The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-11

81 4 -
fault of d man the. redemption, if there
be any, is by, the wisdom and virtue
of woman and failing that, there is
none. Among all the principle figures
in Shakespere's plays there il only
one weak woman 0phelia. There are
only three wicked women among the
principle figures Lady Macbeth, Re-
gan and Goneril- Rtfnl exceptions
to the ordinary laws OF life He rep
resents women as infallibly faithful and
wise counssllors, incorruptibly just and
pure examples, strong almost to sancti-
fly even when they cannot save This
remarkable statement of John Ruskin,
a most competent literary Judge con.
corning the whole production Of the
master of dramatic literature, may be
over and over repeated in the author
ship of all countries and languages.
Sir Walter Scott, the most prolific of
English writer's, throughout his liter
AZURE Aas7 given to us a woman Of
fearless untiring self-sacrifice to duty.
The Greek and Italian authors have
done her the same honor. The old
English poet, Chaueer, wrote the
Legend of Good Women but no
legend of good men. A distinguished
author said that ALI of Spencer's
fairy knights are sometimes deceived
and sometimes vanquished but the. soul
of Una is never dark and. the spear of
Britomart is never broken
Unless Shapespere Eschylus, Dcote,
Homer, Chaucer and Spencer w0ve Ne
liaterature Of their period around fan.
ciful figures. woman has shaped the
destinies of the world. 1t was Il Nan
accident that the Egyptian people, the
most learned Of tb, nations. gave ia
their Spirit Of W 1dom' the form of
a woman that the Greeks influenced
By that same spirit worshipDed "Ath-
ena cf the olive helm and cloudy
shield" to whom we owe the most val
usced things in art, literature and types
Of national virtue. Ruskin says again
'.the first and necessary impulse Of ey-
cry truly taught and knightly heart
Is that Of blind service to its lady,
that where that true faith and captiv.
'ity are not. all wpvward and wicked
passions must be- The buckling on OF
the knights armor by his lady's- hand
was not a "mete caprice sof romantic
fashion: the souls armar is never well
set to the heart unless a woman,s hand
has hraced it, Unless all nations in
their representation of art. sculpture
and literature have been mistaken. the
true national ideal. the seat of power
and the center of action has uniformly
rested in woman. 500
As Cleopatra touched Julius Caesar
and Mark Anthony and toppled the
civilization of the prodrest Kingdom
Of the earth, so the. touch Of woman's
hand on life. home and government has
somehow made or ruined it,. The fact
that in this great age of the worlds
best civilization there should come a
suggestion from the heart of woman
that has been so universally, graciously
and gladly adonted by the whole ma
tion respectin~ Mothers Day. cannot be
disconnected from eternal and God-set
facts. A coed or bad woman in any
age determines all moral values Of that
see and morality determines the in
flilence Of all human activities. With.
out woman. morals fail; without mo.
rails. all things fail.
Mothers Day ia not fanciful and
Spontsneous idealism hit a substantial
and wise conclusion arrived at from the
the historic data Of the ages as accu.
rately as problem in mathematics
God and history and destiny cannot he
lightly treat ted. We. NAV not approach
this day with a spirit of mere sentimen.
tality. There must he in II national
church and civic Influences worth the
profourdest thought and wisest con
duet. The attitude of a nation toward
mother and motherhood determines
home and horne determines not only
the type of ciViliza tion hut the character
NJ every man and woman in that civ
ilization.
From Rizpah and her lonely watch
bv her dead children we get the spirit
Of the Hebrew mother. From this pic
tnre we see the love. sacrifice and f.
delity which has in all ages nreserved
whatever has been worth while. From
the humblest, cabin in the. deepest noun
tain gorge to the marble palace 1T the
metropolis. mothers love sympathy and
fidelity IL the light. ExttnGulsh this
light and moonlHss. starless, torch
less night would follow.
For our nation to get the full value
A. this wisely set day. Mothers Day
should be. first, day Of sacred mem.
ing in a dimlv LIGHTED bed-chamber of
IitH olN NOME WI UttI nf DedSluG OF my
mother as her life SLOWLY ebhed to Its
close. beld her wrinkled hand and
thought Of the many loving deeds.
lifted this hand. to my Inns and bathed
II In my tears and whispered in my
sobs. 20 mother, how, good you have
been IN me- That silent review Of moth
er's Hfe, that sacred thought Of mothers
hands made a stamp upon my being
which TINA can neyer earse. 7 never re-
vert to this closing honr with mother
wrlnkled hand and the memories OF
mothers hallowed Me that the scene
and memories do not sanctify my every
impulse and desire. II mother sleeps
in some silent grave bunch of flow
ers lovingly placed on the aacred dust
will he as beautiful and fragrant In
the life of the living as upon the grave
of the dead, We cannot think on holy
things without becoming boiler. A ma
tion cannot he brought to the grave Ol
mother or to the lap Of mother without
holy and blessed memories and
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