The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-16
Woman By the Light of Tbeosonb,

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Apropos of the recent presentation of
that remarkable phase of thought.
known as Theosophy, comes the cues
ton of its value to the problems of
our every day life. Does it simnlv
upset old theories? Is it's mission to
break down, without replacing newer
ana better ideals of life or does if
TAKE cognlzance of those fundamental
truths on which humanity rests, and
lIumlning them with a new light shin
ing from the experience of a glorious
past, bring out unexpected beauties of
thought and feeling?
AS chemistry has demonstrated that
the same ingredients, differently COM
bined, produce new and often valuable
compounds, so it seems to me that the
few root-truths on which Theosophy
rests, have value to our later civil
ization.
Among the varied applications of
the law of Karma and Re-incarnation,
the one that is ''of interest TO wo-
men," is its relation to prenatal life.
Does 1t weaken or strengthen family
ties2 It seems to me that it does add
greatly to the sacredness and RESPONSE
bility of parentage, and respect for the
individuality of child-life.
The theory that the soul, after its
rest in Derachan, just as it is waken-
ing to the new life which we call
birth, reviews it's past career, and de-
liberately selects the conditions which
give promise of the possibility of
repairing and atoning for the old mis-
takes and to progress to loftier
heights in its onward journey to God.
That is, the babe selects it's parents
and the tie between parent and child,
like that which should and may unite
the husband and wife, is purely spir-
itual, that strongest of all ties.
Just as surely that the mothers love
provides the clothing for the expected
baby, so also does it rest with her to
provide the pure healthy body, which
as the new instrument of the soul,
shall keep or hinder its development,
a sacred responsibility.
The theory that the mothers men
tally during the prenatal period, is
reflected in the disposition and char
acter of the child, is still an unset
tied question with our scientific OBJ
servers, but the tendency of thought is
that the mothers spiritual influence is
not so great as has been ascribed to
her.
Two of the best mothers whom I
ever knew, whose children rise UP and
call her blessed, told me that so far
from believing that their condition was
reflected in the child, they were dis
tinctly aware that their own charac-
tiers during pregnancy were modified,
and took on the traits which were
prominent in the child-varying with
every child. The large families of both
were remarkable for their pronounced
The question which arises under the
new lights it not possible that the
mothers life and capacity for later
and better motherhood may be greatly
enriched by more delicate attention to
this divine instinct of motherhood
this capacity to understand childhood's
needs and truly to minister unto these
little ones. "Inasmuch as We have
done it unto the least of these, We have
done it unto me-" ct is more blessed
to give than to receive" To those |
who are denied maternity, does not
that theory that the sex of the soul
determines bodily sex. suggest that
mission in life may |
grow from the smaller family |
circle to the wider needs of |
the universal brotherhood of hui
Lest the new woman" of |
whom so much has been written, finds |
rest for her troubled soul in purifying |
and assisting those influences which |
tend 70 Righteousness.