Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1894-01-25

the efforts of one but by the cooperation
Of all its members, and IL ministers to all
who make it. Its corner stone Is love; 1t
Is love that is It's life; love is Its inspira-
tion, Its defense, It's crown Of victory.
With every marriage ceremony arises the
factors of new home, republic within a
republic, world within a world. Home
life oserarches all other life. and il under
girds all foundations. How necessary,
then. that 1t should be constructed on the
right basis! The character Of the homes
Of a nation makes the character of me
nation. 1t is this fact which makes home
training, home development of national
Importance. Hon. James Bryce. member
| OF Mr.. Gladstone's cabinet and author OF
the American Commonwealth said fc
Gently: The family Is the Fundamental
| problem of civilization" Il follows. there.
| fore, the family being 50 important
be more carefully organized, educated aud
/ guarded than any otfei social body.
! Nations have progressed ouly as they
! have regarded the family a. the unit. the
| starting point or basis OF society. and all
| great nations which have ignored this fact
are among the wrecks of time. Greece
/ and Rome were powerful in their day. but
| the sovereign or the state was regarded as
! everything and the family nothing SO
! Greece and Rome are no more. There Is
no department OF sociological study more
| attractive than the evolution OF the home
/ What were the homes of the past? Who
4 builded them; What were the status and
I the worth of the women who dweli In
( them? These are interesting questions for
| study, since in all ages the status OF wom-
| an, her character and that OF her home,
/ form 4 criterion by which the civilization
| must be judged.
/ Prot. Bryce say, again; Americans
/ are fond of pointing and can with perfect
/ justice point. to the position their women
5 H"ld ~ ar "--'''"""e of the high level
4 their civilization has reached" when
men were barbarians and nomadc in their
/ habits Of life, war and hunting their sole
4 pursuits, women were necessarily degrad-
/ ed. They lacked force and endurance.
the only qualities priced by men; their
| lives were spent 10 ahject drudgery; Tor
| them there was no home, and they were
/ branded with hopeless inferiority.
| Nor were the Civilizations of the Orient
more favorable TO the elevation of
| woman one cannot think Of Mosl-m
! harem a. home. OF It's inmates a. a
/ household, nor Of il- many wives a. home
/ builders. We must remember that the
women celebrated by Homer were the
| wives and daughters Of reIgnng princes.
/ We ind in pre- historic or Iomeric times.
women like Auiromache aud Penelope
/ standing In the most confidential and loving
relations with their husbands, and houored
! OF all men, yet subject to the utmost con
tumely and disgrace when the protecting
arm is Withdrawn by death. Ia spite OF
the refinement and nobility of women oi
| the greatest age u Athens. The age OF
| Pericles and the beautiful A-pasia. the
! hard fact remains thst she was the prop
erty of the s,rouGe, all legal rights were
denied her. she had 40 power over herself
or her f..ily, and her position wss one
OF extreme degradation.
1t j. only by comparing the Christian
With the pref hri-tisn homes that We can
/ appreciate WHIST Christianity has done for
woman, aud what it has yet TO ~. As
we become more familiar with social aaes.
! tions. we learn that the most effective re-
| formAtprie> are our own homes We zee
that trrth. honesty. moral ,pDuslb.lity,
respect tDr the rights Of other, are the
natural fruit where these elements are
( planted. trained anu nurtured
A Sri,er in the Fortaightiy Erriet~ says
For all morsi purpose, the family i more
vital, more hc,utifel more universal than
the State. To keep the family true re-
fined, afectionate, faithful is = task grand
er than 20 govern 4 State; II is a task
which needs the whole energies, the entire
life of woman" oar present state Of civ
/ ilizatIon and the fact OF motherhood lay
| the burdens of responsibility for the
| home life upon woman. She must be an
| intelligent housekeeper, au acute observer
| Of the health and habits Of the household,
4 sensible adviser as TO all expenditures
while at The same time she must train her
| children to nob,e manhood and woman
| hood
| American women are awake tD the fact
that in the evolution Of our time, domestic
! life and the training " our children are
| REDUCED to a science, and she has long
realized that mere skill in household duties
is an inadequate preparation for these
tasks. She would now seek fitting edu-
cation for her high and holy trusts TO
this end colleges for women are multiply
Ing. and the result has proved that this Is
a step in the right direction.
! We have cause TO rejoice that We live In
an age when the treasures Of knowledge
ale no longer accessible to the few, but
| its choicest stores are open alike to all,
| without regard to age, sex or condition.
The higher education Of women Is not
| opposing itself to nature, bat unites with
/ ~ az - hO'i'i NttA4AHAS' Flp'lhg tldt IL
means training for life with all its varied
duties and interests. A womsn NAV he a
real power in society, in literature, and yet
be a distinct force in the home.
When all our homes are administered by
educated women who imbbe the spirit o.
modern times, and who are intelligent
| concerning whatever touches the physical.
social, moral, and mental welfare Of the
family, from such homes there will flow
influences refined, religious, and uplifting
Let there be higher education Of women.
Let them be trained for worthy mothers
and sisters. Let them enter the profess
sions and Industries, but never let 1t be
forgotten that no higher privilege can be
enjoyed than that Of making home, a So
cial circle, or community bright, health
full, inspiring, with the best thought and
the best companionshp.
1t has been said that "the nineteenth is
woman's century"
Shall not its lofty-natured women point
us all to God and duty as the sacred watch
words of our time?
MRS. RCGENIA IL. WALKERS PAPER