Thomas County cat., 1889-08-22
womaN's HIGH OFFICE l

In the Building Up OF the Race Socially,
Intellectually and Morally.
From paper read By Mrs Hill at
the recent woman's suffrage meeting in
Polk County, Ia, the following is
taken:
MANY of US are coming to life's
work with here little and there lit
tie, and with line upon line and precept
upon precept in such way that we
feel that we are but searchers after the
pebbles Of truth that lie scattered all
along our pathway. And we gladly
toll on. while we grid up the loins OF
our faith and trust, remembering that
he who goeth forth with humble. rev.
erent spirit, sowing beside all waters.
shall in due time rejoice in harvest
of blessing. He that scattereth the
seed may not always bear the golden
sheaves, the harvest will appear, to be
garnered in that way. and by whom the
Master may see hath need of such.
The demands and phases of life which
appear to-day are SO many, and the
needs of our common humanity SO
pressing. that it is not easy to decide
when to lend a helping hand or in what
direction to seek for truth. But as
] can look back with some capacity
of observation for at least half GEN.
tury, / can not but see a marked ev-
idence of the higher general intel
ligence and a greater aptitude for
looking upon things as they are. and
can see in the last few years, in most
marked degree. the presence of de-
sire to see the right and do it for rights
sake, and not merely because it is pO-
litic. And to how many Of us there
comes the still small voice. '.Do your
part" and for what are we to seek, and
for what end strive? And though we
may do but little. let us even have the
high consciousness of having tried to
lift up fellow man, and promoting his
advancement in all that is noble and
enduring. We may not reach the pin
nacle of our aims. but to woman as
such; and to those of us who are moth
ers there comes large opportunity to
lay foundation stones and to plant right
principles in the formation of charac-
ter in the minds of those under infiu.
ence. How truly the lion and lamb lie
down together in our hearts. and one or
the other will lead us. We may feel
that we inhabit temple whose lower
stories are open to the coming and 60
ing of all that is right and holy, but
whose upper stories are open toward
the heavens. This character building
may be done by little things, and in
only one doing at time. The storms
and winds develop the golden fruit as
well as the sunshine and the shower.
The wide mouth of the Amazon is the
result of storms and SHOWS of thou
sand winters. Thus life should grow
pressed by the momentum and majestic
flow of days long since gone by.
1t is ours to educate the rising gen.
Grafton and we can not shirk our duty
if we would To woman has come the
first and highest opportunity and trust.
Let her look well to her high calling.
In the history of the past she has held
honorable mention. When the elder
Adams was asked who conceived the
idea of National independence. and was
it you, or Franklin or jefferson. he
replied that in teaching district schools
In Massachusetts, and in boarding from
house to house, he heard the many
questions of the colonies discussed, and
some plans as to a remedy which culmi-
mated in that one idea, and it was the
pluck and the vim of the women of
that period that moved the arm of
those who went forth. in that long rev.
olutionary struggle, ready for liberty
Or death. And this full liberty is not
yet attained. We can not fail to see
that it is progressing. As the contin-
ual dropping of water wears away the
stone. and the successive strata of rock
builds the mountain height, so perse-
vering labor gains our ends. 1t marked
out pathway in mid ocean and leveled
the forests for the new world, and gave
us all the great inventions of our time.
So 1t is with character and al of the
great concerns of life. Realms of in
finite truth open from above us all.
inviting us to behold and wonder and
attain.
Many of the educators and speakers
On our commencement platforms have
kindly alluded to wonan's sphere and
her position as factor in society at
the present day, asserting that culture
aims TO help women to take a place
among those who think and make life
beautiful. and that society needs the
best thoughts of the best thinkers. and
that woman's part in causing the ex-
isting conditions Of society is as great
as mans. Large-minded men and wo-
men are wisely sympathetic. The
more one reads and thinks, the more
he will investigate the great issues of
the day. We should aim at that moral
training in the theology that will give
self-control and discretion to choose