The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-04-05

In til. early day of our national
history men only were deemed fit to
t ach schools. Bv slow degrees wo-
men were admitted to this Occupa-
tion, but their admission was coupled
with the un understanding that they
must work for less than half the pa,
of male teachers. ihey soon demon
strated their superiority to men no:
only in co trolling the children and
youth toy gaining their respect. affec
ton and confii nee, but in melting
interest in s. u lies and impartiny in
structiOn- But it was many wears
before it occurred to the most liberal
minded of Christian men that it was
not altogether the proper thing to pay
an experienced woman teacher hal.
as much as was deem Il proper COM
n>ation for a young man making
MS first experiment in that ne OF
| work. And even now, in many rural
sections and in not few towns and
cities, this cruelty unjust discrimina.
| tion is kept UP. 1t is, however, slow.
lv giving way. breaking down under
the force of All enlightened public
opinion. and must soon disappear
with other Oil usages tnat civll.za-
tion has condemned.
Who does not remember the storm
of opposition en- :ountere by the
| brave woman who first assailei the
! ua"ricadet doors Of the medical pro
| fessiol. Insult, calumny, personal
vilitication, the pitiless p lting ot
ridiculc-tlese We're part of the
agencies used to drive them back
| The masculine American has sci lom
made so discre, lltable an exhibition
1 of himself as he III i when he un Ter
| took to say, in effect. that 4 sick wO.
man SHOULD not have chance to get
| intelligent advice. III relation to her
ailment, from oae Of her own sex
that a mod st, delicate. shrinking
girl must in ali eases have a male
| ph, sician or 20 uncared for. This op
position is not deaf. but 1t is dyin5
for it can't live in the light of she
nineteenth century. Women now
nave facilities :Or the study of medi-
cine, an | the male ioctnrs tinl tnat
there is plenty OF room for women to
work without crowding them out OF
the fell. Society recognizes the pro
priety OF giving women share in the
work OF ministering to the sick.
O,e of the most pathetic stories OF
WON ms struggles against prejudice
is tila. of Miss Anna OLIVER, late pas.
Tor of NJ ,thotist Episcopal church
in Brooklyn-''the city oi chul ches.' >
OF this woman and Ler work the In.
iIanapolis Journul says:
The accouats in the newspapers
only outline the facts, but give q
touching glimpse Of larger hopes
which slow y faded. aspirations that
were unfulfilled, humlllatlons withou,
end, and discouragenents ending
finally in defeat. She took charge OF
the church at the request OF = small
congregation which had been torn
with factiOus AMI was at Oi,ts with
itself ami with outsiders. Agains,
every obstacle and discouragement
Miss Oliver worked faithfully. and il
the four y ars succeeded in bringing
harmony out of discord, largely in
creased tile attendance, and by heI
unaiied efforts raised morey to re
par thu building and partly remove
a heavy debt, giving up all Of he'
own salary for that end. During al
this time she was treated with cold
ness and contempt by the minister:
of her denomination. In fact, tnei
action fell little short of persecution
as they used every effort to preven
people joining her church.
1t appears that the bretheren di,
not object to Miss Oliver personally
She was modest, Intelligent, earnes
"a good Christian woman-bnt be
cause she wa, woman she had 'nt
bu mess to preach AS the Journo
puts it: NO matter how ciOquen
, her sermons. nor how fervent he
PRAYERS she was out Of her place II
their estimation, and they would no
, countenance her. She might be
missionary in some far off land am
exhort thu heathen to her heart 8 con
, tent. but she must not venture upOI
such a. course towards 'civilize't
heathen. When she did that sh
! trenrhe,t upon their own (the NAL
mini,ters) sta ping ground. Am
, then there were st. Paui's structure
on the female sex, which did not al
ply. Of course, to missionaries VIII
r went to China or Polynesia, bus the
, were emphatically applicable i
Brooklyn and to Miss Oliver. A W.
+ man shall not speak in pnblic AMI
. pulpit in that city without denunri'
ton AMI reproof from Paul's ri4 4htcoH
!, masculine disciples. The conferenc
refused to recognize Miss OiIve
i, Her church was loyal and willing t
!. follow her lead and let the conferenc
, 70, but tue conscientious woman n
!, fused to place her charge in posi-
a ton to its Disadvantage
: 1t seems to us that this is goo
: time for the clergy to wrestle VIII
r and try to get above such narro"nes
n as is here so wildly portrayed. LII
l press has right to speak plainly Q
= this subject, Tor it's doors are WI +;
II