The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-01
I conversation between Eve and the temp

human nature, and saw at a glance tho
4 high character of tho person he met by
chance in his walks in the garden. He
did not try to tempt her from the path OF
| duty by brilliant Jewels rich dresses.
| worldly Injuries or pleasures, but with
the wisdom OF the gods. Like Socrates or
| Plato. his powers of conversation ana
asking puzzling questions were, no doubt
| marvellous. and he reused in the woman
that intense thirst for knowledge that
| the simple Pleasures Of picking nowers
and talking with Adam did not satisfy.
| Compared with Adam, she appears to
great advantage through the entire
| drama
MRS COLBY'S QUAIMs.
Mrs. Colby evidently had some 1ualms
OF conscience when her turn came. she
finds much to commend In some portions
\ of Genesis She even goes so Tar as 10
disagree with what Mrs. stanton and
Mrs. Blake have to say about the creation
AMI Adams conduct IN the Garden OF
Eden. Nothing can surpass In grand
eur" she says, 1.-THE account in the nrst
| chapter OF Genesis Of the creation of'the
race and IL satisfies The highest aspira-
! lions. and the deepest lonslngs Of the
! human soul" The last clause has an
antiaue flavor. and is evidently the result
of unconscious cerebraton, which occa-
| sionally attacks the new woman, as well
| as The old man. But Mrs. Colby destroys
the effect of her appreciation OF the IN
spired account Of he creation by some
| rather pert criticisms about Noah ana
his ark. She would have built II different
ly. had she happened around that way.
Says she:
The pauclty NJ light and air in this
ancient vessel shows. that woman had no
part In its architecture or series OF
1.xr hng d1Arpa1 fnHiG-
pensable.
Mrs. Colby also endeavors 10 show that
woman's obedience did not enter into the
divine plan. In the two Instances IN
which Sarah obeyed Abraham, she says:
God had to interfere with a miracle TO
save them from the result Of that ODE
dience. and both Abraham and Sarah were
reproved. While twice, once by direct
command of God, Abraham obeyed Sarah
You cannot find direct command OF God
or Christ for the wife to obey the hus-
band.
BRINGS IN THE SILVER QUESTION
Abraham and Sarah afford Mrs. stanton
an opportunity in the next chapter to
make a suggestion to Congress on the
currency question. This is how she does
IT:
IL is seldom that the age and death OF
any woman are recorded by the sacred
historian, but Sarah seems TO have been
specially honored, not only in the mention
of her demise and ripe years, but in the
tender manifestations Of grief by Aora-
ham and his painstaking selection of her
burial place That Abraham paid for all
this in silver, current money with the
merchant" might suggest TO tae IMAM
ciers of our day that our commercial re-
lations might be adjusted with the same
coin, especially as we have plenty OF IT,
If our blmetallists in the halls OF iegis-
latiou were conversant with sacred his
tory they might get fresh inspiration from
the views Of the patriarchs on good
money.
CONTEMPT FOR ABRAHAM.
Further on Mrs Blake expresses her
contempt for Abraham as a man. She
sees nothing grand or poeticu In his
character. on the other hand she thinks
he is a bad pattern for the other patri-
archs She says on this score:
Like many a modern millionaire, he was
not self-made but wife-made man.
When Pharaoh sent him away with his
Dangerously beautiful wife he is describ-
ed as "being rich in cattle. In silver and
in gold" but Il is a little curious thar
the man who thus gained wealth as the
price of his wife's dishonor should have
been held up as model of all the patri-
archal virtues.
Pebeckah and Rachel are somewhat
roughly handled by Mrs. Stanton. she
SAYS 1t was a good test Of the formers
patience and humility ito draw water for
an hour, with dozen men looking on at
| their ease and none OF them offering
| holm" She sums up her opinion OF the
Pentateuch as follows
Indeed, the Pentateuch is long painful
record of war, corruption, rapine ana
lust. why Christians who wished TO con-
vert the heather TO our religion should
send them these books passes all under
standing II is most demoralzng read
ing for children and the unthinking mass
ga, giving all 5like the lowest possible
idea of womanhood having no hope nor
ambition beyond conjugal unions with
men they scarcely knew, for whom they
could not have had the slightest sentiment
of friendship. to say nothing of affection.
SAVAGE ATTACK on MOSES.
When the book OF Exodus is reached
Mosbs is attacked very sayageiy by Mrs
stanton. Moses, indeed, mas not single
good trait from her point or view. she
charges that he deluded an ignorant and
superstitious people IN order 10 gam as
tendency over them. She declares that
womans inferior place in civilization Is
directly sttrtbutable 10 MIN She as
serts. moreover, that the tables Of stone
given 10 Moses by Jehovah, but were
TAXED" by that INSCRIPTIONS prophet
Neither has she any great respect for
| the commandments themselves. "A crit
zeal reading Of them" she declares,
win show that they are chiefly FOR men.
| The following are some OF the comments
on the Mosaic law;
Women were always considered suiii-
ciently clean 10 beg, work and give gen
| erously for the building and decoration
| of churches, and the support of the priest
hood. They might always serve as INFER
| Tors but never receive as equals.
Why the daughters cannot eat win the
| sons in the thirteenth verse ana may IN
| the fourteenth We cannot conjecture. c
| notice. however, that where the sons eat
! alone Is called holy place, where
| the daughters eat with them it is called
! simplv a ..clean place" We are thankful.
| however. that in the distribution OF meats
| the women come in occasionally for
substantial meal in a clean place.
| The interesting fact here is that wo-
| man is dignifed by name, the only one
so mentioned in the book Of LeYticus.
| This is probably due 10 the fact that the
sons character was so disreputable that
| ne would reflect no luster on his father
| family. and so on his maternal ancestors
rested his disgrace
| If Miriam had helped TO plan the jour
ney 10 Canaan IL would no doubt have
been accomplished IN forty days instead
| of forty years With her counsel In the
cabinet the people might have enjoyed
| peace and prosperity, cultivating the arts
| and sciences. instead of making war on
| other tribes and burning offerings 20 their
| gods.