Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-03-04
Pure AMID FETED
COURT LIFE
The Story Of Sweet Margaret
GOdOIphin
CBy Barbara Boyd.)

III LIE nan VI dILC lUI w omen,
as the one hundred or more stained
glass windows to the memory of good
women in the new cathedral at Liver
pool have been called, is one to Mar
garet Godolphin and all women who
have kept themselves unsDotted in a
corrupt world.
Few, perhaps, have heard of the
name of Margaret Godolphin, aud
many an American tourist as he stands
and admires this beautiful window
will wonder what it was that she did
that she should be thus remembered
Yet part Of the heritage of purity that
is ours today results, no doubt, from
the courageous stand this little lady
took three hundred and more years
ago in the dissolute days Of Charles II
of England
For it was a courageous stand How
many women would take it today, il
surrounded as she was by pleasure
and wealth and all the allurements Of
a life of friyolity and ease. She was
brought up, one might say, close to
royalty. She knew and was part Of
the fashionable and luxurious life of
her times, for she was popular and
beautiful. She was no wallfower. 1t
was not a case of sour grapes when
she turned from it. She was maid of
honor to the Duchess of York, and
later maid of honor to the queen. And
after she had retired from court life,
SO popular was she that she was sent
for and finally induced to return for a
brief while that she might take the
leading part in a play that was to be
givcH Ly the court, She was cast for
the principal Character, and, the old
ch~onicler5 sly, was covered with
jewels and won great admiration.
Without doubt she was a belle.
BIT she cared little for all tbs. She
had Eeary and mind ABOVE it. She
retired from court to live at Hereford
under the direction of q spiritual faith
er. Among her friends was EyeI-l.
the writer. In fact, the two made q
pact in writing Of inviolable friendship,
and Evelyn tells of her beauty, talents,
deep religious convictions, nobility of
character and purity of life. And all
this, mind you, in the reckless days Of
the restoration in England, when
Charles II was giving the court Of
England a name for profigacy I'M
equaled before or since.
Can't you picture her? Young, beau
tiful, popular, yet with so pure d
heart and so big brain that the idle
ness and frivolity of those about her
simply disguised her. She was too fine
to pass her life this way, yet so preem
inently kind and tactful was she, that
she both kept her friends and won re
spect from all, even though she stood
apart and refused to live the idle, use
less life of those about her.
She may not have been conscious
that she was doing anything for the
carse of purity in the ages to come.
She undoubtedly was not thinking Of
the future She was simply doing
what she considered right from day
to day But such effort is never lost.
Today, in the recognition given her
life, right living gains hundredfold
impetus. And no one will gaze at that
window and think of Margaret Godol
phin and her life without receiving
fresh inspiration and courage to stand
by pure ideals no matter how adverse
the conditions all about may be. Aud
every fraction Of weight thrown on
the side of good helps to make this
old world better