Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1897-06-17

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feature and should embarrass no
one; on the contrary it should
nerve these young men and
others to greater intellectual
efforts to the end that they may
keep abreast with the wonderful
progress of woman which is the
distinctive feature of this age.
These young ladies are but de-
monstrating what woman can do
when the opportunity is afforded.
And l would have you bear in
mind young ladies, that you are
enjoying privileges and are the
recipients of blessings that were
not accorded woman in the past.
The distorted sentiment of the
past that denied to woman in
tellectual training and held her
in timid subserviency to slavish
mediocrity has been dispelled by
the generous trend of an en-
ightened civilization.
In olden times woman was only
an ornament, a mere play-t thing,
to mans fancy given-the ideal
being Venus, traced by the
sculptor's hand in lasting marble
and in lines of classic and i'm
mortal grace, truly a beautiful
symbol, the loftiest and loveliest
that genius under the inspiration
of anthology could devise, but
the outgrowth of a selfish and
perverted sentiment that knew
nothing of woman's divinely
ordained mission. 1t is true that
now and then in spite of the Gus
tom that held her in complate
subsection there would rise
some bright particular star like
the 'sweetly-smiling" Sappho,
who electrified old Greece with
songs of poesy first attuned to
woman's refined nature, or like
Hypatia, of the fourth century,
who, though a woman, dared to
comprehend and teach the
philosophy of Plato; but woman's
sphere and influence generally
was but a feint shs dow of senti-
ment. 1t is only within. the last
half of this century and prin-
cipally on this continent that the
bonds of mental subsection have
been rent asunder and woman
has come forth full panopied
with all the rights, privileges
and advantages that true woman
hood could desire. Equal adj
vantages with man are now be-
ing given to woman in all the
great institutions of the land.
The great university of Chicago,
unsurpassed in its infancy by any
in the world, a prototype after
the truly American sentiment,
was the first to embody in its
charter of incorporation that
it was founded for the purpose
of extending higher education
to both sexes on equal terms.
Woman has by the ceaseless
tapping of her gentle hands won
her way into many colleges
and universities, but this is said
to be the first great Institution
that laid its foundation stone in
the absolute equality of the
sexes-and strange to say, its
first fellowship was won by a
woman. I simply mention this,
young ladies, that you may be
impressed with the exceptional
blessings that you enjoy and be
stimulated to a still higher aim
and a more energetic prosecution
of your advantages. Let the
eternal womanly ever draw you
onward and upward.
Young gentlemen, would ad-
monish you to mark well woman's
progress, and guard we'll the
prestage that the past has given
to man, and tarry not for the
weaker vessal is rapidly ap-
preaching in his wake. Per-
mitme to admonish each mem
Der of this class to cultivate your
hearts as well as your minds, as
it is character and not mind that
constitutes the noblest manhood
and sweetest womanhood, for
at is the heart and not the brain
That to the highest good both attain"
Remember the life Of the gifted
on
San example to our purpose quite
A man OF rank and capacious SOUL"
Who, bending his eagle eye
thitherward in the prime of youth
scared to a lofty seat on the
mount OF song, who
Touched his harp, and motions heard en-
tranced;
When fancy halted, weary in her plight
In other men, his, fresh as morning rose,
And scared untrodden heights, and seemed
home
Where Angels, bashful looked"
Who,
Through learning and through fancy took his
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