The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-07-10
DAILY INTELLIGENCER.
Sunday, July 10, 1881.


4 Ah CSS1y ~ HISS Aobtlc w sue, H al =
uate of the Normal Course, University
of Washington. Glass of 1881, read on
commencement Day, June 1st.
who can find virtuous woman, for
her price is far above rubies. Strength
and honor are Der clothing, and she
shall rejoice in time to come. She
looketh well to the ways OF Der house.
hold and eateth not the bread of idle
ness.
Work is the law Of our being, the
living principle that carries men and
nations onward. The habit of con-
slant useful employment is quite as es.
sential to the happiness and we'll being
Of woman. as man. There is no partic-
ular question as TO mans work. Law,
theology. medicine and al the learned
professions. as we'll as the mechanical
industries. are open 10 him. The no.
BILE lords Of creation can choose whittier
soever they will. and nothing said.
Not 30 with woman, for of all the vexed
questions that are exercising the wise
heads of the nineteenth century the
problem of Womsn's Work is certainly
the most perplexing. Probably if
these same wise heads would attempt to
solve the problem by CHANGING back
ward, to see what she. under the most
unfortunate circumstances, has done in
the past, ct the present to see what she
is doing. and above all at the capabili-
ties God has given her for work-intel-
lectual. moral and manuaI-they might
come TO wiser and more definite coz.
illusions.
Though woman is undoubtedly hap.
piest aud most successful as q worker
in her own home, it cannot be wrong
or unnatural for her to engage in other
pursuits when she is endowed by ma
ture with capabilities for SO doing.
The prevalent idea a few years past,
and quite generally adhered to yet, Is
that a woman needs but a superficial
knowledge of the three R's-reading,
'riting and 'rithmetic-possibly slight
familiarity with the accomplishments
TO fit her for her life work. Could any
thing be more erroneous. or of a more
dangerous tendency? If she is to fulfill
the high duties God has laid upon her,
she must be prepared for them. If she
is to rear and train the great and good
men and women of the next generation,
she must have the knowledge and cul-
ture. both intellectual and moral, req
uisite for her work.
In the home she is al! powerful, the
loadstone Of all hearts and the center
Of all cares. and in the rearing of her
children she will find ample opportu-
nifty for using all the faculties with
which she is endowed, and the know
ledge and culture which she has &C.
quired.
Napoleon said that the great want of
France was mothers, good, virtuous
and intelligent mothers, to rear her
sons and daughters themselves. The
French ladies. rejecting such onerous
duties, kept their children from homo.
You have but to glance at the history
OF motherless France to behold the re.
suit Of the neglect of the work God had
given them to do.
Though anxiety. care and sorrow will
be the mothers portion, she will
be rewarded by the knowledge tina. she
has done what she could, and that
while she lsbors she knows not but
that she may be appointed to rear some
future statesman for her nations helm,
or priest for the temple of Jehovah.
Her work, her teachings, her influence
are for time and for eternity.
"a fgtree looking upon figtree be-
cometh fruitful" says the Arabian
proverb, and so it is with the faithful
wife and mother; for her children will
rise up and call her blessed, her has
band also praiseth her. Next to her
home. woman's principal field of labor
is teaching; broad and glorious work
1t Is, and one which she is eminently
fitted to perform. Woman excels as
teacher, both secular and religious. A
very large proportion of our workers
in foreign lands for the enlightenment
and salvation of the children that walk
in darkness are women. And the won
derful work accomplished in this NOR
ally sterile portion of the globe has
been greatly owing to the exertions of
earnest, intelligent, Christian women.
On the other hand woman has done
and is doing work in our own land of
equal importance with that accom-
plished by her in foreign lands. The
teachers work consists in the drawing
out and developing to their fullest ca
pscity OF the faculties Of the mind, the
direction of the moral sehsibilities, and
the strengthening and control of the
physical energies, a!tuning all in bar
mony with the highest laws of God. III,
as Sir William Hamilton says, the
greatest thing on earth is man and in
man the greatest thing is mind. then
how transcendantly great must be the
work of training mind!
1t Is perhaps not too much to say that
the men Of the next generation will be
but the reflex OF the women of today.
If ell teachers realized what great re-
sponsibilities rested on them, what q
privilege and what duty they wocld
esteem IL to instruct and train their
pupils that they may be blessings to
the world and they themselves worthy
Of the blessing of Heaveni And to &C.
complish this great good for mankind
Is the motive thst determines the teach
er's choice of life work, and induces
her TO labor on the work which she has
begun. And teaching. where it aims
TO make men true to themselves. THAR
fellowmen and their God, is noble, aud
she who faithfully performs her work
must be regarded - among the bene-
factors OF the race.
The fact that thara a 90 ma a -