National Republican., 1880-06-01
MISCELLANEOUS.
woman,s Thoughls About womeI

and in compliance with this duty the follow.
| ing is written
| That surging uncertain element known
as the woman's rights advocates, whatever
of evil 1t contains, and whether mega
| lively or positively, con6uees toward one
| good; for notwithstanding natural aversons to
| its aims and ends, we cannot fail to recognize
an indirect good resulting therefrom, it being
| the agitation and wholesome activity that 1t
ongenders among the opposing and otherwise
silent party. There are women OF truest
worth and most genuine influence whose
lives are obscure from the public. aud whose
| influence would be far hidden beneath their
native nodesty were 1t not for the loquacious
and positive errors Of tho suifrigists.
Agitation and controversy are always neces-
sary to properly developo tho best qualities in
either of two PARTIES, or to evado and trample
the wrong by clear deuunciation of the
right. Here, wo believe, lies tue good, If any
exists, in tho bold advocacy Of woman's sui-
| frage. While we are forced to believe that
| many of tho suil'ragists, and iow, also,
oil our lady lecturers are not too feminine, or
indeed, as we would wish them, enough mod
est, and that they thereby give derogatory
character to the class of which they profess to
be Il type, yet wo are willing aud glad to all.
NIT that IL is erroneous to consider tho class
as faithfully represented by its leaders best
known to the public.
There .are women in public life whose his.
tories give honor to their name whose homes
are the embodiment of d0musti graces, d u
nifty and usefulness. or this class are such
well aud highly known in the lecture field us
Mrs. Mary Livermorc, of whom, 1t is said,
sought the platform from necessity to make
her home what it is. Mrs. Stowe, another of
whom to speak is not to be ashamed, is the
centre of a home whore domestic and useful
children cluster about her and from which
shines forth that homo briiancy so great u
part OF wOman's best glory. Few such there
are who create and never destroy the truo
dignity of woman in whatever chosen sphere
thoy arc fUund, dclracling none from the
graces of the home, while thoy endoavor to
add much to the stage,
Such rights for woman as freedom of mind,
higher education, the entering of new circles,
spheres within her own sphere, as wheels
within tho great circumference wheel, circltd
about woman by II hand higher than her own,
are hers incontestably, and destined for her
possession as her own birthright Only in the
proper use of these can she attain the superi.
ority CT her sex and of her rights. With pride
and sympathy wo can applaud the deeds and
influence of Mrs. Agassz toward woman's ad-
vancemcnt and higher education. And We
hope her deeds will convince as strongly as
they prove that woman's influence over the
world and society lies in the use of her own
rights, not in the clamoring for others rights,
aud that true" women can touch the fruit of
Agassiz and hor co-workers; without having
once sOilcd her fingers or garments by brush.
ing through the slush of politics.
Our rights, God said, and We hope woman's
life will not contradict, are in our inteIlects
aud in our hearts, through which shines the
light of the worlds homes
II these rights arc used, in them springs
forth the archimedean lever that has power
10 upliit the lowiest OF women to AN exalted
station and influence. Woman's higher duca.
ton cannot come by womans dissension. Par.
Ody, in fact, cannot make parallels in action. She
has no need of votes 10 cast away that which
she Possesses, nor to exchange all that is good
in her for much that can aud will thus be
made evil.
There are modest homes too long ennobled
and beautified by woman TO admit of any
frivolous reflections. The pnrest daisies of
chastity, the sweetest scents of roses modest.
the clingng tondrils of ivy, true and faithful.
have too long adorned and hung about the
holy altars OF honored mothers and sisters for
the thorns and briers of the rough-hewn wood
land to add any beauty or charm to its chan.
eel A divine hand incapable OF Injustice has
. drawn full length picture of noble and
true wOman-in that sense q perfect
aud ideal one-and holy lips, promo Ia
all gcntlenCss and charity and love have
addressed their slarpest rebukes to the
pride and arrogance, tho ambition aud
hypocrisy, that lead woman away from
womanhood. Dsraeli has said truly and re-
bukingly, Woman can rise no higher than
womaphOOd, Whatever be her title" Ho who
rejected the emptiness of title and us if to
prove his proud appreciation of noble woman,
desired IL bestowed upon the wito of his affec.
tions, that through her nobility it might re-
ceive its royalty, and that through the charm
of her beautiful character il might receive
some significance; he who, shadowing a
throne greater in power than the occupant,
knew from tho quoon.ife of that noble Vic.
tora how much grandcr is womanhOod with
its possible glory, than any title added
thereto. We arc persuaded that woman should
derive less dignity from any sphere not her
own than from one made hers by lips of
divine decree. While the growth of centuries
has brought changes in moral aud mental life
equally noteworthy, if at first less apparent
} have been tho changes, whether for bet
! ter or worse, in society, the development OF
womans mind, the elevation of her former
I state has become fact, in every decade
J made more permanent than by tho one pre-
ceding However, it is n sad fact, too
apparent that the purity and dignity of society
} has not kept parallel with the elevation of
woman, but has seemed to retrogrado in too
near ratio to her advancement. This must
! be greatly attributable to woman.
Culture Of the heart does not always follow
culture of the intellect else society would not
be so deficient in that combined refinement
j, OF the mind ana the heart. The great prOpOr-
ti0n of general society is made up of those who
1.-Two for AIRY nothings," giving an unenviable
name to the society of which they are will
full and unlovGd factor. 1t is full of women
who know that their lives are vain and un-
satisfactory. IL chafes them to feel that they
are the victims OF the great world-show, car
ried along by it whthersoevor it laadeth, ac-
cepting no opportunity or having no apparent
energy for deeper culture no time or vitality
for coming into fellowship with the great minds
OF the age, for communing with what is noblest
and best in human thought.
How often weary and heart.sclS in th Is
world-pagcant, men and women long to flee
out OF IT., Where is the fIllHcy of life that be-
comes thus lethargic and burdensomo? 1t is
the duty of women to find tho broken and
dropped stitches, aud again with purpose
weave them into the web of life. 1t is quos-
tion in tho minds Of many women, not sullra-
gists, ii the conventions, labor aud money
given to the retrospect and outlook upon the
right aud hope of suffrage" could not better
be employed if converted into conventions to
discuss and seek the means most effectual by
which wOmans moral courage could be in
creased, and society thus purified, and woman's
sphere in it ennobled. Tho active efforts of
one woman, a heroine TO bold, good cause are
worth more TO society in general than tho
united discussions of hundreds of sufiragists