The record-union., 1892-10-10
TRUE WOMANLINESS.
A Practical and Eloquent Discourse
on the Subject.
Rev. w. s. Hoskinson Argues for a
Wider Sphere of Usefulness
for WomanSind.

AT the English Lutheran Church last
evening the pastor, Rev. w. S. Hosllin-
son delivered a sermon on the subject of
s'True Womanliness," and for his text
quoted as follows from Psalms cxliv., II:
''That our daughters may be as corner
stones, polished after the similitude Of
palace"
This, said the pastor, is battle psalm,
and one can almost hear the tattoo sound
ing to "fall into line" David had so
many struggles that the language Of con-
fiict is very familiar to him. He could
keep sheep and guard them against bears
and wolves and lions, but he could do
more than that. He could watch over
the home and rid the nation of its most
dreaded enemy-Goliath. He was at
once warrior, king, captain and poet.
his fingers were taught to tight, and also
to wiring from the harp enchanting strains
OF music. He was the Lords own an
nointed, and when the PhilistineS go
down before him and are scattered like
chah, and the war is over, he takes up
his harp and sings of the blessed coming
days of peace. Safety has come upon all
and industry and integrity may dwell to-
gether undisturbed. 1t is bright mil
lennial day when "Our sons may be as
plants grown up in their youth, and our
daughters may be as corner-stones. pol
lshed after the similitude of a palace"
Then he finishes with: Happy is that
people that is in such a case; yea, happy
is that people whose God is the Lord"
Sons are for outdoor life and usefulness.
Daughters are for indoor life and useful
ness. Both add beauty, ornament to the
home. Plants give us shade, or delight
our eyes with their flowers, and they are
great comfort. Polished corner-stones
we do not understand so well. We must
look back into the countries of the East,
where the upper parts of the finest build
1ngs were supported on elegantly deco
rated columns, shaped in the forms of
beautiful women. These were very grace
full and beautiful. These columns stood
back in recesSes and suggested at once the
place of woman; lofty, but not brought
too prominently into public view; useful
in supporting burdens and adding much
beauty to that which she supports and of
which she is part.
Her position is lofty, and it is the place
God gives TO her. 4 charming young
woman is the most beautiful and useful
object on earth. Nan was head of crea-
ton, but woman is an Improvement on
man; she is Gods masterpiece. When
she has all the graces Of character which
God intended for her. she inspires all
who meet her with good desires, and is
worthy of admiration, akin to reverence.
The choicest gift heaven had Tor loEely
Adam was such a maiden as this.
The Jewish law-giver gave permission
to the holy High Priest to attend the
burial of a virgin without fear OF defile-
ment by contact with the dead Any
other dead body was considered defiling;
but Mount Sinai ceased to thunder its
condemnationS in the presence of pure,
loving, righteous damsel, living or dead.''
And we do not have to go far nor hunt
long to find such one. Our country has
multitude OF them, strengthening and
lFF rfyy TO nl x.f,,
tightening the burdens and increasing
the joys of home and social life. They
are worth more to our country than all
our grand trunk railroads and all the
gold in the mountains, for her price is
above rubies.
By this high estimation of her we do
not put her up as an ornament for the
parlor; she can adorn the ranks of labor
in every field of toll. She should be in
dependent, and has a right TO enter any
or every calling that will make her so. 1t
is with pride that we point to our vast
army OF toiling girls who have started
out from home to earn living for them
selves. Brave and noble girls and women
these are, who are proud TO be called "the
girls that work." And not only are
these earning the clothes they wear and
the bread they eat; sometimes the father
has grown feeble and it falls on the
daughters to provide for the home; or the
father is dead, and while mother stays at
home caring for younger brothers and
sisters, the daughter starts out and earns
the money to keep all at home. The con-
ditions are many and different in some
particulars, but in most cases the plain
word necessity gives the explanation for
the thousands of women found in the
ranks of laborers to-day. This very ne
cessity is one of heavens blessings! The
beautiful pillars supported the building.
These 'corner-stones'' were useful as
well as beautiful, and beautiful because
they were useful.
Women could not do their work so well.
rivaling man in every field, if God had
not intended that she should. Man will
work against some things because it is
his interest to do so. He has been op-
posing the admission of women into the
trades and professions for the simple fear
that ne would not get on so well-haye
things a little less his own way, and get
wages to suit him. And in this respect
there are now good many forms of op-
preston practiced. More and more these
are disappearing, and woman's field is
widening and her outlook Frightening.
We want to see women admitted, with
out restraint, to every sphere for which
she is fitted.
As teacher of the young she has almost
entirely displaced man; and from q
pretty wide experience we are led to feel
that 1t is because she is better fitted for
iHS pIdCe dHu CollluS lOdU lQan-nOt be-
cause she could work cheaper than man.
In this place let US say, that we have seen
oppression on the part of school boards
that was outrageous and unreasonable,
where the finest kind of womanly talent
received only 90 or 90 per cent of what
her predecessor received in salary: and
for no other reason than that she was a
woman and he was man. Here was
one form of oppresSion; it is fast passing
away. Merit and true worth is winning
its way, and demanding and receiving
Harness. And why not-in this land
where we are all free and equal?
Teach the girls TO be useful and inde-
pendent. 1t is an awful mistake TO teach
them that their only object in life is to get
somebody TO keep them, and ii they find
not such staff to lean on, then they
must go whining all their days Teach
them to be useful and to do something
useful. Their hands can do more than
fill your parlor walls and mantels with
bric-a-brac, and it is right and honorable
to do all they can. If il is right to make
something dainty and fancy, it is equally
right to be able TO make something use
ful; and this is just as much an ornament
to the true woman as that. Custom
makes 1t the fashion for woman to knit
and crochet the beautiful articles which
annoy US on rocking-chairs and sofas:
why is it not as much an accomplishment
to earn the money that buys the rockers
and sofas? Why is it not much more of.
an adornment? Custom makes il the
style for her to paint the pictures that
hang on the walls of home? Why not
put into her hands the power to earn the
money that is to get her home some
day, or, at least, to take care of the home
which some one else gets for her?