The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-10
The Wornans Page Of The 'Tmrnes-Dspatch
From the Fourth
To Christmas Time

There used to be a saying among tho |
.!o1d black mamn,ies OF Southern house,
noids that there were two dates in
every year to reckon from-Christmas
and the Fourth of July. Honey" ono
OF these mamnies was in the habit Of
declaring oracularly, "honey, faint no
time at all fun Chrismus to de Foth.
land contrairywisc. de time betwixt de
10th and Chrismus is mighty short
You'll be wakin' one desc fine mawn-
ms to see de fros' on de pertato vines,
and den we'll hab to git to wuk on do
fruit cake. Does you heah. honey!
Well. It's jes lax tole you. You sho'
min out and TEX motifs"
Mammy's vagaries fall upon very
needless ears oftentimes. With tho
locust blossoms hanging low above the
tea table set out on the lawn. with
the vivid color of the trumpet flowers
and the tiger lilies Haunting in mid.
summer luxuriance. 1t would seem as
IL summertime and fragrance must
continue indefinitely, and as IL the
world is o world that holds no hint OF
frost or fading of verdure In its fu.
ture.
The clear. bright days are long days
against which the impatience OF youth,
longing to shake the hour glass Of
Time. rebels. II wish and wish.
murmured the maiden. bending with
flushed checks over the counting OF
her daisy petals, that the days would
go faster" The maiden has her wish,
for after awhile she Is woman. with
the secrets EMBODIED in the daisy petals
all told.
Then Time ceases his dalliance. The
roses bloom as always but how swift
the unfolding OF the bud, how soon
the shattering of the petals. how
quickly the blossom time Is over. In
truth. the Christmas fires are scarcely
burned out before the Easter lilies arc
being cut for the altar. The echoes OF
the Easter hymns are still lingering In
the air when a burst OF wedding boil,
announces the arrival of June. and,
when sweet June has said good-by, In
comes the noisy Fourth. with a deafen,
ing roar OF skyrockets
The old mamnys sayings are veri.
fed. The Fourth signalizes the be,
ginning OF midsummer The year i.
IlOO0 tue, eDD-tiQe Is Denlnd II
The seasons swing Is no longer slow
The daisy petals have been counted
long and merry agp. Times amble
alas become a gallop and the maiden
who wished the days to go faster now
feels like traveller who looks out
from window at series OF dissoly-
ing views In landscape that Is ever
receding. always being outsped and
left behind.
q m Tel tina al
Counted In days and months and weeks
not quite the half OF twelve. but SO
nearly so as to dispute mamHy's reck-
on.ng and yet. and yet-the harvest
moons OF August Will shortly shine.
September's goidenrod Will wave Its
yellow plumes. October's flaming ban
ners will be flung abroad. November's
chrysanthemums will serve as Thanks
giving heralds, and then hey for the
red CLEAN OF holly berries, the shine
and prick of holly leaves. and the
pearly whiteness OF the mistletoe
ushering in the cheerful Christmas
fires.
Better far the swift dying past then
the broken wing OF time. however.
Better its hurry than its drag. When
the dreams of youth have been fol-
lowed by the awakening OF maturity.
when that awakening has left behind
IT the early summer and the mid
summer OF its days, when the food
tide is raccding and the ebb-tide is
with q swift. strong flow. bearing away
from the SHOWS OF winter the life
that has its vision turned toward the
ocean in which Time ceases to be. and
Eternity takes its place.
VIRGINIA MISSIONER f
The Courage of Women.
10 mn w nj oh
have or should have monopoly? Pop
ular belief has inclined that way for
ages. The most that it has ever been
willing to grant woman is the passive
courage OF endurance. The boast OF
nm old noble family was that all Its
sons were brave and all It's daughters
virtuous Some modern mothers are
daring enough to formulate a motto
for their families that would read: "Al
It's sons and daughters were brave anG
virtuous"
Yet, yielding an unconscious obed
lence to the long prevalent idea how
differently we train our sons ant
daughters When the little daughte,
comes weeping because of a bump WE
are likely to take her up and comfor
her. but II 1t is the boy we say mo
no. son! You must learn to be brave
Men bear hlrts In silence We ar,
not greatly disturbed If Mary shriek
at the sight or toad or q spider
or is afraid in the dark, but we ar,
much concerned If John shows thes
fears. Is the boy going to grow up ;
coward or q weakling? And we TAX
measures at once to cure him OF hi
falling.
To ask II courage is foreign to !,
woman's nature is simply ridiculous
Every one knows that some women q
least, possess courage of both tn
active and passive variety. When W
read list Of woman's heroism an
daring ventures our hearts glow. Fo
the sake Of those she loves and 70
her religion, woman has risen to tn
Bublimest heights of humanity. AS 70
r the physical endurance-well ask TIL
doctors and nurses to tell you OF tn
women who hear agony in silence an
with patience. AS for moral courage
the courage that will bear misuuder
standing the popular sheer. the dis
approval of friend. 1t has long bee
confessed that women have that.
Is courage expected OF woman? /
certain measure It'll Is not. A Nwoma
may confess to all kinds Of fears with
out meeting with scorn, Vet no 500