Some Celebrated Women

Women, often debarred frorn practical kuuwlrage of certain aspocts of lile, jcgí obtain a reflected comprehenbtOU rtTTTHTtr ri-rmpith y aMr.-. Ilruvrllmgpossessed thegit't ina transcendent al dejjree; it ribrated on the chord of poetio expression in her; Juno Austin and Charlotte B con te lcd reüred lives, but they liad the power perpetually to pass out ot' tlieir circumsciubed individuality tnto that oí others and the genius to retain and turn to account the fleeting iinpressions of their passing contact witll individuáis. ïho darlingi and the ornamenta oí' society are the women who can tlirow themgelves best into the interest of the inoment. lf to this sen-itive natura belongs a native sincerity, conüdence is attraeted, friendsliips are made and retained. Mme. Reeamier is perhaps the best type ot' tuis gift of social sympathy al lied to certaiu reality of nature, tíhe attracted tho best and most giftcd oí' her time when age liad niarred her beauty, poverty sucoeoded wealth, and partial blimlness reiulered her intimi, lier salon in tho Abbaye aux Bois was still tlie resort ot' the eminent men aml woraen of the period. Öhe was not a wit, she was always suuiewhat shy, but slw hail tho wish to win lovo rat her than admiration, and possessod the tact ot' drawing out llie best gitts in others. .She hal tho genius of i'rieiulship ; her Bteadfustliesi coüld not be shaken. She inourrod exile becaus she wou KL visit Mme. de IStael against all prudent adviee. Sie lost tlie chance ol' recovering her eyo-sight because she insisted upon attending M. deBallancoe onhis death-bed, and ibr eighteen years she attendei M. de Chateaudbriaud in his ae and inlirmity. We would, therefore, af that impressionable temperament oistinguisning all sympathetic people is eitlier a strength or a weaknu-s, aocording to the character allied to it. As sympathy gives au angel io grace to virtue, lood to genius, and steadfastness to social relationships, so it can degeneiMte into not hing but perilous, over-facile sensitiveness to the paising inipressions of tho moment.