Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-12
he physical bravery of two remarkable

Recent dispatches from the seat of
war announce the fact that Cuban wo-
man, who donned the uniform of the in
surgents and marched off to meet the
Spanish invaders, has fallen prey to the
bullets of the enemy.
I'm the first battle that witnessed this
unique display of courage the remorse-
less demon of war exacted the life of this
gentle soldier.
Her name was Senorita Matilda Agra
monte, and her home was in Havana.
She was reared in the feudal opulence
for which the island is famous and be-
longed to one of the patrician households
of Cuba Her ancestors were among the
first settlers of the island. In every in
surrection which has taken place since
the freedom of Cuba first began to in
spire the heroism of the natives some of
her brave forefathers have persisted I'M
der the standard of independence.
Having witnessed the spectacle of her
country's down-trodden and bleeding hui
initiation, she could endure the Stragic
scene no longer, and grasping a 4 sapon
she enlisted with General Maceo as the
first female soldier to bear arms against
Spain.
This shows the spirit of resistance by
which the natives of the island are NOV
ed and in a measure it is prophetic of
the ultimate success of the Cuban revo-
luton.
But this display of heroism on the part
Cuba. During the late war between the
states a southern lady, by the name of
Madame VelasqueZ, figured in a similar
role to that of the Cuban girl Though
military service was not required of wo-
men under the Confederaey, and by in
ference If not express terms. was, on
| the contrary, forbidden, this courageous
woman arrayed herself in masculine at
tire and entered the service as one of the
regular volunteers She subsequently
achieved distinction for bravery and
pluck under the assumed name of Lieut.
Harry T. Buford.
This is by no means a fictitious ro-
nance. The lady belonged to one of the
best families of the south, and after the
war she published quite a handsome vol
ume, giving a detailed account of her ad-
ventures.
After all men lack a great deal of mo-
nopoliZing the worlds supply of courage,
and perhaps, after all, when the final de-
cision is made the palm may go to some
faded little woman of whom this earth
never dreamed"
At irregular intervals we have very
much of theosophy and its converts, and
this is a time when the journals are filled
with accounts of the strange sect and
the wonderful Madame Blavatsky, who,
though now dead for several years, al
ways seems to possess a fresh interest
for the world. The leader of theosophy
in America at this time is Mr.. Claude
Falls Wright, once secretary of the late
Madame Blavatsky. He speaks every
Sunday in, Brooklyn to large audiences.
He is described as a slender blonde man
of medium height, refined and agreeable,
and iinpresses one with his evident sim
certify. rheosophists, strange to say, do
not entirely approve of Spiritualism and
the phenomena connected with the teach
ing of this faith. Mr.. Wright, in speak
ing of mediums, says:
Mediums are people of weak physical,
mental and moral organization as rule.
Any man who makes his personality a
medium through which foreign influences
continually express themselves and oper-
ate, must become negative must weaken
and lose his own flower, his own ego.
And this is true whether that foreign in
fuence emanate from the invisible world
or from the material world around us.
The men and women who are always ex-
pressing in their words and actions the
opinions and beliefs of others are those
characters which we describe as weak.
Those who are strong should be very
careful in seeking to influence mediumis-
tic people, even for what is supposed to
be good, since there must always be a
corresponding loss of strength, of indiv1d-
uality, in the person who Is subjected to
and accepts the influence"
Theosophists claim a membership of
100000 in this country, and all churches,
1t is said, have contributed to this num-
Der. OF course, there are Buddhists, Mo-
hammedans and Brahmans, and it is not
necessary to abjure faith in any ortho-
dox church to belong to this sect. A cor
respondent in writing of their belief says:
"The tendency, however, is distinctly
toward the eastern forms of faith, and,
while not denying the Christ, to consider
Buddha more. Their doctrine of Karma
is mighty wholesome one-mighty
wholesome. Whatever you do to some
one else is going to be done to you; what
ever you think of someone else Is going
to be thought of you; the position in
which you place another you will be
placed in. So. whatever you do to an
other you do to yourself; you contract a
debt to universal law. and you've got to
pay-universal law infallibly balances
the account.
well, / think this was said once from
mountain, where One sat and spoke to
listening multitudes who hung upon His
words: With what measure We mete it
shall be measured to you again
1.-THE Theosophists do not believe in
eating meat You see you have to kill
things to eat them, and according to their
doctrine of transmigration of souls, souls
are ncarnated In the lower animals. ]
do not see why this should not extend to
plants, for who knows where vegetable
life leaves off and animal life begins? We
would have to be particular about break
ing flowers, and / don't see what We
could eat"
Mr.. and Mrs. Terry are visiting their
daughter, Mrs. N. e. Barker, at her
home, on Nineteenth street, South High
lands.
The members of the Thursday Evening
Euchre club were charmingly enter
tanned on Thursday evening by Mr.. and
Mrs Harry Coffin. The prize. pair of
beautiful candlesticks, was won by Mr..
Harry Wheelock. Delightful refresh
ments were served during the evening.
The club will meet with Hon. and Mrs.
A. G. Smith next Thursday evening.
The Edgewood Literary circle met on
Thursday with Mrs. Harry Harsh. Eu-
gene Field and his writings were dis
cussed by the ladies. Each member con-
trbuted some interesting fact about
Field from his school days to the time of
his death. Miss Lewis read one of Fields
poems, and Mrs. William H. Johnston
one of his prose sketches. After the serv-
ing of dainty refreshments, the circle adj
journed to meet next with Mrs. j. A.
Montgomery.
The Nineteenth Century club was en-