Birmingham state herald., 1896-06-07

noted in these columns if sent to Mrs. George c. Ball, Nineteenth street, between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, South High lands. Telephone 9SS.)
 June, in its leafy, fiowery splendor, is upon us! No longer the tiny blades of grass peep timorously up at the blue sky above; the oak, maple and elm stretch their green arms to catch the south wind, and the white cups on the magnolios which held bumpers of golden sunshine through the merry days of May, have fallen gently upon the green sward The rose bushes glow with crimson and white and pink blossoms; nasturtiums make ruddy lips of flame amid the round emer- aid leaves; the daisies hold their star like faces up to those other stars, which glitter in skies on these warm June nights, while the sweet peas whisper stories of other summers as they sway in the arms of the soft moonit air. Out in the fields the corn is waving and toss ing it's banners of green, and the cotton plant is luxuriant with rapid growth The ploughman sings his tuneful songs as he upturns the waiting earth, and the birds twitter their happiness from bay tree and pine while the roses on the Cherokee hedge make a fragrant milky way" along the sweet old country roads. All nature is reaching its perfection, and is carrying out that divine plan of na- lures God, that growth is the law of life, that only the ueau are Sllll.
 And as in the natural, the physical world, so in the human; only the dead are at rest. The divine discomfort, of which Prince Bismarck writes and which is only another name for progress and ad- vancement, is abroard in the universe, and because of it men and women are striving for those things which are be- fore. Unrest, if it signifies growth, is a virtue that brings it's own reward in the development of a nation, in the eleva- tion of individuals. Contentment, like vanity, means generally-not necessarily limited mental endowments and a fa- tai satisfaction with the small and mag nificent things of life. We only grow, morally and Intellectually, as tall as we aspire we only reach those heights that we have the strength to climb. Prince Bismarck has said and said aptly:
 "All striving after something better would be at an end if everybody were content-that Is clear. God has there fore planted discontent in us as a spur, and therefore each of you will have his wishes and be grateful to our public in- stitutions in so far that they give you the possibility of satisfying those wishes as far as human imperfections admit of it. But give up believing that a general state of content will ever arise in the world, either by means of social democ- racy or any other way. That is impossi- ble. We should become nothing but idle dogs like the South Sea Islanders who lie under the palm trees and do nothing but eat dates, which fall into their mouths Content Is not in the world has not been given us by providence"
 Among women this unrest is, perhaps, more apparent than among men, and it is useless at this time to stop to give the reasons therefor They have passed the springtime of their hopes and stand upon the threshold of a summer time that gives promise of richest harvest in that autumn season when the laborer is judged according to what has been gar nered. And just here 1t is not inappro- priate to refer to a view of this agitating subject which was expressed few days ago by one of the most distinguished men of our state. In discussing the re- cent action of various bodies on the woman question and referring to the claim of certain men that they stand for the womanly woman meaning less, placid women whose highest ann bition consists in the feeding and nursing of their lordly spouses This man, who believes in the true, noble, gentle, upright woman, said: This question is up for set clement. It cannot be disposed of by ridi- cule it will not be downed by prejudice. l believe that man has right to talk of the old-fashioned belief that woman is to be kept in luxurious idleness, provided he furnishes the money so to keep her. And I would like to know-if he has not the money for comfort and luXuries-if
  lose one whit more of their womanliness as typewriters, clerks, or at any other suitable honorable labor, than they would at the washtub or in the kitchenY It is well always to remember that with some men 'WomanlineSS" means only in- feriorty and a slave-like acceptance of "all the ills that flesh is heir to- provided the men of their families are content to have it so.
 While a certain class of men are com batting with vigorous words this unrest that obtains the women are pressing forward, and, like the Cherokee roses in this June time, are making the old road ways sweet, beautiful and white with their noble purposes and aspirations. Only last week six girls graduated at the New York university as lawyers amid tremendous applause from metropoh- tan audience. Of the three university prizes, two of them went to women. New York paper, in referring to the oc- casion, said: Tt was a great night for the ladies-God bless them-and when 1t came to honors. they were right up to the mark and in the front rank of the 1rst platoon" The great dailies Of the coun- try, north and south, are throwing the influence of their columns on the side of ambitious women and giving valuable editorial space to the cause of the educa- ton and advancement of women. Re- gently Wellesley college has received from an estate $1OO,000, and Sir Donald Smith, the Canadian high commissioner to London has given S2,00O,000 to college for women In Montreal.
 
 One of the successful women in the va rious lines of industrial art in New York is Miss Amy Mali Hicks. Miss Hicks IS Brooklyn girl, and was a pupil of John Simpson and Walter Shirlaw in the Ar tists-Artisan school but it is said that much of her art education has been ac- complished by reading and severe expe- rience She is art director of the Lotus Press, a profession which is one of the late developments in industrial art, and which necessltates thorough knowledge of historical and decorative art and a familiarity with difficult forms of letter. ing. etc. Miss Hicks designs menu and whist cards, programms, letter heads and such forms of art as are ordered from the Lotus Press. She Is only compelled .o devote three or four mornings or after noon in the week to the firm with which cho ic cnnnented Mes Hicks first art