The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-11-22

covered some new orb in tho depths OF space,
weighed tho solitary stranger in scales. and
assigned it an appropriate place among the
sisterhood of celestial sphercsl
The domain of Science has been immensely
enlarged within the last fifty years. How
largo a share of these ample fields may woman
claim as hers by right of first discovery? Even
in the beautiful regions of the Fine Arts, where,
of all Others she might be expected to excel,
there are many creations of masculine genius,
which it yet remains for her to rival. Let us
not boast of what we can do, till we have crea-
ted some such marvels of imae aeination ns the
poems of Homer and Milten,as the paintings of
Raphael, Michael Angelo, and Benjamin West,
or the splendid oratories of Handel, Beethoven,
and Mendelshon. While we may claim as ours
a Sappho, a Sgourney, and a Hemans-those
illustrous daughters of the lyre-whle we
may point To Jenny Lind-,hat peerless queen
of song-while woman may become skillful in
throwing tho beauties of the landscape upon
the walls Of her home; yet il is useless to de-
ny that the Creator has not designed us to ex-
col in whatever great ply scal of great intellec
tual exertion. But there is sphere for which
we have been pre- eminenty fitted, and where
wo may shine without a rival. If man is
mghticr in thought woman is mightier in so
cial influence. If man wears tho triple crown
which labor, literature. and sovereignty place
upon his brow, she holds scepter, more po-
tent than his, over tho well being of our race.
If man has been constituted by his Maker the
lord of creation, she has been exalted by tho
same hand to be the mother and moulder of
mankind. She rocks the cradle of the nation.
She holds in her hands the destiny of the
world. The keys of the human heart are in
her keeping Alexander conqurcd tho world,
but tho beautiful That's led him captive to her
charms. Ahasueras ruled l27 provinces, but
the lovely Esther ruled the mighty~monarch
himself The empire of woman is over the
affections. This is her sphere, and this is her
glory In the other sex intellect predominates
jim ours the feelings of the heart. But we
ought not. on this account. to adopt the scky
sentiment that our position in society is any
the less important, our responsibilities any the
less momentous-that because we are inferior
to man in intellectual strength, therefore, wc
movo in az inferior sphere. So far from this
being true, we are prepared TO reverse tho ta-
bles and affirm that the influence of woman is
by far the most potent over the moral and
eternal well-being of our race. Her very ma
turo fits hor to exercise controlling power o.
ver the morals and religion of tho nations
She sheds the dew Of her example on toe soul
just al that period when, of all Others, it is most
susceptible to good or evil. LcDg before the
mind is able to grasp the propositions of science
or philosophy, she has breathed into it the
deadly miasmas of scep'cism, or inspired it
with the very life that gives strength to an an
gels wing and thrills with benevolent love
singing seraphs Tyre. 1t is hers to make all
the homes of earth pure as the blue armament,
serene as q summer evening radiant as "A morn
ing without clouds. and happy as an Eden -
ic har To atcb Tho unf,l, Il Iva rf rial
mind, to awaken an early thirst for knowledge,
especially to infnse into il a supreme power of
truth. as seen both IN Tho works or nature snu
the word of God. She is tho guardian angel
ofvirtue. She determines tho question wheth-
or mans mighticst energies shall prove a bies-
sing or a curse to Tho world. She holds the
rcins OF human lust. When shc throws them
loose upon the neck. woes without number
rush upon society. Woman trains the statos-
men of EARTH thus holds tho leash that binds
tho blood-hounds of slaughter; hence ii is
hers TO make them crouch at her fe't t, or to
.'cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war."-
Woman is the nurse Of genius. She is really
tho muse that bresthes the frenzy of heaven,
or the fury of hell, into the soul of the poet ard
causes his fascinating pen to drip with the poi
son of asps, or flow with sentiments that are
like "apples of gold in pictures of -ilver."
Though it is not her province to reveal the
mysteries of the natural world, yet the spell of
her influence is felt through all the realms of
literature. According To her teachings the
purblind philosopher revels in the glories of q
kingdom in which he seos no king; or if she
lifts tho veil from his eyes, he beho!ds the
"preat throne of the Creator crowning the
summit of the eternity: he discovers the mar
gin ofthe robe of light with which tho invisi-
bio ono clothes himself "as with garment"
his dilating soul gravtaies upwards with pow
erful vearnings. till he nsiinctively learns to
soar through Nature mp to Natures God"
and trace with dc,out admiration all the laws
of matter to their center in the throne Of Jeho-
vah Hitherto tho Pieran spring Of literature
has been poisoned at the fountain, and millions
as they drank have perished forever. God
has assigned to her the ligh; of duty OF clean
sing this Marah of it's moral bitterness by cast
ing into the youthful soul Of genius "leaves for
the healings of tho nations" But the highest
and noblest sphere of woman is the part she is
called TO act in evangelizing our world. Here
her influence is pre- eminent, indeed. As she
was first in trsnsgression. SO it should seem
that iod designed she should exert trans
cendat idauence in raising her race from ruin
in which sin had involved them As tho ef-
fects Of sin had injured tho heart moro than
the intellect. so her superior social powers fit
pef to eAcei ln stamping t1e pOlhcipies III Ic-
ligion on the soul Of our fallen humanity.
If il is mans duty to bea soldier of the
cross. il is to the prerogatvo of that being
who bends over his cradle IT, kinde his ambi-
ton to DO a hero for Christ, and "contend ear
nestly for tho faith once delivered TO the saints"
The Angel having the everlasting Gospel is
seen in the skios of the populous Orient VOL
come as Son of the Morning. Let il never
bc forgotten that woman plumed his pinions
for this noble fight when he was but an infant
cherub; that she first lifted him from earth mp
on The arms If faitb. and animating his soul
with the Saviors last command bade him a y
without fear upon his illustrious errand.
Our sex has not fully appreciated the moral
grandeur their position. II is time more
jnst and comprehensive views were taken Of
our high duties and fearful responsibilities
Why this pitirul cry abon; "Woman's RightsF'
u it rot token that multitudes have never
discovered the real nature of womau's mission;
that they know not the power of her silent in.
flnence in shaping tho desiinics of tho worldf
We usk TO nober rank than that which The Bible
assigns us. Enough for MS that wo can mould
the c aracter Of the statesman or the phlosp