The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-10-22
BRAVERY OF WOMEN.

'' ''i l. ~ HIS l'lct>Su Hlcu
to arrogate to themselves nearly the
whole OF human courage and to re-
gard women as very timid and cow
l"lly creatures when compared with
themselves. Now we do not deny that
some women occasionally have little
atfectations which give color to
this opinion. These are scared at
meeting harmless COWS or oxen, as
though they were ferocious bulls.
They jump in terror on a chair at
the sight of a m1"sr. All these, how
ever, are errors OF education, just as
boys are taught form 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 4 fearful animal, naturally not
rapacious, loves Peace and Quiet, and
he would never Fight, if nobody off
ended him, and he could have what he
fights for without it," This may be
true Of man as a savage. But civili-
zation gives so much skill and dissi-
pates so many errors and terrors, that
men have learnt to be quarrelsome,
courageous, and selfreliant. 1t would
be natural to suppose the mothers and
sisters ofthe brave 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 cour-
age and women q monopoly of timid-
ity! Simply because of mems stupen-
dous selfconceit. The majority have
never given the subject a rational
thought. They have excluded women
trJ2l 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 them
selves no despicable competitors with
men in physical courage, and far ahead
Of them in moral fearlessness.
At a tim like the present, when
public attention is largely drawn to Il
comparative view of the qualities of
both SEXES, it may be profitable to
draw attention to the bravery of wo-
men. We do not desire to undervalue
the conspicuous valour of men. On
the contrary, we are proud to recog-
nize it to the full. We only wish to
point out tll. SDIla are capable of
the same great quality to a profitable
degree, and that, therefore. it should
be encouraged in them as we'll as in
men. If the men refuse, let women
eXhort each other.
Ne one can doubt that moral cour-
age is superior to physical. Men ex-
ceed in the later, women in the for
mcr; and it is not desirable that this
should be altered even were it possible.
Yet it would add to the dignity both
if men were stronger morally and wo-
men physically.
\ modern historian says, Moral and
rational faculties may alike be dor
mcnt, AMI they will certainly be so if
men arc wholly immersed in the graf
ification Of their senses MN is like
a plant, which requires q favorable
soil for the full expansion of its natural
or innate powers II meE had been
shut ont. as women have. from the eX-
ercis2 of th2ir physical faculties, is it
certain tl~ would have developed ex-
cess OF pE Es~%al powers?
Notwit Astanding her social disadvan-
tagcs in this respect, woman has made
her mark lin the annals of bravery.
History a.f)rl; ain sroli examples of
great hcroines many Of them, to, at
a time when her general position was
that ola slave. but we can on V note
few. Lrana of Attica bore the sever
est torture without a word. TelpsiIa,
the po2tess,, nude The Argolic women
fearless Of death, and discounted the
Spartans. Thcodora saved the Eas-
tern Empir>. Artemisia drank the
ashes OF her consort Camilla, Queen
of the Nolscians, Wa slain fighting at
at the head Of her tro,p;. Loadicea
encountered the veterans oi Rome.
The Maid of Orleans drove the En-
gliSl from Francs. ARIA stabbed
herself to encourage her husband to
die. "S1e, it does not hurt, dear Pae-
tus,' she said. The tales of martyr
u''lli :tIt ItItlit }. hclolc Nolltu OuliS
maidenS met the most horrible deaths
with placid contempt, if not with vehe-
ment joy. No tiendish tortures that
devils could devise We're able to shake
the fortitu l. ot nam3srless brave wo-
men. Whether under Nero or the Bish-
ops, under the Inluisiton OF the French
RevoIutionaries, it. was noted with
surprise and admiration that woman
died more bravely than the m,n With
what grace and cllmlass, and infinite
tenderness lor others, did Anne Bolcyn
AMI Mary of s. t,tlanl hy their fair
necls u2pa th' hloal, Even the fear