New-York tribune., 1883-03-17
A MISSION FOR WOMAN.
THE LAST OF DIR. DIX'S LENrEN LECIoNi-''
WORK WHICH WOMEN CAN DO, AND WORK WIFI H.
THE AGE DEMANDS.


| THE AGE DEMANDS
The Rev. DIR. Morgan Dix delivered the CLOS
| , l,ra of bla Ienten series last evening pe'ore
! largo oopgreeation in Trinity Chapel, whioh wac ~ ~
| 70 hold all who sought admttance. Inc ie0tu -,
faced bt discour,e BIZ deprecating all animoste' n
ungentle purposes concerning those "nose s'o
trayersed in his discussion, ana then con''i . - ~
| Looking for a mission for work 10 uo-'" " - -,
titude Of many women to-day; OF many pure, S"'oS
souls Notably il may be sad to form the s"'l'V 49,, -
one Of the most powerful, tho most fasehauns' an" ~ W
most unsatisfactory books ever written "haI 'S
| Eliot's Middlemareh" but sueh DOCK '-i'7. , Ia
| hrtuant nowerful cruel and cold as the deVh anu
| deotbl The moral Of Mlddlemarch " mighV DC "'
o,ed - rho choice for Dorohea lay ever between men
of the Casaubon and the Ladislaw types-Det"een a'
without love and brains without Ialtn Du' ~
the oouelusion and scatter those mlsts Vi "lo'o
ness one has but recall certain precious anu
Visions which indeed are not visions Dut realty; 'ieo
which the maleyolent romancer hides from U.s. ou'
| vou can saa onv day and Of which would say "oru
or two hefore proceeding Look then, at the CHRISTIAN
homes throughout tho Christian iands' Where hoiS W
tues and graccs flourish In the atmosphere OF Ia'n M
| IL at all disturbed by the storms which VeA 'no ou
world. there is the wherewthal to make otner
homes as sweet and fresh as these, ana III suon
| vorh the woman who fears God and keeps his
| commandments may find her vocation amply fuinlled
ook again at the opposite pole TO this the HE OF the
unmarried woman who has given hersef up 10 her bou
In communty In the converts and reilgious housoSW VI
| our American and English sisterhoods many women
have found true and worthy mission anu I'D 'nooo
nouses there burns this bright as warm nre Oh
devotion TO God and His suffering humanity as ever roso
heayenward in what are commonly calied tne ages "
faith Dark "a the sight, cOseshut are the eyes "on
do not or will not the glory OF woman IN tha eoSe
Grated llfe But 20 to Of these houses, learn 'er
works athom their Intentions and READ tne chtdosuo
and acts OF their martyr souls and will say tnat ours
ia also nm age OF faith that beneath the habit Oh tne
Sister OF Mercy there beats as true heart as o'oi
| throbbed I'm sympathy with human PAIN anu neo"' al"
| that the woman OF highest culture ana inc raioSt
ifts finds In that life made of neyerendng activity ana
neverceasing prayer mission worthy OF her Sex III"
| needing nothing to its perfection after its Klhd'
And vet again look at those who neither in the qnet
home nor yet in seclusion OF aiserhood 40 noo'
things; women with whom In their fortunes mere on
| earth God has dealt strangely, denying them 'hen
boort'a desire yet not leaving their hearts empty nor
| their hands idle. Think OF the single women who'e
lives IN Gods sight are glorious. who have touhu
! ont WAYS OF helping others, who nave le"'"eu
| that love and sacrifice are tho greatest "olu9
| IN our language. Some by their Writings helI-
| mi and wholesome; others by devotion 10
nbuantbropc pursuts-as teachers nurses OF the SICK
visitors OF the poor and prisoners mothers TO the or
mans belpers 10 tho clergy. bcauorz OF the age Dy
their artistic skill minsteng angels IN natoFokenup
| bousehods-a these come forward and sho" us thaI
tbere IL sti mission any deyout aad earnest woman
| who seeks 10 I'm faith and patience
Such visions as these do wonderfully clear up the
thoughts and he who has behsld them knows wen what
valo Ia nut ON speculative hole writings Which
leave the impression that the womanof today mas no
career before her and her o IA that of one walking
in nightmare doubt and pcrpcxlty-ourned up WIN
