The sun., 1910-05-15

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ThS vitaliay q ths alEhasonth century
which concerned iissR ohieGy with ma,
tsrial thlngs, exhausted Iassls On tribe
and woFIhippsd plsnlAai pfowusa, nsvar.
J tAslsas stimulated ne RFsae lntelleCtua
, olossoming - the sleoeRding era. Ths
, combination Of SAasa eualltieS constitutes
Ia fAscanatioa, and yielding 10 thia fasol
nAtIoa ETMHh HOLr wMRkLKR has mad,
q thoughtful and saaisfyins study Of what
n perhaps the mOst striking feature Of n,
pSriOd. the Pamoas BlmaaioekaRgs (JohE
Lane companyl. She has not confined
hersof "a . inaCo character sketoh of each
noted Wou1an; she has Furnished back
grounds and framss % her vivid por-
tFassa. shs has presented tho spirit Of
the aga, whiCh ssafesa hlfluanos upon and
VAs inanonoed By these clever women,
with the roanlt that thsy become for the
reader living and present parsonallttas.
The Supera6undans oOsrgy and vitality
of the aGe 'eENihoFNtsd' Into all manner Ol
sScousss and Pranhn. she remarks. from
faahiOns IN dTnss and manners 70 fashions
m thought and principles % life. Yet thla
sEtnavaEanos flowed largely from high
soiFsts; snd hlgh spiritaaFS consistent " ith
thS most sohsr common arnss, as was
proved by thls cgutuSy, moFodlstlnRuishsd
than any othaE ~ THE admiInbls Il unin-
tsTestlng quality. Tia ldsal aimed az was
common sense In evsFy department. of
Ne. lnclcAaas naEssassan6 rsslglon: and
the Ideal was genagnllB achieved. Com
nsnn sense divorccs love froan marriage
and spirituality from religion; marriage
bscOmes q question of calculation and re-
bGiOn of morale Asths Clergy of the day
woro indifferent and cnrrupt, the task Of
preaching mor1ls was undertaken With
saRsrnass lly ths majority uf shs WTitsrs of
Tho time This didactiolsm 10 undoubt-
ediy ths Characteristic which makes the
mosi proiOund and lasting impression On
those who ruad loF rad about tho writing
u the 'bluSusOokins' women. What Il apa
20 BE- fOrgOtaen IN this somewhat rsosllent
aspect Of tho case h that u the bluastook
inEs, like Wesley and whieiiald, generally
advocated the doctrine Oi salvation bv
Worhs, they also pEaCtised lt..and bad a
large share IN sstabliahlnR worthy sand.
ards and initiating institutions which are
regarded - the glory ofths presont epoch.
The age has generally been acclaimed an
sra u extFaurdiHMFV wornen: huf h re-
Quires grea, patience and labOziOus clslv-
ing ia many volumes 10 rsprodnce In an
adequate manner las our author has sue
cesBed IN doingl al idea Of the leaders
smong thom@oa the VI, ot Mrs. NontaRu,
the ChaEm Of Mrs. Delany. the sympathy
VI Mrs. Carter, the ssnsltlvenesa 1T Fanny
B1rnsy. ire 'uRconm5n good sense os
Mrs Chapons. the 'sylphary" Of Mrs.
Vessy. thu vivacity ~ Mrs. Thrals and
the hohls snSrgy Of Hannah More.
Out Of a misty origin the word blue
stocking" emerged about the year i7ss
luminous. ahgeocraSin. two sexod. Is
connOted learning. sAinink in a clear
Game through wit Wit belaE the social
quality which crcaaes sscial centres.
A. early a. l7Sl the shadow Of pedantry,
which was destined 10 eclipse al the
Elories and fAme of 6iuestockInglsun.
began 20 loom up. AZ last az the end Of
the century the unfortunate word Had
ths hAQnts q say aocisty. became a soli-
tary outcast and underwent a period Of
exile, whence II returned 70 bo applied
as a term conveying some opprobrium
10 tho learned or the Nell informed Of the
female ser alone. wit was ths harra
ussd for the rare combination Of intel
lsCtuAl and social quAllties before sblue-
stocking vas inverted. The real origin
Of the term "a aomsShat obscure. Blu-
stockings. worstsd. implied morning dreau
a. opposed 70 black stockings. silken hose
or evening drsas. The most popular
version Of ~ particular application is
that Benjamin stilIlngneet. son OF a
Bishop and hirnseR a botAnist Of note.
40 exoelled 10 intsllsotuAl attainments
that the details Of has dress became in-
pOTtAnt. While the excellence Of his con-
vsraation was 20 great that Il used bo Be
said I'VE can do nothing Without the
blue stOckinGH" 20 indicate the seuss Of
loas caused BY hls ahsencs. and 90 the
term vas establlshsd. The explaua-
tlon furnished BY Mrs. Carter and Hannah
More rejeOes 6tilllngdset and substitutes
the mistake of a distinguished foreigner,
who was told hat dress -was 20 little re-
garded &C tas functions Of tho wits that |
he might come IN HE blne stockings. |
Our author ssln hurseR the saEk Of show
ing NJ the hlnestoChing IN her youth I
and prime. tho woman who because Of |
her intsllsotuAl and social Gifss or bsoalias
Of her llteraTy nohlsysmnnas Was a hOstans |
or a msmber Of ths blnsstoclEing ootarisa, |
and accordingly shs hnAlts her Geld 10 /
the years ossEesn iTJo and i7Bs.
Generally apeaking. fho three famous |
hostsaasa. MFg. MontaRu.
Mrs. ThTals and Mrs. vesey. arc Shs ac-
osptsd leaders Of The movement. MFs.
haviRg bssn proclaimed By Dr. |
Johnson 'Ths Qussn % ne Blues.' Lord
E,yttlston's grandilOqnsnt tribute 10 Mrs. |
AsontaRu. Beauty. w.t. Wisdom. learn.
ing 60 say nothing AZ wealth., : 4 enthual- |
aatiOalIy uphold bY most Of tho oontain- |
poraTy reogrds. In ioaFning shs was
inferior 20 Mrs. Carter. IN social Rlfts
% Mrs. Yeaeg, IN charm b Mrs. Dslany.
but her tiEsleaa vivacity, which kept her
tubellsctual Glsis ContinuaIly flashing
before mems eyes, and her love og mar
ns1iOsnoe. which provided a statsly setting /
for her parBOnaiitys osrvpd bo enhance
her powers. HBr Wit ard her @enlth
snabled her 10 saluins tho rank of '9nsan
% ths BlueR.s ..
EliEabsth Robinson (hira. Montagu) vas
born In i720. Asa Chiid she had great ssn-
Hihility and aoutansas of misunderstanding.
~ we'll 10 8fua4 beaifty. and her father.
proud q he Distinguished nOtioo she ex-