New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-04-02
STRAY SKETCHES.
LEAVES FROM A LECTURERS NOTEBOOK.
WOMAN IN THE LYCEUM.


Cod"
Then what evidence can you advance to substahtia'o
so swecninr AN assertopi" The fact oi woman
lecturng is proof positive ~
"Why is lectunDg mfeminlnei' because IL IS
| dared question no further. wrecked on 'he o''' "
Society was soon after swallowed up by the ChaiSp dS
OF the Pulpit.
"Women have my sympathy in many ways sa'u
clergyman, "but when they attempt 10 o'e''"'o"
Christianity am against them"
.Pray tell me In what way q woman lecturer over
throws Christianity" est Paul declares 'p'' no
woman shall speak in public"
think you are mistaken; but, granting that 81 faui
DOES so decree where are you draw the linef snail
the prlma donna cease from singing T. That diner
emit"
"But prma donna is frequently called upon to speak
And how about church chorsI Chants are but one re-
move from recitation" 81 tell you that is very dllcr
ent"
"Shall Fanny Kemble stop readngp mo-
"we then. there is the actress She certainly speaks
in public. Shall she be aboshedi mo; St Paul did
not mean that"
"Then what did he meant" I" He meant that a"oman
not to lecture"
"Ah!"
Preserving that silence which said to be so excellent
a thing in woman, withdrew to consult st. Paul. AND
what did l find
speak y commanded to be under Obedience as
also saith the law"
they spyhng let them ask their husbands al nome
for II 5 a shame for to speak in the church"
What II to become Of the wretched women VINO nave
no husbandsi And what shall done with the Quakers
What punishment shall be meed out to such sinners as
Elizabeth Fry and Lucretia Motif "As also satin the
law" This the law of A. ID. 49, II there be no suc
law nOw where lies the force OF this inuncion DO any
other Corinthian laws prevail to-day! But PAU seems
to contradict himself for in this same epstle nc say
"eyery woman that prayeth prophesleth rhc0e1e"'
dshonoreth her head" Women are allowed to pray ana
prophecy prorded their heads covered schnrches
are the most appropriate places for prayer and prophes
even women OF Cornth have ignored the laws. AT
the worst, however St. Paul says nothing about occurring
/" Women shall keep silence in the churches! Renewed
beyond expression at the expcitness OF 81 RAUL eau
on until came to still another command.
teach to usnp authority over 'he
IN but to be iB silence"
Yet, in his Epstle to Philemon. ST. Paul says, Help
those women who labored with Inc the Gospel" What
does this mean II it does teaching and preach
ingf In that same chapter Of Timothy where women
cOunseled not to teach, women are tod 10 auofh
themselves in modest apparel and not with Droideicu
hair. gold, pearls, costly array one edlot Is ~
binding upon the other what becomes OF Lsthei'
who, when she would save her people, made herselr
sup1emely beautiful by her gorgeous robesi What be-
comes OF all the professed and protesting Christian
women who not only brodered hair Of their own
but unknown quantities Of that which Is by no means
native and to the manner born" whose pearls are OF
great price, and whose silks and satns are AS costly AS
the length Of their purses admits little further ON
read again, in Timothy
Drink longer water bot use little vine Tor ty omaeTs SAKE
and often infrmties'
Where o where are the ProhibOnistsi "Ah but"
say they, that was Paus advice TO Timothy who was
aing" Well then, tits poor rule that does not work
both ways II this be granted why may not Pauls in
sructons with regard wOmens preaching and teach
ing have been purely locals But how can Prohbtonsts
stand up against scrptura authority when Christ him
self turned water into wine when in the psalms we
read OF wine that maketh glad the heart OF aud in
Judges Of wine " which cheereth God and mani"
hear women condemned because OF a few words ema-
mating from Paul. and fatty contradicted by ST. Paul.
Yeti heard the most violent anti Prohibonist
argue against the Maine Liquor Law the ground of its
being contrary Scripture 1t is astonishing what diff
ference there is between and the same thing St.
Paul is easily reconced to the situation; but still do
hear of that verdict pronounced by society,
" woman lecturer unfemmne; she is disgrace TO
her sex" "van is it to say" writes Madame de stael,
" such man Is worthy of judging such a woman is
not capable OF understanding me; the human face
great power over the human heart and when you
read this face disapprobaton troubled in
spite Of yourself the circle around you succeeds finally
i'll conceaing all the rest Of the world; the smallest
object placed before your eyes, will shut out the sun "
Society," not conscience. makes towards OF all
"Do do it," said those dear to woman about
to lecture. 1--WE had rather dead, said Others
earnestly. One cannot but smile at this; for 1t Is sngu
lar the best Of us had rather see our friends
dead than have them do particular thing that
particularly dislike while there is not Of but
would clutch at the fmsest straw, rather than pay this
inevitable debt moment earlier than Nature claims
as her due. There would have been no such
violent opposition had the profession selected been
OF the stage, yet in choosing for between lee
turing and acting observation leads me to prefer the
former unless OF course there be evidence OF decided
dramatic ability While firmly believe and know that
the refined Of need not lose ota Of deli
oacy by daily contact with tho stage is fact that the
theatrical profession admits Of greater temptation
Though siddons Rstori breahes the breath Of life
into the masterpieces OF classic poets still is the theate
nothing more than place OF amusement to the yOtarcs
OF fashion. Its priestesses fair and want Of
success is not due to the virtue OF their admirers.
Lecturng tells another tale. Free from the envy, esl
ousy, and malice OF rivals in popular applause with nC
necessities Of wardrobe untrammeled by managers and
rehearsals the lecturer delivers her essay, within the
limits OF hour her check and may lead the
least exciting OF public lives There no fear Of perse
cuon from the jenesN doree. IL there is creature
obnoxious than any other the professional pleas
ure-seeker 1t is a woman who attempts to talk
with brains enough to keep her out Of mischief
is marked dangerous" And "a woman.ecturer Why
She lisa monster fac high,ul mien
As TO be hated needs but 10 be sees!'
Therefore daily prayer, Lead us not into tonpta
ton is much likely TO be answered III the lyceum
than In the theater. Let make haste to add, how
ever, that the evils OF the stage are OF not on it,
The worst stigma apart from vice. the world cast
upon is that OF unmanliness the worst accusation
the world can bring against woman is that OF un-
wOmanlless. think woman Of sensibIty would rather
staryo than live by that which conscience tells her is
unwOmanly. 1 say | think, because until fully
tested, We know not To what false gods We may bow
down There Is the pretty myth Of the crmine that
when hunted had rather he caught and killed than
cape by going through mre and soing its beautiful
skin but 1t is only myth, they say. do not feel pub
lc-speaking 10 be nnMOmalY. The nrcludlcn nrainst