Morning journal and courier., 1885-11-23
WORDS TO WOMEN.

"I shall venture this morning, under cover of this text, to preach a sermon addressed particularly to the women of this congrega- ton. The fecuTrence of our home festival of Thanksgiving may render the theme not in appropriate to-day. The common forms in which we open and close our letters are largely Christian products. At least I have never found expressions quite like them in the classics. know not where in all the correspondence of the aneients one may find salutatfons and messages of friendship which for purity, depth and largeness of affectionate interest in others can be compared with this chapter of St. Paul's greetings to his friends in Rome. And this chapter of apos- tolic salutations is especially remarkable from the fact that in it woman appears in new radiance. It indicates that in the churches of Paul's founding a quiet revolution of Roman society had taken place by which woman emerges into a new sphere and, usefulness x Salute the beloved Persis-a friend of the apostle-she, of whom we know only her name, and this adjective, which grateful man has associa, ted for all time with her name in Christian epist1e, a woman who, by her true and gra cious womanhood, had this title which she shall wear to the end of Christian history, Persis, the beloved. I do not propose, however, in sermon from the text, to launch out into that vast and vapid subject, the sphere of woman. The quiet course of na- ture under Christian conditions will proba- ply prove stronger than any of our reason ings or declamations concerning sphere and rights of men or women. Nor do l propose, under the cover of any text of Scripture, to bring into the pulpit those coun- sels to young girls which l conceive sensi- ble Christian mother is better qualified to give than any minister. x
 First of all, allow word or two with re- gard to the duty of health in view of some temptations of our modern society which lead to hurtful neglect of this duty. So far as it lies this is one of the first duties of man or woman. There is no physical or natural law of our being which should not have in our eyes the sanctity of religious obligation. This claim may be held in abeyance for time by some high and holy duty which calls for 8 martyr heroism, but when no higher duty of self sacrifice lays it's command upon our life it is
 
 of health It is not right tin our ordinary habit of life) to spend more than the inter- est provided for each days use by our capi- tai of natural vitality. Many habits and tendencies of society which are wasteful of the physical capital of life draw more heaVi- ly from women than men. Thus the stimu- Jus of school life, which may only excite the slower brain of the boy to a healthy mental effort, too often over stimulates the greater sensibilities of the girl. The English girl, it is said, is never a performer at school exhibi- tions or public examination of any kind. We begin exhibitions of our children in the in fant classes and primary schools. ''I have often been painfully disappointed, writes a lady who has had large experience in the education of girls, ''in the breaking down of young women after leaving school who seemed to be we'll at graduation, but who proved unable to bear the strain of after work. We may be sure that something must be wrong in any method of education for boys or girls which does not fit them in both body and mind to bear the strain of after work. As to unreasonable amusements and wearing round of settlements: It is, or used to be, one of the redeeming features of public entertainments in Germany that they begin and end at early hours. Berlin is mostly asleep while Paris is mostly awake. And Berlin conquered Paris. It is bad prophecy among us for
 
 lasses are furnished with night keys. 1 am aEinR igst now not of any possible moral mining of the strength that should be laid up for the activities of manly years, the fading of the bloom of youth which, in thorough ly true and natural life, ought to last until age shall bring beauty of it's own. The gen. eraI tendency of American life to produce an irritable temperament, it's rapid frictiens, aids to wear us all out before our time, ought to render us tenacious of good habits and healthful customs; and the young lady who may deny herself the pleasure of the too ire quent and too late dance will be repaid for the sacrifice of what after all is but triAe by her greater capacity to enjoy the sunshine of many an after day.
 The fruits of culture are none of them too good to be served generously for the common social uses of life. The social work of wom- en, with regard to which I will venture next few suggestions, ought to be regarded not as a work of the establishment or mere orna- mentation of human existence, but as work of constructive use and the highest dignity. To create home is, indeed, god like art. No talent or culture can be wasted which is devoted to the creation of a true and beautiful home. Men, am sure, whose lives must be spent for the most part in the glare of publicity, learn to value with peculiar regard the happiness of private life and to honor with sincere admiration the genius which finds the scene of it's activity in the daily creation of happy home. The talent for housekeeping is but common and prosaic virtue in comparison with the cul- ture and genius required to make a home. Indeed, some homes are made no homes by overmuch housekeeping. The good house. wife, however indispensable in her way, is but plodder, in comparison with whom the spiritual creator of a home is poet; and the art of making homes, like poetry, is 8 divine art. It is born in some people. There is no faculty of human nature, no power of mind, no touch of artists hand, no voice of song, no quickness of spiritual discernment, that may not be employed in the creation of home. To fulfill with successful grace the duties of private life, to elevate, enrich and adorn ones social circle, seems to me an ob- ject of ambition high enough for the most gifted of mortals, nay, a work of love to which an angel of heaven might happily devote herintensities of spirit.
 Any new employments or opening of new directions for the energies of women may prove advantageous, provided always that the dignity of social influence and the sanctity of home life are not in comparison degraded or regarded as unworthy the whole ambition of the noblest woman. And the work of men for the public good would be rendered use- less as a stream dried up at, it's fountains if the quiet, scarce-noticed influences of domes- tic virtues, these upland springs of all our civilization, should fail in the home-life of the people.
 To be a spring of pure influence, though hidden from the public gaze, is at least as noble as to be great wheel among the many buzzing wheels of this factory world in which men work and grind and are worn out. And just this unostentatious social work and power are the first conditions of any great lasting reform in the life of a con- munity. The speaker pointedly illustrated the necessity of pleasant home in the case of "a man heroically struggling to free himself from the grasp of the'demon of drink, whose wife badly neglected her home to speak up on temperance. Continuing he said:
 When will we learn that the sources of re- form are not in legislatures, nor town meet ings, nor police courts, but in the homes of the people! And while alluding to inten- perance let say that the protection of young men from such loss of manhood de- pends under heaven more upon the fidelity of women to the natural laws of their social than it does upon any other re- straints which can be brought to bear upon human wills in danger of self-surrender. Sta tistics show that the criminal age, the turn of life, that is, ia which the greater number of crimes are committed, is the age between twenty and thirty years. Upon this age of life therefore, as upon no other, there need to be concentrated all the benefcent influences of society. At this age there should be bound around sons, brothers, hus- bands, that network of magnetic influences ipfo