The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-12
 By LOUISE MANLY

maiden aunt and cousin As mistress of a large household, she was kept con stantly busy with the tasks of governing F any departments and often displayed the qualities of a great general The model laid down in the last chapter of Proverbs applied almost exactly to the mistress of the ante-bellum plantation.
 In her own home woman could find plenty to do to interest and amuse and make her happy: and there is no picture or life in all literature more turing than the plantation life of the old south Maj den aunts and cousins were not quite so he ppily placed. It is no wonder that they preferred to marry, so as to have their own homes and interests dependent crly on their husbands. whereas. being unmarried, they were dependent on fath- CTS, or brothers. or brothers-in-law, and under the rule of perhaps two or three different persons, with scarcely any per- soral liberty at all. They were called
 girls, even up to the age of e. A very few of such womea stronger in na- ture than the majority or peculiarly sit uated, overste oped he bounds laid down by the society of the times and became teachers There is the instance of a lady Who at the age of IS, announced that she was not going to marry. but that
 
 already in her mind. Her family were curious to know what it was, but she kept her own counsel till she got con- trol of her property. Then she opened a school for girls. It was immediately successful and she carried 1t on for 30 years with vigor and surprising abil- ity.
 After the desolaton of the war. it became necessary for every one man. wonan and child, to 10 all that he could to make living: the first thing they learned was to wait on themselves II never got myself lrinll of water. nor put on ny shoes and stockings unless I relt like 1t, could no longer be said by the southerners. The woman, from the grande dame to the simplest poor white took up her task and set her chil- dren to do the same. No false pride about manual labor deterred them, though it was hard and tiresome. true rride of independence and love of their home land sustained them. Though the boys and girls often had no time to go tc school and get what education they could frcm mothers and aunts at home they still received a training in many nigh things that the schools never touch
 10 enumerate the various ways in which the women helped their fathers husbands, brothers and sons to reha bili- tate the south would be to include all i-Acse SNetS ioi III ol nIlf1dn actlN1fX. and .he changes produced by these occupa- ticns have dev eloped the woman of the new south. But as was said before in essence she is the same: Modest. not seeking publicity, and admiring others more than herself, unseltish. devoting her time and energy to the good of others. hef Iamiiy, her church, her town and the upiiItlng Of humanity: graceful, Drlsht, charming in manners and speech. seeking the best in literature, art. social Ire and civic affairs; holding her own, put not aggressiyely, and often giving undue precedence to others
 The first and most prominent activity or the women of the new south was teaching, as this had in it the least to olieho on the score of publicity and gong outside of the home, "woman's sphere, and therefore was the first to be approved by men as a profession Tor them. They entered it with eager ness and in crowds; many schools founded by them still survive. famous Tor their good work; the Mary Bald win school in Staunton, Va. Miss Wood berry's in Atlanta, Miss Knotts' in Mo bile. and many others. Thousands also took positions in the public schools. and It IS still the favorite profession of women wishing to make their own ny- ing.
 Allied to teaching and carried on with IL, was writing, in the case of Mrs. Southworth, who taught all day and wrote her popular novels all night t,ll the latter made her independent of the former. In this remarkable deyel- opment of talent there are many, illus trious names, far too numerous even to mention. Foremost in fame and genius among the essentially nav women in sPthern literature is Mary Johnston. whose books are remarkable for force style, and true portrayal of soutbarn lie. and whose latest work, "Hagarn Is study in the burning topic of the times woman suffrage, or rather fem nism, of which she has become an en- thusiastic advocate. Ellen Glasgow is another who has "seized into the times