El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-02

woman who felt the need OF aILs are ~. 7
and love Every positive WORD she
wrote is for virtue and against 49, -
a shield for truth ana aSGLusl 49,
And nuch as we would prefer 70 80
into a detailed examination alo SI-uS
of her principal works, we WUulu ~
phasize this evening ner spL.l' 49, IL
bellfOn and idealisms the Two CL1--e- I5
terfstics that show her WOuldIl4S quei---
ties and single her out TOT
evening. She was the DoIH 49, - -
listing conditions did not SATISFY net
unless thev also satisfied her lnlelLecL
and were the natural result VI ~ !.
studies The faith that her father neio
sacred was not sacred on LndL d~-O-.l
bUf 6ad to prove itself, and when IN
the DEVELOPMENT of her mind ana soul
II did not prove itself TO her sallsL --3
ton. she accepted some or lhe re- 80 -
Of DOsitivism. Not that she ever &C
ceDted IL as a cult, she was too mlSh
+. of a rebel to DO so, but some OF tEe
results Of this examination into tAs
problems of life satisfied her more tlau
the results of other faiths her tlLe
with LeWes is another example OF 4sl
rebel spirit Her favorable portLas,4 81
of the Jew is another example OF We t1e
same spirit Her sympathy for the
Jews and her aversion to antaSeInltlSIn
even though 1t was the RAD OF LL5
time should convince every one tlal
she was an independent spirit tllal
would not be shackled by popular Gus
toms. 1t is generally stated Inel
woman is a conservative, but feel IL
is more true LEaL she Is a AcLLllA eLA 1-A
seeking something better tnan tAe
present and striving for the nODler anu
the truer The vitality Of the present
movement OF votes for women the
gradual breaking down or such 90
stacles as placed woman In q separate
legal category, should be ample PROOF
that woman is a rebel who viii not
be satisfied to leave wei enough a4one-
PreemInent as Idealist.
And in the second place George Eliot
Glands nwnnrnfnanf f0PallEr- EleE
stories are the striving of an 1deallst
for an ideal. Her life is living for an
ideal None can fully appreciate the
self possession 1t took TO pear t1e
sneers and the insults Of her friends
and the breaking of many ties Jnat
were very dear She was a practical
idealist. She felt the currents of the
better life about her and gave It form
and substance. She was a vital power
in the gradual breaking Of the old re-
Igious letters and the awakening OF
the new spirit This did not blind ner
to the beauty Of the past nor the hypo-
crisy of some Of the deTOtees or the
present Dinah is a fine example OF
the true dOctrinal believer ana
BulstrOde is equally an example
OF the dOctrinal hypOcrite. Herein
again she showed her true woman
nature. Women are our natural ldeal-
lists. DisillusiOnment comes seldom
No matter how bad the man might De
to whom a woman has given her love.
she will ever believe In him and do
an she can for him No matter how
matter of fact may be the endow-
ments of her children, she still builds
air castles for them and cannot under
stand why the world VIII not accept
her child at the value she places upon
his talents.
And we cannot overlook in her char
acter the power OF moods At the age
of 19 she declares she cares no more
for music and wishes It used only Tor
religious purposes, yet at the age OF
u her teacher declared she could oe
rre-Hr# al rr
later life she found consolation and
enjoyment at all ttsn"S in attending
musical performances and was recog-
nized as a gifted musician
Not Passion-COmDassiOn
The lett motif OF her life and works
was not passion. but compassion. as
has been well expressed by one OF her
critics 1t shows the woman IN her
She felt for the oppressed and saw
clearly the future and the struggles
that must ensue- She feels the strug-
gle going on in the United States and
yet calls it the cradle of the future"
She knew that men would rise to their
better selves and gradually find true
expression OF their longings and de-
sires.
It was an accident that the last word
she wrote IN an unfinished letter was
the word affection Yet I feel that
IT IS symbolical of her life and her
work Il was a final picture given US
by the Father above and a true esti-
mate Of her life as q great woman Her
life was one of affection Misguided
you might say IN one respect vet
nevertheless a life Of affection for her
fellowman She wove the web OF
life as il appeared TO her and. though
we might say that the color scheme IS
not one OF radiant beauty Il is still
one Of fact IL may not dazzle the eye
with Its brightness, vet II appeals to
the mind and to reason with its truth
Hers was a gift to teach men the sub
Unity Of effort for an ideal and as
such we grant her a place among the
great woman who have been LIES
teachers We viii not parcel her life
and find fault with any single part.
but we viii look at it as a whole and
declare that she has been a blessing
and a benedictiOn-