Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-22
WOMAN TRIUMPHANT"

Years agone, in the bright, halcyon an
tebellum days, when chivalrous gallants
of the old school were won't to place
honor fame and fortune in the safe keep
ing of lovely lasseS, an eminent sculptor
We'd with others the homage of maiden,
then possessing the embodiment of glo-
rious womanhood, eventually terminal
ing dn our midst) the full fruition of a
nobly spent life. A statue was carved
by the hero of this sentimental episode
and Mrs. Joseph r. Smith, Sr., was the
heroine Not a great while ago, that
bright cultured, lovely matron, accom-
panied by her noble. admiring husband
witnessed in a northern city the unveil-
ing of the Woman Triumphant"
Rarely nature with sterling. prac-
teal mould, combines such tender SEN
timental ideas. Gifted with an inde-
Enable charm of manner, urbane and
suave, she daily administered to Gods
poor, appearing to them indeed a Lady
Bountiful Happiness, joy-giving coun-
selor, bringing life and healing with her
touch; needed ride for confined In
valid; bright, cherry smile; words of
comfort for the afflicted; an open home
for ministers of all sects, but oh, so loyal
to the organization of her choice-surely
all ages rise up and call her blessed.
AS beside the elegant, fiower-laden cas-
ket l stood, dazed by contending emo
tiOiiS, ouIIOuHutu ny her lduy
with bated breath and crushed, aching
hearts her virtues and manifold deeds
of Kindness were enumerated numberless
times. Only sustaining grace could
cause the beloved survivors to yield
gracefully their cherished wife, mother
and grandmother purified by a life of
suffering) both to the God who gave such
divine being, wearing ever the garb and
yisage of an angel, grandly, unselfishly
leading those around her by her Illus
trious example, the achievement of ho-
Her, better lives. The fond, indulgent,
admiring husband who made her life
such an ideal one, feels consoled with
the blessed thought that he had made
her so happy for the nineteen years of
welded bliss.
God gave her only one manly, fondly
cherished son, still her unparalleled de-
votion to her husbands children, that
composed the happy family, gathered
ever around the angel of her hearth
stone, was beautiful in its sincerity.
Old age, middle age, youth and infancy
pay tribute to their cherished idol in
pallid, In flushed cheeks, and fading and
lustrous eyes are dimmed with fast ris-
ing sobs and tears.
The sweet, calm, lovely face, majestic
in profound repose; the Transparent
graceful hands, resting with an appall-
ing silence, seemed too pure, too holy
only to abide with the angels, reckoning
we poor grovelling emortals onward
eventually to home eternal In the
heavens.
Paucity of ideas and failure of words
leave me dumb with speaking we'll
rounded life, complete in all lifes phases,
has ended. What an example to emu
late! What a life to study. In the love-
ly, aristocratN southern home, made
beautiful in It's appointments by deft
hands and unlimited means at her
disposal, glancing around at the evil
dence Of taste, wealth and culture, each
and very cline represented in some form
of feature or face, involuntarily / ex-
claim: "Oh. and all this to exchange
for what?" Yea, bright realm beyond !.
In this transition, physical WEAKNESS
for perfect rest IA full freedom from man.
fold cares and self-imposed duties
Standing "still woman Triumphant" cloth
ed In scintillating, shimmerlng robes of
Immortality. MRS. ED WARREN