The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-21
BELLIES OF THE SOUTH.
THEIR PICTURES WOULD BRING
ILEASURE AND PROFIT.
Francis j. O'Ncill oTers as n sugee't on to
the southern Relief society the Plan
OF Loan Exhibition.

One OF the most worthy and at the
same time unobtrusive OF the many or
gani cations existing in Washington FOR
the purpose Of ameiiorating the suherings
Of the unfortunate is that known as the
Southern Relief Society. Its member
ship embraces a number OF ladies' who
socially and intellectually are an honor
10 the nations capital. Without COM
ing much into the public eye, this society
has done|an incaculable amount of good
among those who by the arbitrament Of
war were brought from afIiuence to power
Is, and compelled to face and battle with
"A condition OF things that held out no
hope or opportunity of retrieving SKATER
ed fortunes. For this society there was
no government or State aid. nor have its
deeds been recorded I'm bulky and ornate
annual reports. Holy az is the name OF
charity the society has not given that
word as a caption 10 It's dispensatiOns.
and so has been ever careful not to I'M
necessarily wound the pride which was
the birthright of the recipients Of it's
bounty Uncle Sam has been justly gen.
-erOus to the brave men who fought for
the Union and TO the dependents OF those
who died for It. but for their equally
brave opponents. who suffered for the
Lost Cause, there has, Of necessity, been
no material cOnsOlation-only the con-
sciousness Of having done what they con-
sidered their duty and for the widowed
and orphaned the memories OF brave men
to keep holy. 1t was to help in being,
even In a small way, 10 the sufferers in
the South what the national government
is in such a large way TO the sufferers at
the North that tins society was called
into existence. and within its limitations
IL has lost no opportunity to 90 good Cd
stacles innumeraDc. hcartburnings mani
fold, disappointments keen, II has had
10 contend with but IT has gone bravely
on. and, we may be sure. will not cease
to exist while the physical griefs left by
the war appeal for solace.
About once a year the society has a fair
or some other Of the conventional means
Of inducing the well inclined TO part with
their spare dollars for use in th work
in hand. and my object in writing ms is
TO make. thru eh the fruitful columns
! OF The Washington Post, a suggestion TO
| these ladies for their next event. which l
| believe wolif, if adopted. bring good re-
suits 1t is that they hold In the near fu-
tu-e a loan exhibition Of portraits OF
Southern women. The suggestion per
Sc lacks originality in. that exhibitions OF
womens portraits have been held in Lon
! don, New York, and Boston. and II Is the
success of these that brings the matter
| to mind. / was fortunate n)ugh TO see
| the two last named, spending quite re-
| Gently several delightful afternoons at
that I'm Copley Hall. Boston. The New
York exhibition was. OF course, the most
brilliant and extensive I'm contemporary
works because Of the enormously greater
| financial resources and wider extent OF
! Gotham society Of to-day and It's oDtru-
| sive patronage Of the foremost OF Euro
| mean painters. The Boston exhibition,
| though, vastly outranked New YORK III
| the showing Of portraits dating bach 10
| colonial days and the earlier years OF the
| present century But an exhibition OF the
| portraits of Southern women in wash
| ingtcn would be immensely more interest
| ing from historic as well as artistic stand
points than any yet given, and l am sure
! that for the cause represented by the
| Southern Relief Society more than any
! other hundreds of such portraits would
be loaned without hesitation. In WASH
] ingtOD alone there are enough colonial
portraits to make a representative gallery
| and from every state in the South love
| Dness in golden inches wou~ come IN
| goodly profusion. The collection OF minia-
| lures alone would. / am sure, be an eN-
tensive and fascinating one, and every
| form Of portrafture would be represented,
for the strong family ties characteristic
of the South always dictated the preserva-
ton of the faces of loved ones in counter
felt presentment The South, too. has
always been noted for the artistic tenn
| peranent OF it's people. and in later years
| many Southern men and women nave Won
! more than passing fame with the Diush.
| This added TO the fact that 80 many ar
! lists seek inspiration from Southern skies
! ard Southern eyes all the year round, IS
a guarantee that Of modern portraits OF
fair women there would be no scarcity
What an inspiring exhibition IT would
be, What rem nler 10 Americans.
| South and North that In the infancy Of
| their country IL had society as grand, as
| noble. as cOurtly as beautiful as any the
world could boast How the mute lips
| of those stately women would speak 10
their descendants of heritage 10 Dc
proud off, traditions 10 be reverently los
fereG lofty patriotism 20 be perpetuated'
beauty OF character to be emulated'
Might they not tell Of words spoken that
kindled the torch which blaZed the path
to liberty and a united charity, OF cour-
age and fort tudo in the most pregnant
of the tworld's rcvoluti)nsl one might
! close his eyes ana let his Imagination give
| animation TO this congress or fdir races
and what thoughts would come
What fantastic speculations OF another
sort the mute and stately assemoiase on
] the walls could give rise 20. The muta-
! lions and vagaries OF fashion, for instance
| What a contrast We could see that
| those grand danes were content TO take
ND floor space and did not shut out the
! free air of heaven-or rather OF earth
with suffocating balloon sleeves. While
| listening TO the adverse comments OF the
moderns on the costumes Of the ancients,
in the criticisms Of the latter could they
return the compliments. Walt Few
years" they might exclaim "and your
| own framed ehigics viii furnish as much
food for ridiculiug laughter AS any garO
| or fashion worn ~ us.
In the decoration of the exhibition han
am sure there could also be an interest
ing display of old tapestries now In the
possession of Southern families. Then. to
| heiehten the attraction OF the event, there
might be added a loan collection Of colo
NAL and Revolutionary relics. This IN IL
self would prove great magnet and be
/ of historic value as we'll / know that
these relics exist in abundance in the
South. even though many valuable ones
have been parted with because OF financial
| necessities Even these latter might be
obtained from their presnt possesSors.
The ladies would not have to so far from
Washington TO complete this part OF their
ha