San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-17
BRAVERY Of WOMEN.
By Lady Cook, nee Tennessee Claim.

1t was said by an excellent di-
vine, THAT though many discov-
cries have been made in the
world of self-loye, there is vet
left behind. 1t has pleased men
to arrogate to themselves nearly
the whole of human courage and
to regard women as very timid
and cOwardly creatures when
compared with themselves. Now
we do not deny that some women
occasionally have little affecta-
tons which give a color to this
opinion. These are scared at
meeting harmless cows or oxen,
as though they were ferocious
bulls. They jump in terror on
chair at the sight of a mouse.
All these, however, are errors of
education, just as boys are
taught from the cradle to despise
girls for their supposed want of
bravery, and grow to manhood
without seeing their mistake.
Yet Vaudeville in his Search
into the Nature of Society,"" AYERS
that MAN, as he is a fearful ami
NAL, naturally not rapaciOus,
loves peace and quiet, and he
would never fight, if nobody Of
Tended him, and he could have
what he fights for without it."
This may be true of man as
savage. But civilization gives so
much skill and dissipates so many
errors and terrors, that men have
learnt to be quarrelsome, cOura-
geOus, and self reliant. 1T
would be natural to suppose the
mothers and sisters of brave men
would be brave also. We look
for cognate qualities in both
sexes of other animals, and are
not disappointed. Why should
mankind be an exception? Why
should it be imagined that men
have all the courage and women
"a monopoly of timidity? Simply
because of mems stupendous self
cOnceit. The majority have new
er giving the subject a rational
thought. They have excluded
women from their own favorite
fields for the display of bravery,
and then pride themselves upon
their vast superiority. But,
whenever women have had equal
opportunities, they have proved
themselves no despicable compel
itors with men in physical cour-
age, and far ahead of them in
moral fearlessness.
At time like the present, when
public attention is largely drawn
to a comparative view of the quail. |
tiles of both sexes, it may be prof |
itadle to draw attention to the
bravery of women. We do not |
spicuOus valOr of men. On the |
contrary, we are proud to recog,
Mise it to the full. We only |
wish to point out that women
are capable of the same great |
quality to profitable degree, and
that, therefore, it should be en-
cOuraged in them as in men. If
the men refuse, let women exhort
each other.
No one can doubt that moral
Men exceed in the latter, women
in the former; and it ish not de-
sirable that this should be altered
even were it possible. Yet it
would add to the dignity of both
if men were stronger morally and
physically.
A modern historian says, Nor
al and rational faculties may
alike be dormant, and they will
certainly be so if men are Who'll
" immersed in the qualification
Of their senses. Man is like a
plant, which requires a favorable
soil for the full expansion of its
or innate powers" If
men had been shut out, as women
have, from the exercises of their /
physical faculties, is it certain {
hey would have developed ex- +
,ess of physical powers?
Notwithstanding her social dis
advantages in this respect, wO- :
nan has made her mark in the 5
annals of bravery. History af-
Ords numerous examples of great a
lerOines, many of them, too, at a I
ime when her general position I
vas was that of a slave, but we 8
an only note a few. Leana of t
Attica bore the severest torture 3
a word. Telesilla, the S
Ioetess, made the ArgOlic women II
earless of death, and discomfort II
d the Spartans. Theodore saved e