Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-12-23
EYES yINDICATION.
BY wYLIE wILKEsoS.


All the ills incident to humanity,
from time immemorial, has been laid at
wonan's door. Men in lordIy style tell
us that woman's curiosity has been man
kinds ruin. In their excessively egotis-
ical verdict they forget that they he'd
part to play in the great drama enacted
in Eden nearly six thousand years ago,
forget that with the father OF the race,
ere BE had made woman, the Almighty
made the great covenant of works.
Eve was not the weak, curious crea-
ture man would have .us believe. She
was the GROWING masterpiece Of the
Almighty mind, the ''after-thought Of the
Creator" perfect mentally and physic-
ally.
All that was beautiful and noble in
previous formations entered into her
composition, and all that was needed to
make the creation a finished, perfect
work was supplied by woman. She was
not created simply for ornament nor as
an accident of the Great Creative Force.
Of purpose and for purpose God
called her into being. The original plan
OF creation was completed and man
was about to assume his supremacy
when God looked upon his work and
said ut is not good that man should
be alone; / will make him an helpmeet
for him"
Man was made of the dust OF the
earth, the same material Of which the
animals were made, but costlier and more
honorable material was required out of
which to fashion woman The bible tolls
US that God caused deep sleep to fall
upon Adam and took from him a rib
from which he made being transcend
emily lovely and placed her 10 Eden to
share equally with man the dominion
and bounty of the earth. From this cir.
cumstance we learn that man needed a
help and that the mind of man which
was to control the then created world
was defective. That man was not Of
himself able to remedy the defect is
plainly set forth in that Divine Power
after a temporary suspension was again
called into action. Man, pure as he
was, was not taken into the counsel OF
0mnipotence, nor called upon to assist
in the execution of its designs-he was
simply put to sleep. 1t is a very COM
foftihg fact to know that man was not
awake at this Interesting period and that
he did not dictate to the Almighty con-
ceruing the creation of woman, as we
might be led to infer from the patrcniz.
ing airs Of the majority Of them.
In the midst of Eden, distinct aud sep.
arate from all others of its kind, God
had placed the tree Of the knowledge
Of good and evil and had said to Adam
| lin the day that thou eatest thereof thou
shalt surely die" Itis highly probable
that Adam informed Eve concerning his
instructions with regard to this tree.
Now if Eve had possessed the contempt
ible order Of curiosity she is generally
credited with having it is but fair to sup
pose that she would have paid this tree
a visit at her earliest available opportu-
nifty, and even with death as its conse-
quent would have tasted of its delicious
fruit. That she never had such desire
and that she was content with her legiti-
mate privileges seems evident from her
answer to the serpent.
| We are told that this serpent was
more subtle than any beast OF the field
that the Lord God had made" With his
superhuman penetration he knew there
was latent in the breast of that woman,
now so obedient and gentle, power
which once awakened nothing short of
heaven could satisfy.
| Why didn't the devil tempt mah2 he
did not for one or two reasons; he was
an ambitious spirit and would not be
content with so easy a conquest, or per
haps he did not care to combat Adam 8
lazy contentment, or may be be was a
little lazy himself and knowing the sway
Eve had over her husband felt that the
doom Of both would be sealed by Ewes
fall. Be this as it may, he passed Adam
by and brought all his arts to bear upon
| Eve.
He did not appeal to the woman's ami.
mality in any one way, but, like the
master-spirit he was, went straight to her
ambition. Had he simply set forth that
THE fruit was pleasant to the eye and
good for food" he never would have
accomplished his wicked purposes, for
of these facts Eve was cognizant before.
Without a single allusion to the physical
qualities Of the fruit he assures her with
all boldness; Ye shall not surely die;
for God doth know that in the days ye
eat thereof, then your eyes shall be as
Gods, knowing good aud evil" Then
it was that Eve bent listening ear.
| Eden with its wealth of flowers, its
abundant fruitage, its fountains and
rivers, its birds and beasts, living in init
mate fellowship with man, appeared
small and Insignificant. Within reach
of her own hand was fruit that once
tasted would place her above the beauti-
ful creation about her, would endow her
with unlimited knowledge, yea with ere.
alive force itself. To be a woman and
enjoy the blessings provided for'her was
doubtless until now pleasant thing,
but to be a God and scatter similar
blessings in rich protusion, was a
grander, pobler thing. There was, per-
iaps, slight hesitation. In the fruit
itself there was nothing repIlsige, and
Of death, the penalty Of her disobedience,
she knew nothing, bnt even had she
looked upon the Sisage Of the Grim
King | think she would have risked def
ance TO him in order to gain the goal for
which she longed. Weare told that Eve
took Of the fruit aud did eat.
Unselgshness from her birth until now
has been distinguishing characteristic
of woman as seen from the fact that Eve
gave part of the fruit 20 Adam--and |
would be willing to wager something
handsome that she gave him the larger
portion. Where was mans superior will
power then, where bis superior wisdom
and foresight3 Not single mprmur Of
reproof not single word Of resistance
or remembrance do we hear. Adam vas
probably hungry, at all events, be ate the
fruit. Eve did not deceive her husband,
and il is quite possible that he was at
| her elbow during the whole of her inter-