The leader., 1904-11-30
The Women Of Our State The Has
Been and The Now.

TAT the social meeting of the
Woman's Auxiliary to the Z. M.
G. A., last Friday, Mrs. j. II.
Redding read the following paper,
which was so graciously presented
and so gratefully received that
we place it before our readers for
further delectation by a larger
audience than was present upon
that occasion. Ed. Leader.
The field of womans work is
broad and fertile and if the hands
that are in command are firm and
steady in purpose, the promised
harvest will be great. By work /
mean not to particularize, for the
possibilities of that wonderful
field have been and are as varied
as the phases and changes of the
human life.
In the Has Been, there were
women Of indomitable courage
and remarkable mentality, who
seeing the needs Of an impoverish-
ed country, lent heart and brain
to the work of culture for women
in its broadcast sense, with the
happiest results.
To few of those history maxi
ers of the recent past, to whom
all other women of our State bow
ed in Difference and acknowledge
ment Of their leadership, whether
in matters of clubs and societies,
or philanthropic and altruistic
movement, ] shall call your atten-
ton.
First to whom | shall point
with pride are Mrs. Annie q.
Peyton, of Hazlehurst, and Mrs.
A. O. Hastings, of Port Gibson.
They stand out so wildly in the
closed pages of my girlhood, for
in them were examples of woman
hood, now to my awakening
senses of the sterner realities Of
life, and | looked on with feelings
akin to pain, in my alteration of
their splendid achievements. The
great towering buildings of the
Industrial Institute and College
stand as a monument to their
memory and a glowing tribute to
what a woman's heart can dictate
and what woman's mind and en-
ergy can,materiaIize.
In the hearts of the Kings
Daughters Of Mississippi, there is
a sacred corner dedicated to their
beloved president and organizer,
Mrs. Mary Thompson Howe, a
woman of strong personality, and
great executive ability, as is evil
denced today in the beautiful
charity of this worthy band of
women; but she was spared to
them only few short hours,
guaging time by the eternity of
things and the loving hearts Of
her co-laborers.
The author of the book of
poems Faith, Mrs. Ellen E..
Hebron, of Warren county, whose
recent death in jackson, brings
grief and sadness to those who
knew her best and loved her for
the pure womanly nature, so full
of the Faith that breathed from
her earnest prayer.like poems is
truly a subject for emulation.
One of the former fighters for
the liberal education of women,
Miss Ellen Martin, of Natchez,
was a teacher, and writer of no
mean ability, and though the god
dess of misfortune seemed to at
tend her at times, she rose regally
above it. Through her influence
was launched and sustained for
years an association through
which girls, pecuniarily deficient,
were educated; and / have in
mind one example of splendid
womanhood, emanating from that
fruitful source.
But to the women of the Now.
What possibilities IT'S said by
one who had made study Of Mis-
sissipi women, that it is wonder
full the great number Of brainy,
talented, broad minded writer's we
have, at few of whom we will take
a cursory glance. It is doubtful
if there has ever been a time
since Cadmus invented letters,
when there has been a greater
rage for so-caIIed brilliant oil
clever writing than there is al