The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-06-09
WOMAhLY EXCELLENCE
Concluded from First Page.)


simple words were, Inscribed: "woman's
Fidelity" Such Is the devotion of every
true woman. There is "a painting in
the Louvre, says fine writer, paint
ing of desolation, OF, despair, and love.
1t represents the night OF the cruclfix-
ion. The world is.wrapped In shadow |,
the stars are dead, and yet in the dark
ness Is seen g. kneeling form. 1t Is
Mary Magdalene, with, loving lips and
hands pressed against the bleeding feet
of Christ. The skies were never dark
enough, nor starless enough. the storm
was never fierce enough, the bolts Of
Heaven never lurid enough. and the
arrows of SANDER never flew thick
enough to drive a devoted woman from
her husbands side!
But woman in her home must be
faithful to God too. She must see to It
that 1t is not the shrine OF Bacchus. or
Terpsichore. but sacred enclosure
where God is honored and worshipped.
His word read and his throne addressed.
THAT He who stills the ravens
clamorous nest,
And decks the lily fair in fowery
pride,
Would in the way His wisdom sees the
best,
For her and for her little ones pro-
VIDE,
But chiefly in their hearts with grace
divine preside"
These impressions are made, which
are the most lasting. Never has one
person forgotten his pure, tight educat-
Ing home. On the blue mounteins of
our dim childhood. towards which we
ever turn and look, stand the mothers
who marked out for us the courses of our
t.. 1,.t. ,,.l,
of character, and the excellence of Prax-
iteles and Michael Angelo, who called
angels from the stone, was as nothing
compared with that of the noble women
who In the quiet precincts of retired
hours have carved those noble charac-
tiers, that have adorned and blessed
this world
The last requisite to womanly excel
lence is benevolence. Woman must
have benevolence of disposition. must
with well to all, for that is the original
meaning of benevolence She must
have benevolence of speech also. OF
the woman here pictured by the mother
OF heroines II is said: She openeth her
mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue
IS the law Of kindness" Word. spoken
by such woman are, indeed, like apples
of gold in pictures of silver. But what
shall I say of those women who talk
much? / will only say they are curses,
instead of blessings. The incendiary
who tries to burn US in our beds is a
saint compared with the village tale
bearer Let your tongue be regulated
by the law of kindness. Speak evil Of
no one; think evil of no one; rejoice not
in anybody's fall; ridicule no one in such
sense a.; shall diminish their stand
ing with others, or be u source of pain
to them"
If YOU would truly excel you must be
benevolent in little things Pure reli-
gion and undcfilei consists In minister
ing to others. What is It? 1t is handing
over the morning paper 10 another for
first perusal; Ii is vacating a pleasant
sea, by the fire for one who comes in
chilled: 1t is giving up the most restful
arm chair or sofa for on, who is weary;
II is moving up in the pew to let the
n5w come sit down by the entrance: It
is rising from your place to darhen she
blind when The suns rays stream in too
brightly upon some face In the circle
Ii is giving up your own comfort and
convenience every tins: for the comfort
and convenience of another This is at
once true courtesy and real benevols nee
But to be t:uly excellent you must es-
peciaily be kind to the poor. 1t is said
OF the virtuous woman described in the
text. She srretcheth out her hands to
lHe pooi' yea, Snet redcnetn forth her
hands to the needy" OF the three
eraces mentioned by Paul. and represen-
taticns of which we have so often seen,
who Will not say'.hat Charity is the most
beautiful. Faith, Hopr, Charity. these
three, but the greatest of these is Char
ity.' There was u dispute among three
ladies as 70 which had the most beaut,-
tul hands. Or9 sat by Il stream and
dipped her hand into the water and held
IT up; another plucked strawberries until
the ends of her fing-rs were pink. and
another gathered violets I'LL her hands
were frasant. An. old beggar woman.
passing by, asked, who will give me n
gift for l am poor?" All three denied
her. but another, who sat near. unwash-
ed IN the stream, unstainsd with frut..
unadorned with flowers, gave her lit
tie gift and satisfied tn: poor woman.
ana then she asked them what was :he
dispute? They told her and lifted up be-
fore her their beautiful hands. "Beauti-
tul indeed" SAID she when she saw them,
but when they asked he: which was tn ,
most beautiful she said: 1T is not the
hand that is washed clean in the brook
1t Is not the hand that is dipped in red
II is not the hand that is garlanded with
fragrant flowers. bu:the hand that gives
TO the poor tha't Is most beautiful" As
she said tn SO words her wrinkles fed.
her staff was thrown away and she stood
before them an angel from heaven with
authority to decide this question in dis
pute. And that decision has stood the
test of all time. The exc Hcnt woma n
s7retcheth out her hands to the poor.
reacheth out her hands to the needy.
IH 10 Ia a.