The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-05-06
"ornan's influence.

"Oman's Influence.
This is subject on which so much has
been said and written that it seems well
nigh exhausted, yet how few, even of the
female portion of community, realize that
th'y do, or can exert any important infiu.
ence on the character of society-or give a
thought to the subject of that influence.
whether it is for gsod or for evil. Few
women have enrolled their names among
those Of the leading spirits OF earth,--man
has usually been the instrument in the
hand Of omnipotence Of building and over
throwing empires and deciding tho destinies
OF nations. To man alone are We indebted
for most Of those discoveries in science
which have so materially altered the aspect
| of the world, and man must ever continue
| to be first in all the great events of life
The creator has SO ordered it, and in endow-
ing him with greater strength and superior
powers Of mental and physical endurance
has provided for the fulfillment of his own
decree. True, history tells US of Semi
ramis Of Assyria, and Boadcea Of ancient
Britain, who marched at the head of armies
to the battlefield, and led their hosts from
victory to victory; and later, Austria has
numbered Maria Theresa among the ablcst
OF her sovereigns, and England under none
OF her rulers has made greater progress ia
| all that conduces to the honor and glory of
a nation than under the sway Of the nficx
! ible Elizabeth Russia, too, boasts her
Catharnc, who welded the sceptre of her
gigantic realm with an energy and saeacity
worthy Of Nicholas. In literature, also,
woman has begun to reap few Of these
iaureis man has worn so long and so proud
". Napoleon said to Madame De Stael
that her pen was weapon that would hi,
man, II he were seated on rainbow.
Yet all this no more proves that woman's 8
most potent influence has been exerted in
public lile--or that at the head of nations
or armies is the most appropriate place for
the exercise Of her powers-than the mid
night heavens owe their beauty less to the
fixed stars, shining on forever with dim
but. changeless light, than to the flaming
comet sweeping the skies in its erratic
flight, or the brilliant meteor that flashes
for an instant and is gone. 1t is in private
life that woman has ever been most power.
full, in moulding the characters, strengthen.
ing or weakening the energies, and contri.
buting to the happiness or unhappiness o
those with whom she mingles in the domes
tic and social circle. As well might We At
tempt to estimate the good done by the
silent dews Of night, or tell the amount Of
evil produced by poisonous miasmas tina,
float unseen upon the air, as to calculate
what woman has done ITO save, to ruin, to
curse or bless those who are brought with
in the reach of her influence" Not till the
great day Of final account will it ever be
known how many have been purified
strengthened and ennobled by association
with the good, the gifted, and the pure o.
the gentler sex in the various relations o
life; or how many intellectual and mora
natures have been perverted. weakened and
destroyed by the influence of weak, unprin
cipled and frivolous women to whom they
were bound by the ties Of consanguinity o,
friendship. Not until JEHOVAH shall have
opened his book Of Remembrance, in which
''our not doing is set down among our
darkest deeds" will woman herself DO en-
abled to see the amount Of good fruit spring
ing from faithful discharge of every duty
to herself, her family, society and her Ma.
ker; or the evil results growing from neg
lect Of those duties, and perversion of the
talents nature has given her. FL.