The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-09
From the London Mail.

From the London Mail.
 @HE reign of the widow is an
 9 ancient sovereignty and one that
 has continued throughout the centuries And widows as type show much that is signal and salient in their bereaved personalities. Some of them may suffer in silence, but by far the greater number give signs of a keen brain, a strong will and distinct individuality. History proves that widows have founded kingdoms, made wars-they seldom of never stopped them-and have ruled by right divine in the worlds of art science, politics and literature. Indeed, in some cases a widow has held the power of life and death, has changed dynasties and al- tered the map of continents. For grief seems in no way to put a curb on pride, ambition and force of character. On the other hand, sorrow may soften and ele- vate. A few widows have attained saint ship. while in many instances a widow has ruled wisely and well, and done the best of good deeds in her day and generation.
 Royal widows seem made in masterful mold, and when not the actual sovereign have often ruled their countries with suc- cess as regents. Queen Dido, who dates from S43 B. C., is said to have founded the city of Carthage. And anent this business she made what we moderns style good "deal," for she bought from the King of Numidia as much land as could be covered by bullock's hide; but as soon as the bargain was concluded she cut the hide into small thongs. and thus inclosed big piece of ground, on which she built her ancient capital. Also this astute lady earned for herself the right to be called a 'widow indeed for she so deeply mourned her dead husband that she mounted funeral pyre and did herself to death with a dagger.
 Then semiramis made her mark as a widow when the world was young. She comes on the scene as the wife of Minus, the mythical founder of Nineveh. and af- ter her husbands death reigned for 42 years, and went down to fame as the conquerer of Persia, Libya and Ethiopia.
 Among other royal widows who have ruled with high hand and who owned many masculine attributes are Margaret. Queen of Denmark; Catherine de Medici, Anne of Austria and Marie Theresa of Austria: also Catherine I. and Catherine II of Russia, who both reigned right royalty during their widowhoods. Mar garet, Queen of Denmark. when a youth full "relict'' was by right Queen of Nor way and also of Denmark; in 1888 she annexed Sweden, and for over 20 years ruled her three kingdoms with splen- did success. Catherine de Medici has gone down to infamy as clever woman with a shortage of conscience. She was the wife of a King of France and the mother of three French sovereigns. with, as an extra, one of her sons as King of Poland She reigned with might and main, pitted Protestants against Catho- lies and brought about the massacre os St. Bartholomew.
 Catherine I of Russia at the death of her husband, Peter the Great became sole ruler of all the Russias; and Catherine II, wife of Peter III, ruled with a high hand for over 30 years, and her reign saw the partition of Poland and vast in- crease in the power and dominions of Russia. Anne of Austria, who acted as Queen Regent for the 4-year-old Louis XIV, was a woman of mind and meth cd, and took as her chief adviser a clever courier, the famous Cardinal Mazarin. Maria Theresa of Austria saw 15 years of widowhood. She had a majestic mien and an undaunted courage, feminine tact and masculine energy, and raised Austria from weakness and poverty to a position of power and influence. And a word must be said on that pious and beauti- ful widow, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, daughter of King and wife of a reign ing Iandgraf. she gave herself to good works. and after her death was canonized