The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-07
SOME SPECIAL INTERESTS OF WOMEN.
A Gifted English Womsn-Women's Rights
in the Methodist General Conference.
Written for the Journal.

in the Methodist General Conference.
Written for the Journal.
England sent to America = strange. sweet sur
prise IN the person of Laura Ormiston Chant
American women had heard or her, had read of
her a. one prominent In tho many phases OF
English reform and philanthropy; now they
know her in the cities she has visited a. one Of
the most noble and gifted; - an inspiration.
Although rssident of London, the Edinburgh
women's Suffrage Society, strong and united
body, selected Mrs. Chant - the woman In all
the kingdom best fitted. by reason of her varied
experience, culture. versatility and work for
humanity, to be their delegate to the Inter-
national Council of Women She also repre-
scented the Social Purity. Peace, Vigilance and
Temperance associations in all. six or seven
CARNATIONS Of women.
The ereat-erandniece Of the celebrated orator
and statesman. Edmund Burke. the gift of elo-
quence il hers by heritage and she ranks the
best lady speaker in England. Remembering
the impAssioned plea Edmund Burke made in
his famous impeachment Of Warren Hastings in
behalf of the oppressed women Of Hindoostan.
il is but natural that she should lift M her voice
in behalf OF the wropRed and oppressed OF her
sex all over the world. During :he year pre-
vious to her coming 10 America she addressed
nearly six hundred meetinRs-assemh lages of
every description, temperance, social purity,
political woman suffrage, labor-wherever the
purpose was to heip humanity.
As eloquent in song a. in speech, she has
published q volume of poesry, Verona. and
other POEMS" and has written many songs,
both words and music. One OF the little
poems in the volume was SO appropriately ex-
pressiva OF the feeling of English women to-
wards American women that Mrs Priscilla
Bright MeLaren (sister Of John Bright had it
printed in dainty form and sent il as . souvenir
to the Intern stioual Council of Women. It is
entitled, England to America" and begins:
Clasp hands friends across the broad Atlanticl
Touch ours with yours athwart the mighty seal
So that we feel the thrill of your pulses
Stirring own to cordial sympathy.
We in our little island, for our thousands.
You in your larger country for your millions,
Tread the long march that never can retreat.
We too, like you are passing from the portal
OF the dull prison of our womanhood,
Into the glorious SUNSHINE of the future.
Into the free, pure air OF equal good.
After the Washington meetings Mrs. Chant
visited Philadelphia, as the guest OF the Con-
temporary Club. the most cultured and ex-
elusive. literary organization in that city. and
women as members. Thence to Chicago, where,
under the auspices Of the Womans Club. she
addressed the leading organizations. spoke in
several Of the largest churches on a variety or
subjects. and visited the philanthropies and the
prisons. Then she came to this city, by invita-
ton of Mrs. May Wright Sewall. the two ladies
having fallen in love on first sight The best
thing OF the many good things the Women's
Council gave me" says Mrs. Sewall. 'was this
new friend From here Mrs. Chant goes 10
PHILADELPHIA thence to Boston. thence to De-
troit, filling a number OF engagements in each
city. and returning to Chicago early in June for
q farewell GRAFTON. then to Indianapolis for one
public address, the last on her American pill
grimage.
The variety of interests discussed by Mrs.
Chant during her brief visit in Indianapolis is
illustrative of her strength and versatility.
Wednesday evening she charmed select COM
pany of highly cultured and conservative people
with paper on 1.-The Ideal Woman, Brittle
marte." Thursday she addressed large gath
erng OF representative women on English
Women iu Reforms" telling of their work a.
poor-aw guardians. on the school boards. In the
municipal elections, In the temperance organiza-
tons. and in the womeus' industrial and pro-
Iective associations. That evening abe told the
Nurses Training School Of her experience in
early womanhood as hospital nurse For sew
eral years Mrs. Chant was . teacher. indeed
with all her gifts and successes in other direc-
tons. Teaching may be justly termed her profess
sion, and'she easily came en- rapporte with the
girls of the Classical School on Friday, when
she urged them TO strive after high ideals to
seek the beautiful in life" She has arranged
for the admission of her Oldest daughter in o
few years to this school.
At the Woman's Club Mrs Chant touched
upon other phases of experience in relating how
a home for erring women was established and
sustained by the jewish people In London, and
of an occasion when, by invitation. she gave an
address in q synagogue, the only instance ii 10
said, in which q woman has been thus honored.
OF all the phases OF work for humanity in
/ which she is engaged. that which lies closest
and dearest to Mrs. Chants heart IL the promo
tion of social purity, the protection of girls from
social degradation, the rescue OF the fallen wom-
Out in the streets of great cities at night in
the dens of iniquity, into the police courts and
prisons, wherever an unfortunate woman's de-
spairng cry for help has reached her ears, she
has gone fearlsssy. In all the hard battle in
England of late years against licensed vice and
the horrible traffic in childhood and girlhood.
she has borne q part Her address az
the Womans Council was with reference
| to this work. 'It was being a mother" she
said that made me come to it" 1t was fitting
then that the most striking incident of her visit
here should occur at the Women's Reformstory.
| The burden Of her talk there was hope. the i'm
portance of the individual to the world. the GER
tainty that for every ope no matter how wretch
| ed or sin-stained. there was useful place to
| I'll, good work yet to do, . self-redempsion to
| strive for. At the close she was asked to sing.
| After questioning moment without success az
| TO what would be appropriate, the little. lovely
! woman turned to the organ, and with rapt ex-
| preston, 40 il gathering inspiration from the
faces OF the unfortunate women gathered
| around, she struck the chords and began to
sing Such a song! An improvisa ton of words
| and music, it told the story Of her coming to
the west-and. the story Of the sorrowful
| women. of hope for the fallen, of saching from
| the darkness toward tho light. No one can de-
| scribe it; no one repeat it. 1t was as IL a
| strain from the ''choir invisible" had drifted
| through the parted gates.
| When Mrs. Chant was leaving. tho superin-
| tendent, Miss Keeley. asked her for . copy OF
/ that wonderful song. II cannot give it to You.
| 1t never was written -
And you never sung it beforel"
''Never"
| ''But cannot you write il for mel"
II cannot. 1t did not exist BEFORE 1t does not
| exist now"
| -
| 1t seems as though tho woman in the temple
10 causing the Methodist fathers more anxiety
than the heather. at home or abroad. The do
bate now on in the General Conference recalls
two other memorable occasions when the sub
lection Of women was as rigidly insisted upor
by the theologians. One WAS in 1910. at til.
| worlds apti-slavery convention in London. The
| call had invited tho friends OF the slave O