The herald., 1894-03-09
ABAsE sURRENDEK OF TIE SIX.

The other day the telegraph ADVISED
us of the fact that the relict OF the late
Charles Stewart PArnell sent a wreath
which she is said to do monthly-to
decorate the grave OF the dead Irish
leader, and that this wreath bore, as
did all its predecessors, the legend, "my
love, my lord. my king"
At first glance this might look like
pathos. On a second inspection it has
surprising similitude to bathos. This
sentiment, il presented once, would be
fittingly regarded as the outpouring of q
warm and glowing heart, akin to the
noble coniugal impulse which animated
the heart OF Artemisia. Repeated every
month it begins to lose that fine aroma
Of deIicscy that contains all the essence
of grace which might attach to a pas
aionste exclamation. No delicate
minded person would wish to see q
medal struck off to commemorate q
memorable event converted into the
circulating coin of the realm. This dec
Charles Stewart Parnell died, is liable
to the austere remark of one of Shake
speare's characters, and to be regarded
as ''damnable iteration" Not only
that, but another remark of Shake
spearean character comes into play
which runs, "methinks she doth protest
too much"
All this, however, is a mere question
of taste. "There is but one STEP" said
Napoleon the First, on his retreat from
Moscow, to the Duke de Oailsincourt,
his ambassador to Berlin, who had
hastened to meet the Corsicsn on his
flying trip through Prussia, ''there is
but one step which separates the sublime
from the ridiculous" There is only an
impslpable line which separates, for in
stance, the noble grief of the sister of
Henry OF Navarro over the death of her
immortal brother from the effusive,
vulgar and commonplace coup de theatre
kind OF grief which seems to actuate the
widow OF the late Irish leader.
But, varying the delicscy aspect OF
the matter, and leaving undecided the
question whether the heart should be
worn on the sleeve for DAVIS to peck at.
or whether its tender instincts and
"reminiscences should be hidden under
decorous veil, there is something in
the entire surrender of Mrs. Psrnell to
the names of her second husband so
utterly at variance with the modern
idea Of the relations of the sexes that is
revolving to the strong minded sister
hood of today.
1t will be observed that, in this unique
legend, there lie a complete surrender of
what is now known as the better half"
to the husband. We think we see the
whole strong. g.minded sisterhood rise up
in rebellion at such a base betrayal of
their sex. From the center all round to
the circumference of the feminine band
will arise a universal reputation ofsuch
old time namby-pRmbyism. The idea
OF such devotion to q husband, and to a
dead one at thatl Pah! 1t is enough
to stir the gentle blood OF Susan B.
Anthony to a carmine tinted rebellion,
and to stir the corpuscles of Mrs. Eliza
beth Cady Stanton to red hot pell-mell.
Just think of the language of slavery
employed, my love. my lord, my king"
What insffable slavery, and all about
wretched man creature who. if alive,
ought to be employed peeling the car
rots for the family pot, and rocking ths
cradle of future nincompoops, who
should be designated by the title OF man.
The evolution OF woman, at least in
civilized countries. from the domination
Of that horrid creature man came late,
but, thank heaven, it has been endur-
ing In more modern times it can prob
ably be dated from the time of Maria
Theresa, who was enthroned on the
spears and ssbers Of her Hungarian sub
jects as MARIA Theresa, our King" and
who was enabled to defeat many of the
cherished plans of the great Frederick,
although she failed to prevent that willy
imitator Of Voltaire from stealing Silesia.
The dutiful subjection in which she kept
Francis of Lorraine was a study in do
mestic life well worthy of the imitation
of the strongest-minded women OF today.
Iho Q VI nhe kuh6u up
in due order by Madame de Stael. That
nobleminded her oine. and his sister
Pauline, kept the great Napoleon, who,
when it came to women, was very mod
est man, in state of perennial misery.
What between his sister, who was con-
fessedly the handsomest woman in Eu-
rope, appearing at private thestricals in
bali nude state, and Madame de Stsel
demanding an audience with him while
he was in the bath, with the remark,
when demonstrated with, what are
such trifies to great minds" the con-
queror OF Austerlitz was kept in state
far from heroic. 1t was indeed pusil-
luminous plight. He got rid OF Madame
de Stael by banishing her, but the only
way he got quit of his beautiful and
vivacious sister was by marrying her to
an Italian prince. In that case he sue
ceeded in shifting the responsibility
from his own shoulders to those of the
poor prince-at best the expedient OF
/ trimmer.
Madame de Stsel, metsphorically
speaking lived to dance on the grave OF
] ba man bo ooaord;ac -