Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-12-17
The Sphere Of Woman.

We extract the following just view of
this subject, from an address delivered at
The dedication of the Ohio Female College,
at Pleasant Hill. by Rev. S. W. Fisher
The closing similitude is particularly beau-
tiful: - = = ..ssss
eThere has been along standing dispute
the intellectual powers Of the two
sexes, and the consequent style, Of education
suitable to each. Happily, the truth on this
subject MAY be fully spoken, without ohlig.
ing ne. in the prsssssssaess
fbs lsihsr Al tlhe xpenss, q the mother,
sqxs ennbble msnsby denying the essential
equality Of Woman. It is among the things
settled by experience, that, equal or not
equalin talents, woman, the moment she
escapes FROM the desp.tism of brute force,
and is suffered to unfold and exercise her
powers in her own legitimate sphere, shares
with man the sceptre of inaueuce;~ ;~and,
without tpresaming to wrest from him. a
visible authority, by the mese force of her
gentle nature, silently directs that authority,
and so rules the world. She may not: de-
bate in the Senate, or preside at the Bar
she may not read philosophy in the Univer-
'sity, or preach in the Sanctuary--she may
not direct the National councils or lead ar
mics to battle; but there is style of inf u
ence resulting from her peculiar nature
which constitutes her power and gives it
greatness. As the sexes were designed to
fill different positions in the economy Of life,
it would not bein harmony with sthe mani
festations of divine wisdom in all things
else, to suppose that the powers of each
were not peculiarly fitted for their own APP
sphere. Woman gains nothing
she always loses when she leaves her own
spere for that of man. When she forsakes
the household, and the gentler duties of do
mestic life for the labors Of the field, the
pulpit, the rostrum, the courtroom, she al
ways descends from her own bright station,
and invariably fails to ascend that of man.
She falls between the two; and the world
gazes at her as not exactly woman, not
quite man, perplexed in what category of
natural history to classify her: This remark
holds specially true as youascend from saw
age to refined society, where the rights and
duties of women have been most fully re.
and most accurately defined. Mind
is not to be weighed in scales. 1tmust be
judged by its asses and its Influence. And
who that compasses the peculiar purpose of
life; who that understands the
meaning Of those good old Saxon words,
mother, sister, wife and daughter; who
that estimates Alright the duties they in
7olve, the influences they embody in giving
character to all of hum0 kind, will hest
ate to place her intellect, with its qulckness,
lelitacy and persuasiveress, as high in the
scale of power as that of the father, hus-
oand and son? If we estimate her mind by
is actual power of influence when she is
to fill to the best advantage her
circle of action, we shall find capacity
or education equal to that of him, who,
merely in reference to the temporary rela-
iuns Of society, has been constituted her
ord. If you look up into yonder frma-
nent with your naked eye, the astronomer
will point you to star which shines down
Ipon you single in rays of pure liquid light.
But if you will ascend yon eminence and
lirect towards it that magnificent instru-
nent which modern science has brought
o such perfection of power, the same star
will suddenly reyolve itself into two beauti-
ul luminaries, equal in brilliancy, equal in
ii steller excellence, uniting rays Of differ
Mt and intensely y vivid hues, yet so exactly
to each other, and SO en-
racing each other, and so mingling their
arious colors as to pour upon the unaided
ision the pure, sparkling light of single
rb. So is it with man and woman. Gre
ted two-fold, equal1n all huma an attributes,
xccllence and influence, different but cor.
to the eye of Jehovah the har-
nony Of their union in life is perfect, and
5 one complete being, that life streams
orth in rays of light and influence upon So
iety."