

WOMAN'S LONG STRUGGLE 33 



version made from the Septuagint by his illustrious col- 

 laborators Paula and Eustochium. 



It is safe to say that no two women were ever engaged 

 in a more important or more difficult literary undertaking 

 - one requiring keener critical sense or more profound 

 learning than were Paula and Eustochium, or one in 

 which their efforts were crowned with more brilliant suc- 

 cess than were those of these two supreme exemplars of 

 the grace, the knowledge, the culture, the refinement of 

 Roman womanhood the crowning glories of womanhood 

 throughout the ages. 



St. Jerome showed his grateful recognition of the in- 

 valuable assistance received from his devoted and talented 

 co-workers by dedicating to them a great number of his 

 most important books. This scandalized the pharisaical 

 men of the time, who looked askance at all learned women 

 and resented particularly the preeminence given to Paula 

 and her accomplished daughter. But their reproaches 

 provoked a reply from the saint that was worthy of the 

 most chivalrous champion of woman, and revealed, at the 

 same time, all the nobility of soul of the roused "Lion of 

 Bethlehem. ' ' It is not only a defence of his course, but also 

 a splendid tribute to his two illustrious friends, and a 

 tribute also to the great and good women of all time. 



"There are people, O Paula and Eustochium, " exclaims 

 the Christian Cicero, vibrant with emotion and in a burst 

 of eloquence that recalls one of the burning philippics of 

 Marcus Tullius, "who take offence at seeing your names at 

 the beginning of my works. These people do not know 

 that Olda prophesied when the men were mute ; that while 

 Barach was atremble, Deborah saved Israel; that Judith 

 and Esther delivered from supreme peril the children 

 of God. I pass over in silence Anna and Elizabeth and 

 the other holy women of the Gospel, but humble stars when 

 compared with the great luminary, Mary. Shall I speak 

 new of the illustrious women among the heathen? Does 



