Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-05-03
HE .IAPPIEST HOUR
PROMINENT AMERICAN WOMEN GIVE
THEIR VIEWS ON THE SUBJECT.

Mrs. Cleveland Gives Her Ideas-When an
Key to Marion Harland's uappiness-An
Interesting Synopsis.
The question, "What is the happicst
time in woman's life?" was put by the
New York World to q number of distin-
guished women in widely different spheres
bof life. An interesting series Of replies
was the result.
Most women will agree with the answer
igiven by Mrs. Grover Cleveland, the wife
of the president. She writes:
Replies to your query must depend
largely upon each individual woman. She
who is great artist and whose whole be-
ing is absorbed by her art will find her
happiest time in the practice of her art.
She who aspires to reign as a society queen
will find her happiest time when she is
generally recognized as having made some
social success. She to whose character re-
ligious enthusiasm is the keynote will find
her happicst moments in devOting herself
to church work, while the woman given
up to domesticity will find hers in the
duties and pleasures of home. Thus tho
happiest tiIuG in each woman's life must
depend upon her personal traits and char
lacterlstlcs. FRANCES CLEVELAND.
Ada Rehan, the well known actress
Igives the following answer:
The happiest time in woman's life?
We'll, If the woman is an actress, wooded
ito her art and devoted to it completely,
with all her heart and soul, it must be the
moment when she feels that she has
achieved the greatest artistic triumph of
which she is capable; when, with the
Ipaudits and braves of vast and critically
brilliant audience ringing in her ears, she
feels that she has accomplished the very
highest and noblest in her art which it is
possible for her to accomplish and has per
sonally realized her very highest ideal Of
THAT art. ADA REHAN.
Mrs. Margaret Bottome, the founder of
THE great order Of Kings Daughters, says:
There can be no happier time in the life
iof woman than that on which she first
consecrates herself wholly and completely
ito God and to his service, the time when
she first realizcs-thati is, actually feels and
Paul, "For l am persuaded that neither
death nor life, neither angels nor princi-
palities nor powers, neither things present,
nor things to come, neither height nor
depth, nor any other created thing, shall be
able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord E"
MARGARET BOTTOME.
In this fashion does Marion Harland,
the well known writer, express her views:
Nothing in this life can give true,
good woman greater happiness, diviner
joy, than motherhood. When there is
placed in her arms for the first time bon
my, bouncing baby boy or girl that is her
own, she feels that she is indeed experience
ing the greatest happiness of her life. To
clasp to her breast the little form so recently
"a part of her being; to feel nesting against
her the little red wrinkled cheek; to kiss
THE baby lips from which she already hears
in fancy that sweetest of all words to ma
ternal ears, "Mamma''-surely life has
nothing sweeter, more blessed for woman
than this. Then it is she feels the full
force of the great poets words:
Look how he laughs and stretches out his arms
And opens wide his blue eyes upon thine.
Talk not of pain
1.-THE childless cherubs well might envy thee
1.-THE pleasures of parent. Bless him
AS yet he hath no words to thank thee, but
His heart will, and thine own too.
MARION HARLAND.
Mrs. Cushman K. Davis, wife of the
Fta