The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-04-06
Stumbling Blocks.

When men would achieve success in life
they begin by studying the lives, habits and
modes of thought and action of other men,
both in the past and in the present. They
mark how such men steered, where they
struck the rocks or where avoiding them,
they sailed away into smooth water. They
make q chart for themselves with all these
spots marked, so that by means of them
they may avoid the dangers and seek safe
harbors.
| 1t is only of late years that women have
placed themselves side by side with men,
and there have been some remarkable sue
cesses achieved. Remarkable, because there
have been so few past records from which to
| CLEAN. But ii certainly behooves the women
of to-day to study each other, so that the
| lessons learned may be of use TO those who
are to follow.
There are tvs or three very serious stumb-
| ling blocks in our way, which il will take
much determination and energy to remove.
| One of these is a want of thoroughness in
most women. A man never undertakes 10
be carpenter doctor, blacksmith and lawyer
at once or one after the other. If by chance or
circumstance q young man is q rail splitter,
when he becomes through energy and
steady determination, the greatest in a
great Nst;0n, he leaves the trees for other
hands and concentrates his mind upon the
one great thought of the good of those over
hDOul ut 10 DldCcu W ndk
more ignoble thing can be said of man
than that he is Jack of all trades and
master of nOneY 1t is always said in
tone of derision and contempt. Yet this is
precisely what women are calling down upon
| themselves every day, by touching this or
that, without any steady aim or object, fly
ing butterfly fashion to whichever flower
most attracts. 1t is not strange, for it has
been the training of women for ages, but
think of ''the pityof it,"
Are you teaching this winter | heard
one young lady ask another. YES" was
the reply. IL have forty scholars this term.
| 1t keeps me very busy to have so large
school, for there is so much TO do at home.
| am studying German too, and Tuesday
have lessons in musical theory, Friday even
| ing | must go to prayer meeting, you know,
and am trying to do my own sewing this
winter. Have you seen my new dress? 1t
took all my spare time for two months to
make it ! sit up w'.rking until midnight,
very often"
Just think of it, What kind of teaching
do those forty children have in the day
time, and what kind of worship does God
have in the Friday evening PRAYER meeting?
| Did you ever notice how often a woman
says: Never mind?' If a duty is half per-
formed when another demands her atten-
| ton she says Never mind" and leaves the
first to attend to the second, and losses the
obligation away lightly. If apiece of work
is incomplete when pronounced finished,
she hesitates a moment and then saws:
| Never mind I'll do better next time" and
turns to something else.
1 But it is not "Never mind" If it is
worthy of your attention il is entitled to the
! whole of il. Perhaps it is the cultivation of
I your mind or the training of your voice, the
4 strengthening of your muscles or the care OF
I your house. 4 few may have some still
/ higher duty. the training of your children,
| and the molding of their characters, or the
| Strengthening OF the hands of the weak.
Whatever it may be, it demands your ener-
gies, your time, your heart and your soul
you must be sc absorbed in it that it must
be in some measure perfect before yosl are
satisfied with r.
This century has placed women side by
side with men. Now if they would hold
their places they must meet men upon their
own grounds "Whep a woman begins to
cry, then L always lay down my arms" says
the man. Is that the way we gain orr vic
tories, my sister? Do you call 1t a conquest
when you cry outfor-quarter? What would
become of a man who, when he was puzzled
how to answer an Argument, beganto cry?
Do not argue at all, unless you are sure of
your ground, and then stand out against
every thing and held your own to the last
by force of reasoning, but do not cry.
Some years ago, when was quite young
woman, l thought myself exceedingly for
tunate i'll being allowed to be listener to
q conversation between two women, one Of
whom had taken q very prominent public
place. Tho nSands had been moved by her
words to tears, TO Laughter, to enthusiasm,
! and she could swey crowds at her will.
gazed and listened. She was young; 1 was
\ younger. Everything was possible for me to
my girlish thought, even the dizzy height to
which she had climbed. And what a height
r. IL.
beyond me that the way would be long
and laborioas bssore l stood near her.
Suddenly she had a fall and came right
down by my side yet she only made re-
mark:
Are you sOingte New York; asked her
friend
YES" replied the One Woman, Il am
gcing next week hfrAy new dress is finished
bet what is the of trying to have pretty
dress? | shall only ind somebody who has
a prettier one. andthat is so vexing."
FIJI! my oOuntrywomen, what a fall
Even ] could reach that height and be in
despair over nav last new dress. have read
the name of thai woman hundreds of times
/ since, in high praise, in loud applause, in
flourish of trumpets but never without a
thought of that "newedress' upon which so
much depended
There are a few women-alas. that a
paragraph could name them all, who have
reached for a prize and have gained 1T.
4 Name them, and you will find that they
L were 50 far successful as they held to single
ness of purpose, steadfast, undaunte,S ener-
gy, courage which bore up under q thou
Gand difficulties, and mot step back ward
in the uphill travel.
These few have reached the top. and IL
We would climb toward IN EN- we must do
as they have done, looking always upward.
Woman's Influence on Social Life.