The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1857-02-21
FELICIANA DEMOCRAT.
WOMAN'S INFLUENCE.


posed to her progress aud ultimate elevation,
Others are drawing each cord which binds her
down, tighter and stronger. and striving each
year to weave the chains Of her thralldom into
. stronger and more lasting fabric.
While such is the case in the outer world
woman should not sit supinely down, an unin.
terested spectator, "but paddle her own canoe"
IN whatever channel Of usefulness her own bet
ter nature may point out, and never for an in.
slant lose sight Of the privileges and influence
she may possess by right Of divine inheritance.
1t is not in the outer world, amid the wild
and stormy scenes Of forensic strife in our legs.
lative halls, in the political arena, or on the
blood stained field Of strife and carnage, nor
yet in the great national scramble after wealth
and preferment, that woman appears to good
advantage. Her influence is but little felt in
such channels; she can very well afford to
leave such scenes in the great drama Of life to
be enacted by that sex whose tastes are more
in accordance Herewith, without compromising
her usefulness in the least, as her influence is
more needed in the affectional and spiritual
world, than in the political or outer world.
But follow her to the home Of her affections,
in the social world, where family and friends
gather around her amid the quiet enjoyment
Of home-sccnes, of husband and children, OF
father and brothers; It's here You see the un-
alleged purity Of woman's influence. Go with
her to the haunts Of poverty and wrctchedness
among the lonely and sinful, where the dregs
and chat Of fral humanity congregate; tits
there that the influence Of a pure. minded .wo-
man is felt, cheering the poor and toil-worn in
their poverty, and pouring the sweet balm Of
consolation into the spirit Of the wretched
pointing upward and upward to purer and
hOlier life for the SHINING ones Or visit the
couch of the sick or the bedside Of the dying
with her, and see her as a minstering angel
soothing and comforting the afflicted, cheating
the ''grave Of half its victory. and death of all
its sting" by pointing beyond the dark val
ley" to the better life to come.
Woman need not complain of the narrowness
Of her sphere of usefulness while so much igno-
renee and degradation, and so much misery
exists in the world. II she will but cast her
eye around on those of her own sex, she will
find more than enough Of sorrow to sooth, sick
ness to alleviate, or ignorance to enlighten.
Then why sigh after a wider field Of influence,
when we do not perform 1.-THE Of the duties
which we owe the less enlightened Of our own
sex? What higher, holcr mission need she
crave than that of mother or sister? Can
there be nober incentive than that OF instil-
ing into the minds Of her own children those
principles and pIecepts Of virtue and refinement
which only mother can instll? And if not
called to exercise her influence as mother,
there is yet another sphere in which she can
exercise all the best attributes Of her nature,
mean in the capacity of teacher.
1t is in the discharge of her duties in this
sphere of action that woman can give full
swing to all her innate love of doing good.
TITS high and holy calling; but how many OF
our own sex appreciate its nobleressl How
many fully fathom the sacred responsibilities
which conscientious discharge of our duties
in that capacity involves! How few here are,
too, who fully realize the fact, that all, the
crime and misery of our ripper years is traceable
to defective training of our youth, and that
to woman's influence in the capacity of mother,
sister, and teacher are we to look for the mold.
ing of society.
Yet there are many, very many OF our own
sex who are exercising the functions Of teacher
for no nobler purpose than that Of getting the
reward Of few dollars, that they may cover
their persons and their silly heads with useless
fnery with the laudable ambition of attracting
the admiration of the sillier headed of the OPP
posite sex and the envy Of their own, forgetful
that to their hands is intrusted not only the
intellectual training Of our children, but the
moral also.
O. ask to what wider, what nobler sphere
can mother aspire than that Of molding the
character of her own offspring? what nobler
aspirations can sister have than to cast
around her brothers the sacred influence Of her
own pure life? what more divine mission can
woman have than to train up men? Let the
opposite sex crafty the ambition of their more
effeminate minds; let them stand behind the
counter, Sinking aud lisping out their silly
nonsense in their vain attempt to attract our
attention or win our admiration. Do women
want such lily-fngery abortions Of men for
husbands? Some ladies will take them, but
women, never. For my own sex say, we con.
template no innovation on their rights which
their necessities do not demand of us. Mind
seeks its own level Let them deal out bits
of ribbon and lace and tape by the yard or
cents worth. Let them sell needles by the
paper and pins by the rows; the more effemi-
nate calling for the more eateminate mind
While to us is guaranteed the sacred duty of
tronino m tho neyt ,,eneratOn Of men Let uS