Huntsville gazette., 1890-01-04
WOMAN'S TALK.

WOMAN'S- IALN-
What 1t Embodies andit Effect upon the
= Condition of Humanity.
"OEly flock of women met to talk"
ga Lot of women's club women" "Bet-
ter go home and make that what it
ought to be-" ''Retter 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
though t-power movesthe 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,. it's knowledge, scientific and
otherwise, It's systems Of education, its
religious and other beliefs its indus
tries, its facilities, simply mark the
progress of thought up to that period.
Thought discover ed 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 .knightrerrantry
champ pionship; thought showed us our
earth was a moving ball, and its place
among the. plaRets; thought rid the
country of slavery, thought called down
the lightning and made it serve our
needs; thought by converting useless
steam into q mighty power turned all
manner of more material appliances in
to- useless lumber, as witness the spin
ning-Yheels, stage coaches and numer-
Gus Industrial implements Of a former
generation, also the rescue of this once
useless power from waste has been the
means OF peopnng our vast western
world. InfaOt. the history Of advancing
civilization does hut 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 lasting power
is shown by many Of our present beliefs
| and customs. Thus the thought OF the
| far-off 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 otden 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 minoe pies and plum puddings,
the. fiery flame eoverspreadihg the latter,
symbolizing eternal life. .xr+
The recognition OF the might OF
thought and of its lasting dominion loads
us with the responsibility Of laying hold
Ion this mighty force and making It
lserVe the worlds advancement. Every
generation inherits thesresults 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
lis not with effects alone. We should
not accept as fixed and final the modes
Eof procedure which embody past concep-
Etions 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. es"Forget the
steps alreadyltrod.a and onward urge our
way" The new. plans devised by the
new thought will not at once change
present conditions, will not fit into
| them. But all the same must we think
the thoughts and plan the plans, and
lleave the embodiment of these to the
mighty thought forces whichsare ever
marching on. -
| 1t lis. Ours to deal with causes. 1t is
ours to SO direct thought.as to establish
higher conditions and wiser methods in
charities and in education. This is pre-
1-risely what is being done. -
F. F.; ''Only lot Of women talking!''it SON
1 iy women.s club women" But what 1t
theirytal embodies thought vital to
Humanity? What if their topic be edu-
| cation-home education, school educa-
Ecation, as each may and must affect
i Character? What if 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
l the devotees of wealth and fashion,
The wisdom or unwisdom of our present
charity systems of mere palliatfon and
alleviation? What if the talk tends to
4 Establish true ideas of successful life
better enabled to make home what it
ought TO be. and become a better mother
and to raise the standard of respectable
fifty: What if Its tendency were ito
i make practical, socially, politically and
in every way, this much-preached 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-o oppression, in spite
of its fundamental principles Of peace on
earth, good viii among men. and the FAM
lily oneness of humanity? What If by
thus meeting. miud to mind and heart to