Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-03-19
MIS-. Cl.vel. .na,s Keesur..

The following Is from The EvangeliB
Of June 28, 1888: The great address o
the commencement Cat Elmira Femal
Oolledge) was that before the alumn ID
by Miss Elizabeth Cleveland, sister o
Gov. Cleveland. This was 30 goot
that we give our readers full alb
stract. She somewhat resembles Ann,
Dickinson In looks, but her delivery
was very effective. Her subject wa
'sAltruistic Faith" and for her illus
tration Of this she took Chedidjs, tn,
first wife of Mohammed, who was rich
. widow, and much older than he whei
she married him.
When asked why he did not in latel
years put her away and take younger
wife, he replied that he loved her bes
because she believed in him when al
men despised him. This was the fer.
vent, effectual faith of one soul in an
other. 1t was her faith that wrought
out Mohammed. There Is faith In God
In self, and in humanity. The frs
produces the others. Give this full
growth and the others will have full
sweep. Our creed should be enlarged
to add to believe In God, the Faith
er," believe in myself, or in you.
This threefold faith should be taught.
Faith in others is faith in humanity
frat In the abstract and second In the
concrete. The first in that general al
titnde OF mind which ID hopeful and
expectant of humanity. 1t looks to a
goal Of final good. 1t Is not Tessimistic.
| Z believes that life Is worth living in
finftely, and infinitely worth saving.
But 1t IN ust not stop with the abstract.
Life Is laid out IN definite door yards.
A whole milky way of generalities
may not give rushlight TO any human
being. 1t must touch humanity In the
individual IL for good. 1t must look
into almshouses aud asylums and
prisons and the darkness of the cities
night.
The faith which believes In another
does not require negatively, first, that
Its professor be female, yet 1t |,
oftener found in q woman than In q
man. Men believe in themselves, and
are occupied with themselves. Second
this Ia not inseparable from the bonds
Of matrimony. But she would have o
woman moderately married. She need
not be a buttonhole bouquet to man
nor be dead In love with him. They
may have faith In each other. Third
1t IL not hero worship; 1t will serve, but
not worship.
II believes that he can ba and do one
thing. This was illustrated by Mrs
Carlyle. Chedidja believed in Mo
hammed. Automatically. this faith il
that faculty of mind by which one dis.
criminates what am good for and hest
for. 1t sees that this, and no other, ID
your way. 1t discerns the ordinary and
extraordinary In you. 1t divines you,
IL appreciates you, whence this faith ?
IL is the gift of God. Chedidja is q
Theodore Miss Cleveland did not be.
lieve In self made men.
There is at least one Chedidja In
every life, Your own faith will al
times ueed the support 81 another.
This will be when all mon despise you
and you despise yourself. You will
have much hanger and thirst, and v IL
crave wealth, and health and affection
but your keenest craving will be fol
recognition to do something, to be some
body, to accomplish something, to do a
good piece OF work, 10 do your best. L
may be at housekeeping, or dressmak-
Ing, or in literature. or in art. 1t Ia IL
you, and 1t ought to come out. YOr
all have human testimony to this
Some one will say to you
"Go on and you will conquer" Yor
may listen to and obey that voice. Sh'
despised acknowledgements. You car
get along alone, but you have no righ
to get along; you were born to show no
how little, but how much you can do
We want more life and fuller, and nee,
all the help we can get. Men woul,
fail but for Chedidjas. She would max
a new classification of mankind, ant
divide them into boosters aud boosted
The boosters are the important, and d
the most good. 1t may be well to boos
man, but better to boost q woman
Be Chedidjas and do the thing next t
you, and by your faith assist others
| Altruistic faith Is most reasonable.
This abstract will give but q fain
idea of the thoughtful and practica
character Of the address.