The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-03-16
A HIGHER GRADE.
ADDRESS OF MRS. L. J. RITrENHousE BEFORE
THE woMAN's CLUB AND LIBRARY Asso-
CITATION, MARCH 9TH, 1884.

1
tous question shall we establish for our
city a higher grade; fiji it up solidly with
earth, till its streets shall rise proudly above
the highest mark ever reached by the high
est waters2 Or shall we continue on as
now, brave, self.asserting, boastful even,
when the rivers are flowing along quietly
within their banks; letting the hours pass
by in which it is possible to fortify our
selves against danger, without lifting a
finger to avail ourselves OF our opportuni-
ties; there, when the floods are upon us,
and the time for successful labor has pass
ed, trembling in terror IN our beds at night,
and arising from uneasy slumbers to 60
forth to days Of nervous apprehension
You, who have passed through the trying
times of the last two years, have decided
the matter for yourselves long ago, have
no doubt II is no political issue, in which
we divide ourselves into parties, and array
ourselves vindictively against each other,
but one that presses itself against our very
hearts, because it is to decide what our
HOMES shall be; whether they shall be
REAL homes, places of comfort, peace and
safety, or places where we shall have our
annual scares, never knowing how soon the
rushing Ohio or muddy Mississippi may
cut and tear their way through them.
l presume to dislnterested spectators, it
must seem species of madness, that we
content ourselves at all, situated as we are,
| and yet our case is not without q parallel,
Are not we and all the world outside of our
little city as well, with only few isolated
exceptions, in one respect during the very
same thing, dwelling contentedly, surround
ed by marsh and slough and mire2 Yet
God and nature and science have placed
the material for our solid up building
within our reach; we have only to exert
ourselves to gather them together.
True, some of us have not the mental
strength of others. Some are hampered by
frail bodies, which the quick, energetic
mind may lash into temporary unnatural
strength, only to pay the forfeit sooner or
later, by crippled physical life. Others
less ambitious, less brilliant, yet fitted
vithal by nature to build up glorious char.
acters for themselves, are tied down by
untoward circumstances poverty, the con-
scentious performance of monot-
onous duties that fret and
wear away the more intellectual
part of the being; or the constant care Of
of those, who, from old age or extreme
youth, are untitled to care for themselves.
These are all things which make it bard
for US to raise ourselves to a higher grade;
so hard indeed, that many of US sit down
despairingly, and say we can not even
attempt it; that if the slush and mire are
soiling our feet, and the rivers of ignorance
threaten to rise and flow over US, we cab
not avoid it; we are no longer builders,
architects, but humble burden
bearers. Burden-bearers we must
all even be, 80 long as
the spirit of love and usefulness reigns
within our bosoms, but we need not sit
down and let the deluge sweep over US.
We can build little every day, even
though it be SO little that, like the growth
of animal life, it may not be perceptible as
we try to see it from hour to hour, yet
none the less the work may be ever going
on.
Look at the coral insects the great
reefs, like mountains rising out of the
depths CT the ocean. Were they built in a
dayl Were great pieces of coral heaped
spray upon spray, till in little while the
mountain-like pile challenged notice and
admirationl We know to the contrary.
We know how the minute particles we're
patiently and carefully deposited, and the
solid growth went on--slowly, but ever on
and upwards.
Just so it may be with our intellectual
lives, if we will do so. am speaking now
more especially of women, of course, though
high grade of character is something not
bounded by sex-not masculine, not femi.
nine, but attainable by all.
But what l want to talk over and think
over with you to-day, is the raising, or
building, or filling the lives of women up
to higher grade. When we shall have
succeeded in doing that, the very force of
example, the power of the purer and
sweeter and more elevated home and social
atmosphere, will force the men upwards
too. They would not SIT in the valleys,
with their wives, daughters, sisters and
mothers on the mountaintops.
How shall we 60 about this, with our
busy hands already full to overfowing9 1t
r,,et ,,o,t &c nc mn by l;ttloa. by