if it were SO. could | exeuse it,
have always held myself superior to
the conyentionAhties Of life. Even when
oatwardly conform 10 thesnit is but 20
avoid remark and reserving the freedom
OF my own thought 1t has always been
my belief that civilization is unjust to
women. Whatever is best in human M
tpre is theirs. and it is by taking advan-
tage of those better qualities that men
Cypress and degrade them. 1t will never
be well with the world until woman
rules it-not with tho strong hand, but
with love. Love is the basis Of her ma
ture, and it is by giving all to love that
rho falls; bat. were men true lovers. fall
she never would. 1t is by her generosity
snd by his .selfshness that she suffers.
Nevertheless. once f..len, she is capa-
bic of becoming more dangerous and
wicked than man himself. But this is
because she knows by the long and bitter
experience of her sex that the world is
thenceforth against her. We call her
sinner, bat how wide is the difference
between her sin and the crimes of men!
Her sin, at the worst, is sin against
herself, and she is the sufferer. Man sins
against his fellow men for the sake of
his own gain. Yet the thief and the
murderer are not punished more re-
morselessly than is she, for death itself
is light penalty compared with The
lingering fortunes of life Of shame. If
she were made tha object of compassion
and protection instead of scorn. shewould
still remain good and pure-yes, pure,
for impurity begins only after love has
bea-, urofaueJ and otlifprafa1
Sinfire's fault has surely been gener-
Gus one, but though she may have made
n tragical mistake all is not yet lost for
her. Love has led her astray. May not
love redeem her also? She stands now
at the point Of peril. One step more, aud
it is too latel If can win her now,
should cherish her or reverence her
less than if she came TO me fresh ana
unbrcathed on from her mothers bosom?
The world may doubt it, Sinfrc herself
might hesitate, but ia my own mind
there is no doubt at all. If she loves
me. then that love condones all And
should any one sheer, let him bewarel
Who am indeed that should judge
her? There is no crime" said Goethe,
that might not have committed" l
go further and say that do not hold
criminal many Of the things that men
III the specious interests of society have
arbitrarily adjudged to DO such Actions
shonld be estimated not in themselves.
but according to their motives and con
sequences A lie may be wrong, but
not the lie that saves friend from un-
merited disaster. A theft may be wrong,
but not the theft that deprives the drunk
ard of his fatal draft. Amurder may
be wrong. but not the murder that re-
moves Il monster from the Garth. The
binding together of man and woman
may be wrong, but not if the bond be IN
interior. i voluntary and loving one,
There is nothing in me that need cause
me to shrink from Siniire were she as
wicked rs she is beautiful If her escs
have looked upon hell, yet there can be
no heaven for ME where she is not, aud
that dark experience Of hers would only
unite us more absolutely.
Is it who write in this wayf Am
in earnest: Is not this mere intellec-
tual passion diversion, rather whichl
euili' ~ iot ~ o''hs " Va - s,i. ~
c1p'''iohf nays nesef his', 80 ''l'',lie'
! r. never 'oiu - 'i''e ioseu lsi,
have no reason 70 suppose that she
loves me-qAte the contrary ana
what, after all. is this mystery Of intrigue
that invests her but a sheer invention of
my own? have seized upon know not
what hints and ipnnendoes and appear
ances ana nave Weiieu tileih t9se'hei
WITH the afuof Of an iiapassioned mag
NATION INTO an ingenious chaih Of CIR
cnInssahtlai evidence
a tenth rate lawyer n a tronlier vi
iage Woaid pun II an 70 pieces ia lve
minutes OF cross examination iie would
prove % the sallsiactloh u inc dliiiest
jury lhat there existed MOI the siishtest
reas}'ianie ground Tor my suspicious
and iniereAces' that was Wantonly
inalignins my Uncle my ofotnef ana
my innocent colslh' whose supposed
gypsy extraction was que soleiy 70 her
happening 70 be a good iooEiIis brunette.
Inc Jury Woala pflhs me III gality Of
seats. and | should be sentenced without
having a word 20 sayil my own defense.
And this Is Frank Mainwaring, ESQ.,,
MD.
AtEll events ! ought heneeforth to
entertain a profound respect for this i'm
aginstion Of mine. the power Of which !
have never until now appreciated. II is
certainly tho most effective feature Of
e.