Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1920-05-01
catholic Ideal of Womanhood ,he
Noblest and Best Suited For
All Time.
Wife and Mother Who Measures Tn
TO All Requirements of the
Position.
Leaves an Example of Loyalty to
Duty, Virtue and Well
Doing.
THE TRUE TYPE FOR TODAY

The thirty-frst chapter of the
Book of Proverbs sings in language
of splendid power and charm the
praises of the wise and valiant
woman. No work Of classic an
tiquity can rival this portrait of the
sanity woman-of the wife and
mother who measures up to all the
requirements of her position. No
later writer has improved upon the
picture, or found it lacking in es-
sentlal detail, or presented the
world with a better and nobler ideal
Of womanhood. The church uses
portions of this eloquent tribute to
the wise woman" in her liturgy
FOR the commemOration of women
saints who attained to the stature
Of heroic holiness, though they pos
sess neither the glory of martyrdom
nor the crown of virginity. The
church has therefore set the STAMP
Of approval upon that matchless
poem of the singer of Ancient Israel.
In these days of emancipation"
and of wOman's rights" of fem
nism" and the new freedom"
other ideals of the truly great and
1919 WCAiAtAi idhG DGtu DldCRQ De-
fore the sex. These ideals spring
from an entirely different concept
OF woman's sphere and duty than
those that guided the inspired
writer of the Book of Proverbs.
Whereas the poet of the Old Law
speaks of industry and devotion 10
household duty, and says that "the
woman that feareth the Lord, she
shall be praised" the later proph-
cts OF new order, like Ibsen and
.Suderman, and Ellen Key and Eli
nor Glyn, praise the woman who fol-
lows her own caprice and knows no
other duty but that of developing
her individuality" This last phase
is the key of Sudermann's 'FMagda -
a character, that some (emancipat-
ed spirits proclaim thee true tyne
for the woman of today. Fortu
nately common sense tells us where
to look for the ideals of woman
hood and where we can find their
realization. The Catholic church
points to the illustrious wives and
mothers who were mot learned
save in gracious household ways"
who guided their children in the
path of virtue, who spoke no evil
and sought not the high and proud
stations in society. But they were
bent on doing Gods work in the
home, and for husband, and child
rem and dependents. And so doing
they led noble lives and achieved
distinction. They wrought in the
spirit OF the valiant woman of Pro.
verbs, and now her children have
risen up "and called her blessed.
Such a woman leaves an inspiring
example of virtue and well-doing, of
courage and loyalty to duty, to the
people of the land.
And say not that this is only the
opinion of those who are caught i'm
the narrow ruts of lazy conserva-
tism and who dare nat aspire to
the light and glory of the new age
Of freedom. No, the greatest minds
Of all ages have found in Proverbs
the perfect image OF the noble wo-
man, whose presence in the house
hold spells peace and gladness. and
whose absence means gloom. and
sorrow Fray Luis De Leon, an IL
lustriOus Catholic poet of Spain
who died in 1891, is celebrated In
the history of Spanish Literature
la Perfecta Casada," "The Per-
feet Married Woman" Concern
ing this work a historian OF Span
ish literature writes: with the
exception of his poetical works, the
book by which he (Luis De Leon
is best known is his "Perfecta Cas-
ada" Perfect Wife,. in which, TAX
ing for his text the thirty-frst
chapter of the Book of Proverbs
he sketches in grave and forcible
language his somewhat severe but
admirably pure conception of the
strong woman. So true is his ,pic-
ture, and so accurately did he
gauge the feelings of his country
men in this respect. that a Spanish
authoress of real talent emilia
fardo Bazan) has lately expressed
an opinion that his book still repre-
sents the national ideal of the Per-
feet Wife" The judgment of this
great Spanish writer as to the ex-
cellence of the ideal of the per
Iect woman" in the work of Fray
Luis De Leon holds good today.
For even the woman of our time
can find no better example OF the
virtues that should adorn her sex
than those enumerated in PRO
verbs" and that have been prac-
Used in so eminent degree by
thousands of women who drew their
strength and grace and inspiration
rom the teachings and spiritual
irmory OF the Catholic church.
SITE FOR HOME.