The herald., 1895-12-01
Pasaden
Southern Women as "Untutored Savages. ="

Southern Women as "UntutOred Savages."
Editor Herald The women of tho
South have been assailed in the depart
ment Of your Thanksgiving nun beI
presided over by Miss NJ. NJ. Fette, in
an article written by an Atlanta cores
pondent OF your paper, in which. when
speaking OF the indifference of Southern
women to clubs OF all kinds, the fol-
lowing gentle insinuations are made
against the Southern women: That
they are untutored savages in literature,
art and music and that their knowlede e
OF biography and history only extends to
the knowledge of the fact that Ben
Butler and Tecumseh Sherman" were
friends.
While no one would charge Miss Fette
with such a gangrene prejudice against
Southern women, yet, as she must have
read every line prepared for her depart
ment, it would be an act of Justice to
herself to repudiate the sentiments
uttered by her sister OF the quill
These malignant u'tefances having ap-
peafed IN The Herald, it is proper that
word OF defense should also appear Not
that such an attack can shake a public
opinion, which all civilized people have
today, but to enlighten some persons
who have never been honored with AN
entree into the society of the most cul-
tured OF Southern women. In order TO
show their adaptability to all conditions
OF life, it is only necessary to point to
the laudations Of the world to these same
women OF the South, who, in the perilous
times OF war, wove theiI own wedding
garments into blankets and coverings for
their soldiers, and when neither priest
minister n bury thair
dead, they read the burial service them
selves; and when the war was over and
the South was q charred field, over which
the black lava Of Northern wrath lad
flowed, they laid aside all thoughts Of
society, and when necessary, laid hands,
accustomed to touching the keys of the
piano, to the hoe or plow TO assist nature
IN the growth of corn and wheat for their
families. During the days of reconstruc-
tion, when the merciless hanu of power
was Lad upon them, did thev cry out
in despair as did the wife of Job, whcn
she asked him TO curse God and die? No,
with heroism and self fsacrilice during the
war. which will yet sparkle in the lad
oil the South S woes, she bent her ener-
Sles 10 the task OF restoring hers and
her husband lost fortunes. b. daily toll
and drudgery; yet, IN their dark eclipse
she was always the elegant Southern
woman, as much at home in the kitchen
,, as though she had been reared there, and
at the same time shedding over drawing
room and parlnr the winning graces of
the social culture, belonging to women of
her blood and training.
1t is true, these Southern women are
not much given to clubs" as they have
too many home, church and social duties,
TO give their time to them. These South
ern women are not much enam CURED OF
divorces" which they regard as a
noxious growtn of Northern origin,
which, to be hated needs only TO De
| SEEM"
These women, so modest. so virtuous,
so true TO their martial VOWS, SO charm
ing and graceful in social life, are those
who are proclaimed in the columns pre-
sided over by Miss NJ. NJ. Fetts as ''un-
! tutoIed savages in literature, art and
music"
A KENTUCKY WOMAN.