St. Paul daily globe., 1890-04-13
1<Ss---
XOMAN'S Sphere.

WOMAN'S SPHERE.
When ADAM woke from that fateful
sleep in the Garden of Eden to find the
fairest specimen of creation, in the
form of beauteouS womanhood, by his
side, he started discussion that has
come inging down through the ages
until it was caught up by the Twilight
club last evening and made the topic of
an after dinner talk. Yet we are sorry
to say that, Notwithstanding the mar
velous ability aud learning that were
brought to bear in elucidation of the
problem, it is still debatable question,
and the discussion will probably go on
until GABRIEL, in trumpet tones, shall
proclaim the end of time.
What is woman's sphere?
Woman has been troubl lesome fac
tor in this world of ours, not that she
has been disturbing element, for, on
the contrary, she is the very apotheosls
of peace, but because of the difficulty
man has had in finding place to locate
her. She has been assigned to many
positions, and it is to her honor that
she has filled all creditably; yet there
has ever been, and probably will ever
be, sort of underlined and undefinable
notion that there is yet an undiscovered
sphere which she can fit more appro-
priately and where she can shine more
brilliantly than she has ever done.
AS we have said, all this trouble about
finding the proper sphere for woman
began very early in her existence. 1t
was doubtless the most serious problem
that ever disturbed old ADAMS brain.
MILTON took very great poetic license
in painting ADAMS honeymoon as
continuous season of ecstatic delight in
the possession of his new found treas
ure. The inaccuracy of the poets
sketch has been recognized in the ex-
perience of too many of ADAMS de-
scendants for the MILToNIAN theory to
be accepted as verify. The probabilities
are that it was with ADAM. just after
marriage, as it has been with SO many
of his sons since, the perplexing ques-
tion flashed through his mind,. Nov
that | have got her, what am / going to
do with her?" He did just as every
true son of ADAM will do to-day. he took
his blushing bride through his floral
possessions and attempted to make her
happy in the belief that she was now an
equal owner with him in this rich eS-
tate, and yet he was all the time revolv-
ing in his own mind on which end of the
plantation he would set her up in buSi-
ness. The trouble with him was that
both halves of the farm suited him so
well he didn't see how he was TO re-
linquish claim to either. And that has
been the trouble ever since. AS long
as man insists upon hogging all the per-
simmons it is going to be most difficult
thing for woman to find q sphere fitted
to her.
1t was not until after the expulsion
from Eden that the problem of what to
do with woman took definite shape. 1t
was a simple domestic scene that sug-
geSted the solution; scene that is, or
ought to be. witnessed in every home.
Evening shadows were mantling the
plain in restful silence, snatch of a
lullaby song was heard, two little eye
lids were closing in Slumber in response
to the pleading melody of mothers
sweet voice, when it flashed upon
ADAMS mind like the dawn of reveIa-
ton that the hand which rocks the era
die must rule the world.
Ii mankind and womankind would
only let the problem rest there and end
the discussion, woman will occupy her
sphere. 1t is woman'S inclination to
get out of her sphere, and mans dispo-
sition to help her to get out of it, that is
disarranging society. The biblical
theory is the correct one. that woman
was created to be mans helpmeet, and
not his substitute, nor in any sense the
usurper of his manly prerogatives. The
home is her domain and she is empress
there, with none to dispute her author
ity. Outside of her domain she is worse
than mob, a destroyer of values, and
the disturber of all social conditions.
With all its progression, the world in
one respect, at least, has progressed
backwards. The middle ages were
ahead of us in a just appreciation of
woman's place in society. When the
spirit of chYalry crowned her the queen
of love and the ruler of hearts. she was
elevated to an eminence that she has
not since occupied, and it was post
best suited to her qualities. Her power
there was only limited by the possibil-
tiles of human achievement. How
much better and how much prouder
her station then than now. Mans sell
fishness has forced her to go out into
the world and struggle for her own eX-
iStence.