The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-11-11
A FALlOW FIELD.
By an Ex,chsysnne Lady Now in Omaha.
r OF THE LEADER:

A6Z
To the ES$tor OF THE LEADER:
Oliver Wendell Holmes, in speaking
of the number of academies, Institutes,
colleges and high schools in the United
States, in which the standard of schol-
arship is low, though the catalogue of
facilities and accomplishments Is al
most unending, pronounced them a
subject for congratulation, even though
their teaching is shallow. In this age
of incessant striving for wealth, boys
are apt 20 be pushed forward into a
business life before they have had even
this slight foundation for culture, and
it is upon the girls that DIR. Holmes
POUNDS his hopes of a broad diffusion of
the refined arts, and elevating knowl-
edge, and this is certainly a suggestive
and fattering thought to m She
is conceded to have a moral influence
on father, brother and lover. Her Lowell
how often has it lasted as long as life
itself and made death beauti-
full. 1t has glori6ed history. 1t has
been the very essence and the inspira-
tion of all noble songs, the theme of
poets, the hidden strength, the invisi-
bic shield of the patriot; her faith sus-
tanned martyrs, and her truth upheld
nations. To women Eden first bloomed;
to her arms descended the God child;
before her fearful. eyes first appeared
the risen Lord.
There is now much said about the
mission of woman There are many;
but very little thought is given to the
mission of woman in society, and it
is n of much Importance. We have
the butterfly society woman, whose
shallow brain might probably rattle
in a mustard scotland others whose
chief pleasure in life is to run inn
to see their neighbors or acquantances
to gossip, first of themselves, then of
course, my hired girl" When those
subjects are exhausted, their CONVERSE
tion soon drifts upon some unfortunate
sister woman, who is dissected and burn
ed at the stake-morally speaking-es-
pecially if they have done some deeds
themselves. That would be an additional
incentive to pile up the fagots higher in
order that the smoke from some other
woman's m~artyrdom may obscure their
own past or present immorali-
ties. When two or three are gathered
together to Islander those who are alb
sent, let n voice speak and ask,
"Canst thou cast -stonesP" Do we
not each and all live in brittle houses,
easily shattered, some skeleton In each
household past or PRESENT.
II you have been a hired girl, do not
Islander your n~eighbor because she was
one, thinking your history has been
forgotten and hers not.
Oh, woman, this is not your mission.
You must read more, think more and
write more, thereby improving not only
yourself but your acquaintance, by
the interchaDging of intellectual ideas,
which will bring a purer and truer hap
piness to each household; for Unto
the pure all things are pure" Let the
mingling of the current of thought, the
attractions Of mind and body, bring
into play the strongest qualities and
emotions, as the magnetic pole draws
the needle to itself, and this, lone in a
time Of leisure and relaxation, when
mind and heart may give themselves
up to the finer feelings, is a powerful
factor toward the refinement and en-
joyment of the race.
Women, who are the high priestesses
in the religion of heart and social feel
ings, unfortunately have too little APP
probation of their powers and POSSIBLE
ties of accomplishing an intellectual
intercourse among themselves.
Woman should aim to reform the
standard of morals, to refine the asso-
citation Of the sexes. Intellectual aspi-
%rations and sympathy is the field OF Ia
Dor for society, especially our western
society. Can any n question that
this field is a broad one? That its
products would be most useful and
that it lies wofully fallowP
"Behold how good and how pleasant
1t is for brethren 10 dwell together in
unity. S. p.