The age-herald., 1901-06-11
Distinguished Alabama Woman Pays Eloquent Tribute to the Ante Bellum Southern Mother-Card
 Party at Country Club.
BY ANNIE kENDRIck WALKER.

Mrs. Virginia Clay-Clopton of Hunts vile, who is the guest of friends in Mem phis, remaining in that city since the Con- federate reunion, was the guest of honor recently of the Ninteenth Century Club, the reception being a notably brilliant one
 Mrs. Caopton was introduced by the president of the club, whose little speech, extremely eloquent, concluded as follows:
 Whom the Nineteenth Century Club delights to honor. She comes to us of the new South, bringing with her the atmos- phere, the perfume and the brilliancy of the old regime The present as we'll as the past claims her. Ladies, have the pleasure of introducing Mrs Virginia Clay-Clopton."
 Of Mrs. Clopton's response the Mem phis Scimetar says:
 Mrs Clopton acknowledged the intro- duction in a few words, adding to her thanks the pretty expression that Mrs. Buchanan had put much sunshine over shadows, and that she had been eye-wit- ness to some of the most thrilling and dramatic scenes of the war She modest ly claimed that she did not properly be- long in the literary arena, but was rather a representative of ante-bellum days.
 Mrs. Clopton then read paper, in which the highest tribute was paid to woman, especially to the woman of the South of older days. Especially did she dwell on the beauty, the divinity, the re- sponsibility of motherhood, referring ten derly to the adored mother of Christ. She refuted at once the arguments used against the Southern women by North erners who did not know, and who claim ed that Southern women led lives of ease and indolence. There was no tribute too beautiful for her to offer to the memory of the ante-bellum Southern mother, and even the old black nanny came in for her share of praise.
 The southern mother, she claimed, was even better than the Spartan women of old, who girt their sons for war and said: Return with your shield, or on it." For the mothers here were soldiers in a cer- tain way, even as their sons were, and welcomed home the heroes or went to battle fields to bear home their dead.
 After a pledge that the women of the south would ever keep green the memory of her heroes, she closed with beautiful tribute to the southern mothers ana Daughters of the Confectionery, whom she called 'the sentinels who guard the biv- ouac of the dead,' adding: "The typical southern woman can never become ex- tinct; she is the angel of the home, the heart of her husband, and her children shall rise up and call her blessed"
 At the request of her audience Mrs. Clopton told in a few words the story of President Davis capture as she had wit messed 1t, portraying vividly the progress of the old barouche as 1t bore MT. and Mrs. Davis down the street. surrounded by cavalry guards, the hurry of the party of four-President and Mrs. Davis, Sena- tor Clay and herself-into the railway car and the final thud of grounding arms that sounded like the final death blow to all freedom as the door was closed and the train sped away.
 When Mrs. Clopton had finished a great bouquet of white carnations and ferns was presented her by an old friend of other days. when both were among the gay, light hearted beauties of Washington and the clouds of war had not yet gath cred.