The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-15

their great model, General Lee-was a
Virginian of Virginians. She loved her
native State with an ardent nay. al
most passionate. devotion; she loved
her history and her traditions from
her very foundation at Jamestown and
was proud of these. and especially of
that most heroic and historic period
of her history from SCI to 1865. She
was an ardent and devoted Confede-
rate; she believed with her whole heart
that the South was right in it's great
struggle for constitutional freedom.
and she was proud Of the way in which
the men and women of the South bore
themselves in that great and trying
conflict. And, therefore. she was de-
termined to do, and. in my opinion,
did do more, to preserve the memorials
the memories of her glorious deeds,
both I'm war and in peace, than any
other person that ] know of. And in
doing this, she not only had the cheer
full and hearty operation of her
splendid husband. but also that of a
band of us noble colaborers of her
own sex as were ever marshaled under
any banner or enlisted in any cause
or undertaking.
1T is an ancient and trite saying.
that An honest man is the noblest
work OF God
at the time when that maxim was
formulated, it was, doubtless, limo
Gently supposed that the term man was
sufficiently broad to comprehend both
man and woman. am inclined to
believe. however. that had that ina Kim
been coined in these days. such an
idea would not lave prevailed. And
1t Is either because women have be-
\ f0rrpfn1 N he ffnir Of IN
| or that men have become so puny or
| so yielding, that to-day upon woma n
| rests the work and conduct of much
of that which controls the destiny of
| tie human race. and she is now not
only the flower planted in the wilder
ness of life to adorn and to bcautify
| 1t, the attractive and efficient help
mate of man. but in many Instances.
| she is the mainstay of the home, and
/ if she continues at her present pace
| she may become the cornerstone of
the republic and thus verify the
! maxim that. The hand that rocks the
cradle is the hand that rules the world
IL hope no one will infer from these
/ remarks that | am advocate OF
woman's suffrage. Nothing is further
! from the truth. No, believe with
Hannah More, one of the noblcst, best
and wisest of English speaking women.
. when she asks:
els il not more wise to move con-
tentedly in the plain path which Provi-
dence has marked out for the sex, and
! which custom has for the most part
nationally confirmed for them. rather
! than to stray awkwardly, unbecom :
inGly. unsuccessfully. in forbidden
road: to he the lawful possessors of
/ lesser domestic territory, rather than
the turbulent usurpers of n wider for
eiGn empire; to he good originals.
rather than Indifferent imitators: to
be the best thing of ones kind,
rather than an inferior thing. even if
it were of a higher kind; to he excel
lent women. rather than Indifferent
1 mem?
Power for Good.
II have quoted this language be-
cause I believe Mrs. Bryan thought as
Hannah More did. She fully rccog
nizcd the limitations imposed on her
sex, both by Providence and by Gus
tom. and She never chafed or fretted
because Of these. but within these lin
itations, and believe. because OF these
oh. what power for good she was
in this community? She possessed il
the highest degree that delicacy anG
quickness of perception and that nice
discernment between the beautiful ant
the defective. which we denomnate
taste, and she had also the most con
summate tact of any one that ] ever
knew II was these great talents whcI
added to her liberality and strong
common sense. her broad. catholi,
Christian spirit which recognized that
In Christ Jesus there is neither rich no,
poor. bond nor free. male nor female.
which enabled her to do so man,
things for the advancement and uplif
OF this community. and TO do them al
so we'll. I. therefore, suggest. as
substitute for the old maxim, An hon
est man is the noblest work of God
that of a good man and woman are til,
noblest works OF God"
And such, believe, were Mrs
Bryan and her husband. and believing
this, / honor their memories and
love to think on and of them. Onl!
a day or two before she died she wrot
me one of the sweetest letters that
ever received, which ] carry about IN
wherever I go.
There is one other characteristic
and accomplishment OF Mrs. Bryan L
which ] shall have time to allude; an,
no one who has had the privilege an,
pleasure. rs I have, of enjoying these
could fail to. at least. make a passin,
4 to her beautiful and bountiful hospi
tally. She WAS the most splendid
type of the Virginia matron and house
wife that II was ever my privilege {
know; and no one who ever visite
1.aburnum' when she presided owe
that home, could fail to recall thes
visits with real and ever RECURRING
1 recollections of the genuine and un
alleged pleasures experienced on thcs
4 occasions.
/ Mrs Bryan died on September L
/ 1910. and in January, 1911, n commit
tee OF ladies generally the president
from each of the following organize
tons: the Hollywood Memorial Asso
citation, the Association for the Pres
ervation of Virginia Antiquities. tn
j Confederate Memoria1 Jiferary Societ,