The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-08-29
WHOLE NO. 1875.



A woman 10 the holy father went.
Confession OF sin was her intent:
And SO her mlsdemeanors, great aud small.
She faithfully rehearsed them all;
And, chiefest in her catalogue of sin.
She owned that she a tsle-bearer had been,
And borne bit Of scandal up and down
To al the long-tongued gossIps in the town.
The holy father for her other ain
Granted the absolutioi asked OF him:
But while for all the rest he pardon gave,
He told her this offense was very grave,
And that to do fit penance, she must 90
Out by the way-side where the thistes grow,
And gathering the largest, ripest one,
Scatter its seeds, and that when this was done
She must come back again another day
To tell him his command she did obey.
The woman thinking this penance light,
Hsstened to do his will that very night,
Feeling right glad she had escaped so well.
Next day but one she went 70 the priest to tell;
The priest Sat still and heard the story through,
Then SAID, There's something still for yes
to do,-
Those little thistle seeds which you have sown
The woman said, But, Father, 'twouId be vain
To try to gather up those seeds again;
The winds have scattered them both FAR aud
wide
Over the meadow, vale and mountain side"
The father answered, Nov hope shat from
this
The lesson / have taught you VIII not raiss;
fbav hac tba
Which far and vide will grow to noIious weeds,
Nor can the mischief once by scandal sown,
BY any penance be again undons.''
The CONDITION OF WoXEN.-The ages OF
muscular supremacy, Of conflict with wild ami
mails, Of barbarian wars short, the ages OF
physical prowess, when the only ordeal was one
OF muscle--belong Indisputaby 20 man. The
subservence OF woman was one OF the coDdi-
tons Of progress in those rude phases OF hu-
man existence. But II does not follow that
this will always be the case. 1t Is generally
recognized prlnclple that the stepplpg-stones
OF one generation are likely 10 become tho
stumbling blocks Of a succeeding one; and Nr.
Spencer even uses the argument OF presump
tive evidence agains. opinions winch have arisen
in barbarous age. Legouve says: The pro-
tracted subiec.ior OF woman proves but one
thing. that the world SO far has had more need
OF the dominant qualities OF maD, and that her
hour has not yet come. We have 10 reason to
conclude from this fact that it Will not come"
And he fortfes his position with the following
striking Illustration: =" How mauy csgturies did
it take to produce this simple maxim or COM
mon sense, All zen ale equal before the law p
The tardy advent OF an idea, so far from prov
ing it's uselessness and fallacy, is often an ar
gument IN favor Of its grandeur. The prlDci-
Piles OF liberty, charity fraternity. and all mod
ern principles" 1t remains for these prDc,-
pies to become still further modernized by their
extension to women as part OF the human
family. Their coexistence, with certain curious
- survivals' from the ages Of muscle, supplies
striking example OF the remarkable tolerance
Of the average human mind for incongruous
IDEAS, provided these ideas have been associated
for 4 sufficient length OF time. In England,
until the reign OF William and Mary, women
were refused the benefit Of clergy and N the
time OF Henry VIII. an English Parliament
prohibited the reading Of the New Testament
IN English by women and others OF low estate.
The male Mohammedan to-day indignantly re-
jects the idea that his female companion, as
well az himself, may have a soul. Among the
Hindoos women are still excluded from the ad
vantages OF reading and writing, ana, With a
few exceptions, the higher institutions Of learn
ing are everywhere still monophzed by the
more muscular sex. That these facts, gath
erel ftom widely separated ages and countries)
harmonize in spirit and principle, thus reveal
ing a common origin, scarcely needs TO be
pointed out; the laws OF heredlty and descent
are therein conspicuousy Illustrated, and, as
between men and women, the age OF muscle
still exists Westminster Review.