The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-02-10

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Silence a voice that doth the midnight
Make fresh hopes spring from grave-sod
Set free a tortured soul from memory's
rack?
Though we repent, can any God give back
The dsar, en-. lost days we might have made
Louise. Chandler Moulton in scribner's
Magazine.
Learn to Un1ove If You Cease to Re.
spect.
There is time. I believe, in loves
first approach when it is not too hard to
bar the door if, there Is reason why it
should not stand ajar. A girl may not
have to learn to love, but she can learn
to unlove if she must. She herself must
be the judge. If the man brings her
weakness instead of strength, low ideals
and not high ones; if he is indolent or
incorporate or unclean; if she feels that
she will be mated down, and not on the
sweet and wholesome level on which she
lives, then-no matter how her heart
pleads for him-if she is truly wise she
draws the bar of the door gently but
her heart aches, as it doubtless will
sometimes, half out of sheer pity for him
and half because she SO misses the sweet
accustometlness Of his presence, the lit
tie attentions, the flowers, the tender
look that stirred her so strangely-all
that goes to make up the indescribable
romance of young love-when her heart
aches because of what is gone out of
her life, let her hold fast to her brave
resolution let her strong self whisper to
her weak, pleading self, II will be nobly
mated, or not at all. I will steer my lit
tie life by the stars, and whether it is
anchored in the haven of love or sails
with God the seas shall be His care and
not mine.' In such life nothing ever
goes astray.
Oftenest nobler love comes in its own
| time, and comes in such n way that she
is glad to bid it welcome. Or if it never
comes again she finds that there are still
other loves than wife loves" and the
world becomes the richer for the tender
ness and sweetness she can give to the
many because there are no close few to
claim them.
If do not dwell here upon the ro-
nance of the engaged period it is be-
cause l know how surely that can be
trusted to take care of itself. 1t is
time as penetrated with sweet, tender,
| shifting sentiment as the perfect pearl
1t is a revela ton that is sacred and per-
feet each day, like the mystery of the
sunrise or the shine of the stars in the
deep vault of Heaven. And it ought to
be so; it ought to be time in whose
enchantment the lovers may wrap them
selves as in a garment. And yet, too,
1t ought to be period of preparation for
the responsibilities of the life that is to
follow.-Helen Watterson Moody in La
dies Home Journal.
1.-THE Weaker Sex"
Why will people persist in calling wom-
anklnd the weaker sex, when we all know
she is anything but weak? We object to
1T on general principles. In test of
physical strength, of course, she must sub
NIT to the uncomplimentary adjective. but
IT Is only in this particular instance. When
1t comes to endurance she will carry off
the blue ribbon every time. 1t may be the
triumph OF mind over matter, but what
OF that? 1t is the result we are talking
about. What man could endure with any
degree of fortitude all a woman has to in
the course OF an average lifetime? Pain,
sickness and trials seem to be womans
heritage, but she bears them with pa
tlence and becomes so accustomed to be-
ing uncomfortable and miserable that she
works on performing her regular duties,
while man in a similar condition would
go to bed and send for the doctor. Per-
haps she is better able to bear pain and
distress than he. An old doctor once said
IN our hearing: "A man simply could not
endure it,, and they the stronger sex, too.
what will woman not undertake for
her needy family or for an unsatisfied am
bitlon! Nothing appears insurmountable,
when she makes up her mind to attempt
difficulties, even imaginary ones, and give
up before an effort is made to overcome
them, but the average woman is not built
that way. When she starts out for any
thing she usually ''gets there" Excuse
slang, but it's so expressive.) Success
comes not from physical strength, but
from concentrated effort, perseverance
conquering the majority of obstacles. If
many men had to contend with wom-
ans trials and discouargements is her I'D
ward struggle they would meet with fail
ure more often than she. In many occu-
pations woman has taken up she is only
| a pioneer, blazing the way for her sisters
to follow. She must run the gauntlet of
criticism, adverse usually, and when she
finally secures sure footing, as she I'M
doubtedly will in time, she can look back
with equanimity on her early struggles for
recognition. She obpects to being called
| weak, when she has fought her way up
ward until she stands side by side with
man in ability, if not in remuneration.
Think of the heroism of many women,
their patient endurance in times of disas-
ter, sickness and financial difficulties. She
is the first to recover from the blow which
has fallen and to make the best of the
situation. She bravely straightens the
tangled threads, nurses the wounds and
brightens up the gloom with her CHEEKY.
helpful endeavors to bring order out of
chaos, this so-called weak woman. She
does not take to drink to drown her woes.
She leaves that part to the stronger sex,
her lord, master and protector (D.-Phila-
delphia Times.