WOMAN WITH A CAPITAL W.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 4871, 24 January 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

WOMAN WITH A CAPITAL W.

(By Paul Blouefc.)

“Where is the woman?” exclaim all Judges when a criminal is brought before them. “Whore' is the woman?” ask all inquirers who wish to explain tho history of nations or tho romance of souls. When, a sculptor has made a fine statue or a painter has surpassed himself, where is tho woman? When a poet has written inspired lines, when a hero has won a battle, whore is the woman ? The chief of Olympus is a man, but what ones Apollo do without the nine muses? Well, all women .are muses, muses that inspire passions, noble exploits, crimes, heroism and cause happiness or misery. If the first apostles conquered tho world, was it not that they were tho Knights of tho Virgin? St. Paul explains the sanoitity of St. Jerome, and Mine. Guyon explains Fenelon, as the Marchioness di Pescari explains Michael Angelo. From Eve, who did not love Adam sufficiently, and- Zulieka, who loved Joseph too much, empires and men have been ruled at tho will of woman.

Tho liast and the West fought for Helen, a widow of five husbands. Itcioulcs was conquered by Omphale, Artony tamed by. Cleopatra, and Dante inspired by 'Beatrice. It was not Hiram, but Bailkis, who built the temple of Jerusalem; it was tho widow of Ninus who erected Babylon, and tho courtesan Tiiais who burned the palaces of Persepolis. When the Marohionness of Pompadour throw up her slipper as a sign of war, all tho armies of Europe bivouacked for seven years on tho battlefield. Judith killed Samson. Charlotte Corday killed Marat; Franca was twice saved by women from tho English, by Jeanne Hachetto at Beauvais and by Joan of Arc at Orleans.

Catherine of Medici caused the terrible massacre of St. Bartholomew. Can wo pass over Mary Stuart, the bloody Mary and her burning stakes; Elizabeth, that great vestal of the West; Catherine of Russia, who ruled over Voltaire; Mine, do Stael and the sleepless nights she caused Napoleon the Great to pass; Mme. de Sevigno and Mme. Racamier? Are wo not struck with awe at the sight of Mnjc. Roland on her triuinplual soalfold or La Valliere in her illustrious solitude? Every King of Franco ruled through his wife or his mistresses. Instead of asking: “Where is the Woman?” when I read the history of the world, I have a good mind to ask: “Where are the men?” Mme. do Girardin once exclaimed: “AH women are clever except blue stockings.” And so they are. There is more keenness of perception in the little finger of the most ordinary woman than in the whole body of many a male genius. Woman is the last work of the Creator . After malting the worlds, the giant animals, the eagle and tJie .jion, He made man. Then He made woman, took a re.st, and contemplated His work. Names have heen given to things express their nature. Adam sign in es earth and Eve life. Between. God and man there is woman, as there is light between heaven and .earth.