His cousin's devotion to
child and husband appealed to his heart. She seemed to be perfect of
her kind.
Africa had boiled most of the starch out of Mr. Heard. But his
acquaintance with some of the saddest and wildest aspects of womanhood
only deepened his conviction of the sanctity of the sex. Some called
him old-fashioned or quixotic, because he was not altogether in
sympathy with modern feministic movements; they called him an idealist,
because he had preserved his belief in the sacred mission of women upon
earth--his childlike faith in the purity of their souls. They were a
humanizing influence, the guardian angels of mankind, the inspirers,
the mothers, the protectors of innocence. It pleased him to think that
woman had softened harsh dealings between man and man; that every
mitigation of savagery, every incitement to worthy or heroic actions,
was due to her gentle words, her encouraging example. From the very
dawn of history woman had opposed herself to deeds of violence. What
was it Count Caloveglia had said? "Temperance.
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