The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-01-02
WOMAN'S TALK.

What II EmbOtlles and Its Eject upon tho
Condition Of Humanity.
s'Only flock Of women met to talk"
"a lot of women's club women" Bet
ter go home and make that what it
ought to be-" Better be attending to
their children"
But, sirs, says Abbie Norton Diaz, in
Union Signal, are you aware that talk
like theirs implies thought, and that
thought-power moves the world? Trace
history from its beginning and you will
see that the condition of humanity at
any given period-its laws, its customs,
its manners, its conveniences, its imple-
ments, its knowledge, scientific and
otherwise, its systems Of education, It's
religious and other beliefs, its indus
tries, its facilities, simply mark the
progress Of thought up to that period.
Thought discovered America; thought
acting on belief sent the Plymouth Pill
grims to begin New England; thought,
formulated in law, pushed aside the old
way Of settling disputes by hand-to-hand
fights, clan fights, and knight-errantry
championship; thought showed us our
earth was > moving hall, and its place
among the planets; thought rid the
country Of slavery, thought called down
the lightninR and made IL serve our
needs: thought by converting useless
steam into a mighty power turned all
manner Of more material appliances in
to useless lumber, as witness the spin
ning-wheels, stage coaches and numer.
GUS industrial implements of former
generation, also the rescue Of this once
useless power from waste has been the
means Of peopling our vast western
world. In fact, the history of advancing
civilization does but show how thought
projecting itself into the unknown has
seized and applied this or that unrecog-
nized force to our various industries.
That thought is also a lasting power
is shown by many Of our present beliefs
and customs. Thus the thought Of the
far-of Aryans coming down through the
Celts and Gauls and the ancient Ger
mans, manifest itself to-day in our
Easter eggs; eggs having been used in
the spring festivals of those olden times
to symbolic awakening life. Even in
that very long. long ago. the idea Of
fruitfulness was shown forth after close
of harvest by the varied richness gath
cred into mince pies and plum puddings,
the fiery flame overspreading the latter,
symbolizing eternal life.
The recognition of the might Of
thought and of its lasting dominion loads
us with the responsibility Of laying hold
on this mighty force and making it
serve the worlds advancement. Every
generation inherits the results Of past
thought, is compelled to deal with re-
suits of foregone causes. Thus, we Of
the present are working under transmit
ted thought, as shown in our educational
systems, in our charities, in our treat
ment Of criminals and Of the insane.
This Is unavoidable. But our business
is not with effects alone. We. should
not accept as fixed and final the modes
of procedure which embody past concep-
tions of what is wisest and best
Thought is . living force; an active.
working, enthusing force. 1t means
progress. Thus it is the duty OF each
generation, while struggling with its in
heritance, to think higher and wiser
thoughts for the next one. Forget the
steps already trod, and onward urge our
way" The new plans devised by the
new thought will not at once change
present conditions, will not ft into
them. But all the same must we think
the thoughts and plan the plans, and
leave the embodiment Of these to the
mighty thought forces which are ever
marching on.
1t is ours to deal with causes. It is
ours to SO direct thought as to establish
higher conditions and wiser methods in
charities and in education. This is pre-
cisely what is being done.
''Only lot of women talking!" .'On-
ly women's club women But what il
their talk embodies thought vital to
humanity? What II their topic be edu-
cation-home education, school educa-
cation, rs each may and must affect
character? What il it concerns social
problems-how best to help the poor?
How best to develop the womanly and
the manly? How to treat the weak and
erring? How to uplift the degraded,
whether these are in the slums or among
the devotees Of wealth and fashion?
The wisdom or unwisdom of our present
charity systems OF mere palliation and
alleviation? What If the talk tends to
establish true ideas of successful life
better enabled to make home what it
ought to be, and become better mother
and to raise the standard Of respectable
ity? What il its tendency were to
make practical, socially, politically and
in every way, this much-preachAd and
supported Christianity which we call
ours, but declare can not be lived: or,
we may say, to Christianize Christen.
dom, now largely given up to wars, to
class divisions, class oppression, in spite
of its fundamental principles Of peace on
earth, good will among men, and the fam
lily oneness Of humanity? What il BY
thus meeting, mind to mind and heart tc
heart, each woman goes to her home
with quickened intellect and warmer
impulses and added light, and, thus
thought-ensued, thought-uplifted, il
better enabled to make nome what il
ought to be, and become better mother
to her children?
Only flock Of women talking! Only
laying hold Of the power that moves
tho u0r1dl