Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-04-25
N. O. WALLACE, ]
Woman's Influence.
Read before the Fayetteville Lit
erary Society, April o, 1879.

This is topic, the magnitude
Of which grows greater as we
contemplate it. We will not at.
tempt to discuss il in all Its de.
tails, for this would involve the
investigation of the public and
private life of every individual,
and the history of all natioHs.-
Nor are we ignorant of the fact
that this subject is to be handled
very delicately, and we hope to
take it up and discuss it SO care
fully as not to provoke the wrath
of any female to whom the con.
tents of this communication may
become known. By glancing along
the history of the past, and over
the limited range of our individ
ual experience, we may catch a
faint conception of the mighty in.
fluence of woman, mighty for
good and for evil. It has never
been settled whether the power of
woman's influence has been most
productive of good or evil.
The early ages of the race Of
mankind are obscured by the
hoar mists of remote antiquity,
aud all the light we have by which
70 grope among the scenes of our
early history is shed by the legen-
dary traditions OF times anterior
to a0,itte's history. The tradi-
tions of all early nations point
back to a time when the first man
and woman found themselves in
the early dawn of creation in a
CLINE of perpetual spring, sur
rounded by the ripening fruits and
Towering groves, the sparkling
fountains and silvery streams OF
an earthly Eden. We also learn
from these same sources thai
through the evil influence of wo-
man, the designs of the eternal
God were frustrated, and his wrath
falling upon her and her compan-
ion man (who could not see her
60 alone) they were driven from
the radiant land of Paradise to
wander forth upon the cursed earth
among its briars and thistles.--
IIer influence exerted so power
fully for her evil them, has con-
tinued with undated strength
through all the ages of the past
to the present time, sometimes
welding for good, aud often for
evil. Behold how many of the
great names of history owe their
blackest crimes and acts of great
est good to woman. David, the
warrior poet OF Israel, we find
committing the cowardly act of
placing his bravest captain in the
front of battle so that he might be
slain and his vile become the prop.
erty of his murderer. Solomon 8
wisdom was not proof against the
influence Of woman, nor his forti,
tude against the power of Ler
charms. Occasionally we find
woman rising to the dignity of
historical celebrity, now welding g
the sceptre of conquering power
from the heights of ambition 5
steep ascent ,and anon startling the
world with the magnitude of her
political triumphs. Now we see
the earth's greatest general sink
ing in blissful Incidence beneath
the magic entertainments Of a
Cleopatra's charms, and letting
the world slip from his conquer.
ing grasp, and then through
woman's influence we see wars
and runors of wars drenching the
earth and dying the sea in hu
man blood. Great for good and
for evil has been the influence Of
history's heroines upon the des
tiny of the human race. While
some have caused the tide of hu.
man suffering to ebb and flow,
others have dried countless foun-
tains of bitter tears. While some
have caused nations and empires
to totter and crumble, others have
purified the morals and perpetua
ted the virtue of kingdoms and
republics. But her greatest in
fiuonce has been in quiet unre
corded scenes of human life
Moulding tn /, tender mind Of pra t
ling infancy, and training the am
bitious hopes OF youth; welding
, that secret but certain and pow
erful control over statesmen and
warriors around the domestic cir.
Gle, and ministering to the broker
hearts and wounded spirits OF the
falling in life's many battles. Sc
from the beginning has woman'l
influence continued, sometime,
on the wane and sometimes on
the increase. sometimes for good
and again for bad, unto the pres