The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-08
ANGELS OF ONE SEX ONLY.

monopoly enjoyed by the female hg-
ure i'm the angel statuary adjoining
the memorial chapel to that eminent
Church and horseman, August Bel
mont, will raise a discussion which
cannot but bear humiliation to the
sterner sex. The chapel in which the
statuary is being placed is building
in connection with the Episcopal
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, on
Morningsidc Heights, near New York.
When the clcrgymen in question dis
covered that all the angels were rep
resented by feminine figures, they
protested to such purpose that the
sculptor was compelled to change
the sex Of his heavenly messengers
However orthodox may be the
the contention of the priests that the
Holy Writ puts more men than wom-
ell in the angel class. the in-growing
male conscience Will nevertheless
mournfully sustain the protesting
sculptor SO far as present day sta
tistics are concerned. With all his
twentieth century man would no
moro think of laying claim to being
an angel than he would OF wanting
to be convicted of being one. 1t IS
a sad fact, yet a true, that we are
not angelic either in form or dis
position. Whatever may have been
the facts in the days of the prophets
and the early beginnings. the role is
now one that is purely feminine. so
much so, indeed. that a wing devel-
cause the average man to resign
from his club in modification. Cen
turtles Of the consciousness of guilt
have left the masculine nature shrink
ing at the exposition of its virtue as
at a hole in the seat of it's trousers:
and to float away in diaphanous
draperies is a fate to avoid which we
would live Away!
Says the New York correspondent
of the Baltimore Sun:
1.-THE figures adorn the east end OF
the chapel erected in memory OF
diocesan convention of the Episcopal
Church held here various visiting
clergymen went to view the edifice
that is somewhat slowly taking shape
on Morningside Heights. one OF
them was shocked at the prevalence
of women's figures in the sculptured
host of the memorial. He called at
tention to the fact that the refer
ences to women angels were not over
abundant in Holy Writ.
1.-The angel of the Annunciation,
Gabriel. besides Michael and Azael, az
least was not woman. it was point
ed ont. It was in vain the sculptor,
J. GwatZen Mothe Borglum, pointed
20 aesthetic recedent-instanced Fra
Angelica and Donatello. to mention
only those of the masters whose plety
was never questioned. The strict
text of the Scriptures was declared
bv these patrons of tho arts to be
the only guide. So today the sculptor
is at work removing the SOFT curves
from the faces of the figures, ana
modifying the draperies to. suit the
characters of Gabriel and Michael
Although the elergymen won, men
will take little JOY in the victory. Too
we'll do they know their deficiencies.
the conviction of hypocrisy that
sinks. into their souls even when they,
perfunctorily do a good work. We
doubt that they will be able to look
these twentieth century angels in the
face They are a myth, anyway, nav
ing not even the sanction of anti
ouity. Gabriel and Michael were be-
fore Time itself. They were diff
'ferent sort of men! But now!-the
thought is appalling!
All of us know certain women who
are angels. Illogically we would go
to perdition for thcm-by which we
mean we would keep them from
assuming the feathers of beatltudc!
Which of u.s. however, can imagine
any of his men friends an angel?
There arc insurmountable objections
in every case. One is too short
another is too long and lean-he
would look like a flight of herons;st1ll
anothAr is too, round and tat; yet
others are bald-headcd, big-footed,
knock kneed, parrot-toed, sleW-toot-
ed, None are so modelled as to eX-
hibit the curves and swish the deli
cate draphries over pink feet or
sweep the ambient air with dove
like wings from ivory shoulders
as all we'll regulated angels must DO.
Men run too much to boards for one
thing: whiskers would be sadly III the
way, in transitu. Also, they cannot
manage their legs inside of skirts or
draperies, witness any householder III
his new bath robe. Then, TOO, there
are no shoes in angel land-and most
of us have bunions or knots on our
toe-knuckles. The average board OF
aldermen on angel-wing would be
spectacle to put the famous sugges-
ton by Carlyle of parliament with
out its clothes into the outer dark!
These be humiliating confessions, but
we men know at least something OF
our limitations. Angels emphatcally
are among them n
After all, the average man knows
his business pretty well, and it is not
to lay claims to wings. ASIDE from
moral considerations, it is not good
10 nf n