Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-04-27
firssihe Climbing,
From the Intelligencer.
Female Influence.

There were three Mary's whose names
are closely connected with the life. of Christ.
Dne was his mother. One dwclt at Mag
dala, aud hence universally known as the
Magdalene. The other at Bethany she
was the sister of Martha, and of that Lazs-
rus whom our Lord raised from the grave.
The lives of these women have been worth
more to their sex, and to the world, than
the proud career of Queens. Last at the
cross and earliest at the grave, they present
an example Of Female piety which travels
along the ages as a precious memorial
wherever the gospel is preached. Arthas
attempted to declincate their features
Poetry has celebrated their loneliness. His
tory has embalmcd their acts, and Religion
has copsccrated their example. Ready as
the world is, and always has been, to admire
the charms of beauty, and to applaud the
achievements of female heroism, yet the
chronicles of time have no names more IL
.~lustrious in the catalogue of female worth,
than the names Of that happy Mary who sat
at the Saviour's feet to choose that good
part which could not be lost, and of that
faithful Mary Magdalene, who prepared spi-
,ces for the burial of the Saviour, and
watched all through the night, until the
Resurrection morn should dawn, and the
body Of the Risen Christ come forth to
meet her.
Why are these Mary's thus canonized in
all churches! Why does the music leap
into lyric ecstacy at the mention of their
names, and the painters art rise to a celes-
,tial height when it seeks to portray their
gentle faces? And why does every true
woman's heart throb with s%istcrly love,
when she reads of the blessed woman who
changed the meaning of Mary from its
original Specification of bitterness, into
beauty and purity? There must be a rea-
sou for this. Weknow why we admire the
Ccnious, of sSappho, the patient hcroism of
Zcrcbia, and the patriotic enthusiasm of
Joan D'Arc. We can give a reason for
our detestat;on of Jezebel, and our shud-
dcring horror Wien the name of the vile
llcrodias iA, mOntiantd. Now, it Outlines
happens, tlat women and men arc raised
into conspicuous honor, not because of their
intrinsic worth, but because of their acct
dental or proyidential surroundings. But
this cannot be said of the Mary's. w
don't know who their friends were
whether they belonged to the aristocracy
or the democracy-whetter they wer,
rich or poor. We know nothing of thes,
things. We know their humility, thei
fidelity and their devotion; and Just be
cause we know these, to have been thei
reigning traits of character, therefore W
know that in honoring them we honorthese
whose highest and noblest virtues they S
we'll exemplfed. To their possession c
these three traits, we ascribe the lasting
wonderful, and perpetual influence of thei
names, wherever the gospel comes to crow
woman with its p%nrities, and to consecrat
her influences for the worlds veal.
Woman, the complement Of man, tn
angel ordained in Edent to be his help-met
and his CONSIDER woman, who shapes tn
future of our days. and throws around til
cradle the drapery of celestial truth, or til
foul mists Of unhallowed passion; woman
who, with seraphic voice allures 10 HEAVIER
or with syren song leads her guilty victim
down to the gates of death woman tn
Priestess who ministers at the domestic a
tar, and offers there either her own heart
pure sacrifice of love, or the leprous abon
nations of a polluted mind woman VII
in every age bias mapped the march of CT
i~lization, by their virtues upward, or her '
ces dopnsoard woman, who, in the cons
Grated body Of Christ loses her sex only
become a little lower than the evangel
life-how can we reflect upon her infuen
otherwise than with the deepest seriou
ness, and prayer for its conservation
Christl Exalted as woman is by the or
.er Of Christian truth, it is still tspbe fear,