Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-13
WOMEN AND HOME.
ONE OF THEM WHO SAYS WoMAN'S
SPHERE IS GROWING TOO WIDE.
How To Bsthe the Bsby-The Recognized
Virtues Of the Born Nurse"-New Points
About Women In China-French Ideas
ON Cooking Utensils.

How To Battle the Baby-The Recognized
Virtues of the Born Nurse"-New Points
About Women In China-French Ideas
ON Cooking Utensils.
Il is clear from the recent discussions about
female suffrage that there Is a good deal OF
uncertainty and difference OF opinion at the
present day as to woman's sphere in the
world. The movement which led 20 the i'm
provement In women's education is still 10
young that its results can hardly vet be
tested We have no sufficient material to
enable us 10 decide whether, and il 30 in what
direction. the female intellect differs from the
male. We have no adequate means OF judg-
ing whether those special womanly qualities
which are universally valued and admired
are inherent in a woman's nature, or are due,
in part at least, 10 the circumstances of her
past life, sheltered as it has been from much
OF the struggle and competition of life. IL
must still 10 considered uncertain whether
the particular direction taken by the higher
education for women Is the ideally right one
The advance has been so rapid that we have
hardly had time 10 breathe, still less 10 pom
der and judge. But the cry is for further
advance, OF rather for more change, for new
openings, for fresh Developments
It might perhaps DO wiser, seeing that we
have done 50 much, TO be content for the
present TO move little slower, and take time
10 the work that has been already done.
There seems something selfish In our haste
We wish that the changes should, at any rate,
come in our day, that we may have the merit
and the benefit OF them. A little more eau
ton is surely needed before we take steps
which ii would be impossible 10 rctrace. Is
II too much TO ask that those who wish for
more changes should at least take time TO
formulate what is their conception of wom-
ans share in the work OF society! | have
been told that the only way to decide this is
TO open everything TO woman for which ma
ture has not obviously untitled her. This
suggestion, for Christians at least, has one
decided objection. There is nothing in the
nature of women to unfit them for holy or
ders, but we cannot imagine that any Chris
tian, however advanced an advocate Of WON
ems rights she may be, would wish to see
women as priests. Nature does not, there
fore, seem to be an altogether safe guide in
this tangled question. l should like to ask
my fellow Christians whether revelation has
not something to say TO us on this subject
The old story Of the creation of woman
tells us that she was made as helpmeet for
man. doubt whether modern claims have
views about women are well known, but
they are, as a rule, dismissed with some re-
marks about the nature of the times or
statement that st. Paul did not appreciate
women-was a misogynist, in fact. Yet even
he had valued women friends-Priscilla,
Phoebe, Lois, Eunice. st. Peter was mar
ried man and lived with women round him,
and he had found out that the ornament of
women was "a meek and quiet spirit" The
political platform Of the Nineteenth century
does not, somehow, seem akin to the meek
and quiet spirit.
fancy that have seen in America among
the best women n better ideal Of woman's
sphere than is often to be found in our own
country. / seem to have noticed there some
gltmmerings Of an idea that women should
regard it Us duty To bring sweetness and
light, intellectual as well as moral into the
lives OF their male relations and friends,
and that with that object each woman
should aim at making herself as com
plete character as she could II we
wOmsn would only take the trouble to be
something, To have a character, to have in
tsrests, 10 have ideals. TO have true religion,
who could say where our power would stopi
But no, we want our rights, we want TO
make a noise, we want to be OF consequence,
NSAo hllaiu Nuht OuI opinions are not SUI
tciently valued, we clamor for an appre-
ciable test Of our influence.
The gospel teaches US different lesson
Ii would be well IL We could content our
selves for a time with bringing the fruits OF
our improved education, Of our enlarged op-
portunities, TO bear upon the duties imposed
upon Us within our old sphere and those
others which are intimately connected with
it. Meanwhile we might well study, with a
little more care than We have hitherto done,
what are the peculiar characteristics OF the
female intellect Too much time has been
wasted In the desire 70 prove that 1t Is the
same or equal TO that OF man. II we believe
that the fact that the world is peopled with
beings Of different sexes spot due TO chance
but to the will Of the Creator, We are bound
TO believe that he has appointed work of diff
ferent kinds for each sex. We cannot be-
heve that in the revelation he has given Us
he has left US without guidance in the per
picking task Of how this work is TO be appor-
tioned.-Louise Creighton in Guardian.