The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-09-14
ASHLAND ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO. WEDNESDAY MORl

teachings accord with the sense of right which
our Greater has given to each Of us. The Bible
is doubtless good book, but not exactly adapt
ed to the necessities of our enlightened age.
At this point our conversation interrupted
by a summons to breakfast. Here no audible
thanks were offered to Our Father in Heaven
for his unmerited goodness, and afterwards [
listened in vain for call to the domestic altar.
During the morning meal was several times
startled by what appeared to my unpracticed
ears fippant and disrespectful remarks from
my cousins to their mother.
My aunt retired from the breakfast room
directly to the kitchen, as 1 afterward found
was her usual custom, where she was laborious-
y employed nearly the whole day in directing
and assisting their only servant, while her
daughters separated to amuse themselves as
best suited their own fancy. This morning
was spent in assisting me to unpack and ar
range my wardrobe ard in making various OBJ
servations and comments upon it, which tend
ed not little to abate my former pride and
satisfaction.
At dinner uncle announced to his family that
Mrs. Lucy Stone would lecture that evening;
and many and loud were the delighted excla-
nations which followed. With curiosity wide
awake, accompanied my cousin to the lecture
room, and for the first time listened to an ad-
dress upon the subject of " "Woman's Rights"
Never before had I realized her degraded posi-
ton, classed as she is among paupers, idiots,
and crazy men, and with them denied the right
of suffrage-obliged at her marriage to assume
the name of her husband, and henceforth to
be known only as belonging to him, called his
helpmeet, not his equal-obiged to promise 10
obey him, and verse than all, to cleave to him
until death, and even then to be called his
''relict''-the piece left behind of the body in
which she had been merged Oh! it was de-
cicdedly too bad, and then to be obliged to re-
main for the most part at home, and attend to
the monotonous and uninteresting routine of
duties, which usually devoive upon wives and
mothers, when it is an undeniable fact that
thousands of women are born with the natural
ability to shine rulers, statesmen and poll
ticians-to make brilliant stump orators to
distinguish themselves in the learned profess
ions, &c. For the first time 1 discovered that
men, without exception, are tyrants, and wo-
men their much abused and too long suffering
victims. To be sure it did cross my mind
that God gave woman to man to be ga help
meet for him''-that Solomon commanded, in
beautiful language, the dilligent and useful
wife who looked well to her own household
'Eand ate not the bread of idleness;" and that
st. Paul had directed christian women to be
keepers at home, good, obedient to their own
husbands" &c.-but then my cousin had just
getting out of date, and was to be received on
ly as it corresponded with the ''inner light"
with which the Creator has endowed every one;
and also with the superior light of the nine
teehth century. A new light truly had dawned;
but only just dawned upon my darkened mind.
l was destined in very short space of time to
hear many other moral truths, wonderful
and important, of which had never before
dreamed / soon learned that the teachings OF
the Apostles should not all be>feceived, be-
cause they sometimes spakeas men; that many
parts of the Bible were> adapted only to the
time in which tleyJuere written and that even
the precepts ,of~fhe "Great Teacher" himself
should~be carefully weighed, before received,
tosee if they corresponded with the sinner light"
the natural sense of right and justice. l
learned also that there are no such things as su-
periors. We are born equal, and consequently
to talk of reverence and submission absurd.
Parents may as well obey their children chill
dren their parents-and better, because, as ev-
cry generation grows wiser, of course children
are wiser than their parents.
This principle sorry to say, saw daily
exemplified in my uncle's family. But to emu
merate all the astonishing things l learned in
the short space of three months, which was the
length of time resided in the enlightened and
highly favored town of Celestina, would be i'm
possible.
The days were mostly devoted to reading the |
various publications of tie times which related
to the great subjects of reform in religion and
politics, and every evening to attendance upon
lectures on Spiritualism, Mesmer-
ism, Aboltioni:m, Womans Rights, Children's |
Rights, &C., &c. Butstrange to say, all my nc |
cessions of wisdom instead of increasing my |
happiness, seemed to have tendency to make |
me feel misanthropic, ,sullen, and unhappy; so
that after while began to feel an uncontrol-
able longing for home. My parents consented
gladly to my request to be allowed to return,
and l soon found myself much wiser than my
brothers and sisters and even than my parents !;
but the influence of the Christian and Bible
principles, which 1 saw daily exemplifed in
their quiet, useful and happy lives, gradually
dispelled the illusions thrown over my mind by
false and sophistical teachings. And when I
the peace and order and real happi-
ness of our own home circle, where the Bible
was daily read, and appealed to as the only stan
1ard of right, where my Father and Mother
it their best earthly privilege TO be
5ne IN name; IN feetrng, ana m interest, and
each in their own sphere to promote the CON-
fort and happiness of each other; where the
children loved, reverencad and obeyed their
parents and were "kindy affectionate one to
another" with the turbulence, the disorder,
The unhappinessofmyu uncle's household, I could
not but acknowledge that "Godlincss is profta-
BILE for this life as well as for the life to come"
n.