The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-01
Society.
ELLA WHEELER WILCOX
 ON LOYALTY OF WOMEN.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox, in the New horK Journel. in discussing the loyalty of women to women, says:
 The idea that women are less loyal friends to women than men are to men must give way before the broader friendships existing among advanced peo- pie today. By advanced the mental and spiritual enlightenment of the times Is meant.
 A beautiful young woman, to the most critical eye appearing to be on the sun ny side of twenty-five, was mentioned by a gentleman to one of her male friends T met your beautiful young friend. Miss Blank he said, "and think her one Of the most charming girls ever encounter ed"
 Girl" sneered the supposed gentleman. 'fWhy, she is every day of thirty-seVen years If she is a day"
 When this remark was repeated to ! bevy of six women. composed of both married and single. there was universal protest.
 The author of the hateful remark, the repeater DI IL, dlu lue StdbSAiSAiN AtoNAA' called forth disapproval.
 Every woman of the six declared the young lady to be under thirty, and every woman denounced the man who had gone out of his way to speak dsagreeably of an absent friend.
 Surely there Is great credit and admira- ton to be bestowed upon a woman who Is thirty-seven and appears twenty-five. 1 It is an evidence of a good heart, a good disposition, a good mind and nature free from worry, pessimlsm and bitter ress.
 It indicates good health and good sense and a score of other virtues. Therefore, instead of a sheer, the lady deserved admiration for her character as well as for her beauty, even had the statement been true.
 But in what a contemptible light is shown the man who took 1t upon himself to add ten years whether absolute or inn agined, to the apparent youth of a sin gle woman And what delightful proof of the breadth and depth of friendship when six women sprang to the defence of the absent beauty
 At fashionable luncheon a few years ago in New York city guest of the hostess and a stranger to ten of the twelve ladies at the table made a dispar- aging remark concerning an absent friend of five of the women present.
 The remark was not only disparaging but absolutely libellous in its nature.
 Although the salad was about to be brought on--and the salads of this hos tess were famous-the five ladies rose in a body, called for their carriages and refused to sit at the table with woman who could speak such islander of their friend
 It was in vain the mortified hostess assured her guests that the speaker re- gretted her remark, and that she was only repeating vile story. which malice had whispered in her ear. regarding a woman whom she had never met.
 Not one of the five friends of the ab- sent victim would remain, and the offen- der was left in mysteries for the hostess to console.
 It is a question if any five men in New York city would leave the table of a host and miss their salad and coffee to show their loyalty to an absent friend.
 During the recent summer I know a bevy of women who lived in daily asso- ciation for the entire season without one misunderstanding or one discordant hour. Never once was unkind criticism or dis agreeable gossip of absent people resort ed to for entertainment.
 Good nature, good will, unselfish friend ship and kindly interest in others pre- vailed. and at the end of the summer the little group separated with old ties of friendship strengthened and new ties formed.
 Surely the silly remarks indulged in by the paragraphers concerning the shal- low and ephemeral nature of woman's friendship for woman, are without point today.