the fever Of hopeless aspirations and finding he'ner
health IN the atmosphere nor help from man or God'
SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
This questlon, then, shout mission for woman-wnat
shau We say OF iti This nj first that no one Win
heart aud the ove uf God in H. and synpathy Tor tne so
rows OF the world and sense OF duty and responSiOy
need look long without finding But let me suggest
one difficulty I'm the way. There be some here pres
t who ace no duty direct and plain before them. while
vet they wish that they did who have abilities and social
po.ton and influence which they might turn To account
vet -ee to themselves o be sitting Idle all the DAY ong
To such let me that they might be hepe In ther per-
pex, by atienvey considering the signs OF the times
| and learning what IL Is that leaves 80 many women
and men with the sense OF having nothing 10 do with
their yea and hides from them the very pain by when
| royal aeods may be done. NO mission u H"o On"
which does somehow or other give glory 10 nOu vi
lend ones self aud for whom one works upward
and nearer TO God-the beginning OF our strength the
end in whom we rest. Whatever then, In the age In
ones Thoughts or IN ones fc hides God from View
a. the supreme end IA also preventing him who seeks
| mission from finding one worthy OF that name
Now I suppose that can be so blind "a not 10
see one striking sgn the present However re-
markable our progress however brilliant our trlumphs,
|
| however marvellous tho changes Of the lace OF the
world something else ought 10 impress the thohgntu
moro deeply than aught Of this OUTSIDE pageahtry OF
! material and scientific advance. movement may DO
| traced eyerywLere-a drift bearing down men, states
and races In general features II Is one ana the same
observe Il where you will force 1t varies, but ends
one way The drift OF which speak Is away from re-
ugon and toward unbeief The point toward which It
tends that which large numbers have reached ana nj
| which even now they are organizing and arming for
afstN EENN Fn
sef of the last vestgs OF faith in God, or love or
| feor ~ God and seeks to the name OF God
fror the mage OF human knowledge aud 20 Danish God
| Nnallv from society aud the world Look where you
will this portonous sign of the last days may be seem
| THE OUTLOOK ABROAD.
In Gernanv gon IA fast dying out among the peO-
ple literature art science politics. poetry music pop
mar .musementa attempt MI the void; the life OF
the student a the university of the statesman In Para
ent of the artisan the traesman Is led by the light
of philosophy and by faith the houses OF Cod are
ennty tho Lords Day j. no longer holy, but secular
,st,yal the Church. the great power In the and
"a reduced TO "A function Of the State Government In
prssa the outlook Is one which almost battles conjee
ture The Nation kept IN ferment by small ana 0D-
acure faction whom would seem Impossible 10 e1ter
inmate or even 10 intimiate. Theso agltators aVow
| tbemselyes atheists they believe In nothing whatever
hut dynamite and by this they promise to overthrow
oyerythng that exists In France we watch with pam
fnI interest the unrolliug OF programme OF atheism
The saht Ia more horrible than that presented anywhere
lsa today In Russia athelstic sect assaults gov
which at least processes the Catholic faith and
nro,eets the Church. but IN France the Government IT.
sf leads the way toward the hopedOr rejection of God
| nv IN. nation There the religious orders have been
robbed Of their property and turned out OF their homes
with cod-blOOded brutality recalling the sp0haons In
| Ergland in the reign OF Henry VIII. and Edward VI
The crucif1 has been torn down from the walls OF the
school the teachers have been forbidden even
| IN name God All things point toward the revival OF
the Horrible scenes OF 1923 ana ISL Is tG v aeHsn %