The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-08
TIE BETTER PART OF MAN.
DR.. 2. s. Henson Pays a Glowing Trib-
ute to the Superior Worth of Woman.
The Many Points in Which the Gentler Sex
Excel-The Marked Lopsidedness of
Mans First Representative.

A great many people who were not at the
First Baptist Church last night missed hearing
an excellent lecture. DR.. p. s. Henson, of Chi
cage, eminent as a scholar and writer. and
withal a man of keen observation and great
humor, was the speaker.
He said that. having been left at perfect liberty
to choose whatever subject for the evening that
he might prefer, Re had been, as John Bunyan
would say, great deal tumbled up and down in
his mind, but had finally determined to ask at
sention to a present pressing, imperative. vital
question. He said that he found, notwithstand-
ing the inclemency of the weather his audience
contained more women than men. 1t was sc in
the churches. There are more women than
men in the world. God gives us the most of the
best things. propose to speak to you tonight
Of the woman question, delicate and difficult
question: question dare not discuss at home
1t has to be handled like can of nitro glycerine
and you never know when It'll going to blow up.
He said he proposed to consider it under the
beads of equality, education and enfranchse-
ment. First of all. as to the relative su-
periority of the sexes. This is a
much mooted question that has never
been settled, and in the nature of things never
can be. 1t is point especially difficult for a
man to speak about No doubt my hearers will
remember the old fable of the man and the lion.
The discussion was as to their relative prowess.
The man pointed ont to the lion picture of a
snan stranging Numdan lion. and asked him
20 look at that "Ah," said the lion, that was
painted by man. IL lion had painted the
picture it would have been different" A man is
speaking to you tonight If woman, it would,
perhaps, be done differently. There are things
you cannot compare You cannot determine the
relative superiority of flower and star, or OF
the heart and the lungs. Each is superior to the
other for the performance of its proper function.
God has made each thing beautiful in its time,
Ia its space, and in its sphere. The lion is the
monarch of the forest, and the licathar is the
monarch OF the deep. Take either out OF his
element and each would founder helplessy. I
think the most magnificent thing man ever made
Ia the locomotive. That is, when it is upon the
track, az it sweeps along like a rushing storm
Take it off the track. and stick it in the mud,
and it is the most ignominous thing in the world.
IL there is anything more contemplate than a
Eomanized man, it is a manized woman. 1haye
seen both Of them
There has been radical difference of consti-
tuition from the beginning. God did not create
Adam and Eve. He created Adam. Mankind
in its entirety was in Adam only. double
headed thing is a monster. Every now and then
q good man has come to my house and prayed
for the united head of the family. Every time
he does so he makes trouble God eliminated a
part of Adams life and built it into woman.
twas new life, new creation it was cutting
1t was doubtless the best part-the most
ETHEREAL the nearest akin to Deity Adam was
never himself after that He was little lop-
sided 1t takes the two to make the one. They
twain shall be one flesh. And no nature is COM
pete and symmetrical unless it. has found its
helpmate. From infancy we have felt the need
of womanly sympathy and love. The Roman
Catholic feels there is need of female mediator.
ard SO he has the Virgin Here the Roman
Catholic makes his mistake. Christ Jesus was
the second Adam: deep sleep fell upon Him
at Calvary, and forth from His side came the
life of the bride. My point is that. taking the
testimony of the original creation. we have
the testimony Of Holy Writ that the
sexes not identical, but supplemental.
Woman's body is less robust and vigorous than
mans, but delicate and beautiful Her
logic is less than his. Man prides himself great
ly on this faculty. Don't you see the superiority
of woman's ntuitiong 1t you knew everything
you would not need to reason everything out.
God has no need to reason things out He
knows them intuitively. So woman, in having
quicker, keener intuition is more like to Deity.
How much wiser and richer we husbands would
be IL we would listen to our wives intuition in
stead of trusting to our logic. And then how
often we would escape her Il told you So"
Her religious nature is more readily responsive
TO the voices which speak to her from the spirit
world, and, as consequence. there more
women than men in our churches. Possibly
one reason that there is no marrying or giving
In marriage in heaven. is because there would
not be men enough to go round. How often are
women recorded as ministering angels in the
Biblel How many kind acts in the name of
woman? Even Pilates wife pleaded with all
woman's pathos for that mysterious Nazarene.
She felt that something infinitely cruel was be-
Ing done She did not reason it out. She felt
i intuitvely.
AS to the matter of woman's education it
should certainly. in the first place, be soundly
physical. The body is the basis of being:
sound mind in sound body should be the motto
or every parent, every man. woman and child. 1t
is next to impossible to be good Christian I'M
less you have sound body. l had member of
my church who was like Hannah, ''of sorrowful
countenance;" like Rachel, "she would not be
comforted." / would talk to her and she would
go away apparently relieved. but would be
back again with rueful visage and dolefu story
One day said: Carrie, let me see your tongue.
Finally, with strange reluctance for woman,
she showed her tongue. 1t was badly coated-a
very foul tongue. l said: ''Al your difficulty is
with your stomach. You don't need a doctor of
divinlty you need docto: of medicine" She
applied to physician. and was soon singing:
ooh, How Happy Are They" There ought to
be physical education for the girls as we'll as for
the boys. have never been ambitious of hay
Ing precociOus children My father was, and
you can see what came OF it. The girls are apt
to be neglected, so that they fade like
She flower and drop into early graves
That type of beauty is the highest that is the
healthiest Let the cheek be roughened by the
wind and Redeemed by the sun. Let there be no
congresses about their form to mould them into
shapes so monstrous that they would drive a
classic sculptor mad. Let the girls. as we'll as
5he boys. have sound physical exercise.
The savage nations treat woman as drudge;
romantic nations as a deity commonplace ma
tions as a doll. to 6s dressed. We have come to
believe in the highest educational development
for woman. Let her have it. Let her ambition
have full scope. There are some Christians who
do not believe in ambition. They sing in minor
key. Let me enjoy the meanest place"-and
they get IL. woman should be ambitious for
herself and for her husband. If any man is to
be pitied above all men it is he of broad intellec-
tual culture who is linked for life with woman
who has no ambition above pork and cabbage
There is nothing below the stars that so inspires
70 man and girds him with strength as the love of
q pure hearted. noble. ambitious woman