The record-union., 1896-05-15
WOMAN'S INFLUENCE.
Her Noble Mission and How It Should
be Fulfilled.
(From the Santa Clara.o

(From the Santa Clara)
At meeting of the ladies of a GER
tain club in San Jose, in commemora-
tion of Washington's Birthday, dear.
good lady-who is little bit askew on
the woman suffrage question-made a
speech in which she expressed surprise
at the patriotic spirit shown by women.
in view of the fact that they had mo
voice in the Government"
mo voice in the Government" said I
to myself. closed my eyes and watched
this panorama that softly unfolded it,
self before my mental vision:
l beheld a young wife at the moment
when the divine announcement of COM
ing motherhood has first thrilled her
soul with it's tender, mysterious music.
and aroused the joyous response. Be
hold, the handmade of the LORD; fol-
lowed her day by day and noted how
the dignity and glory of her sacred
duty exalted her nature above it's com
monplace surroundings and placed her
almost beside the angels: / noted also
how every aspiration turned heaven
ward, for the sake of her coming child.
how she refrained from evil thoughts
and sinful deeds lest it might mar the
soul of the babe which God was send
ing her for every rightly born babe is
man from God" to its mother); until
her hour was accomplished 1 saw
that she never for a moment forgot her
solemn responsibility. Then / stood by
her side as she went down into the icy
waters of mortal agony which she re-
membered no more when her son was
placed in her arms.
Following them through the wears. T
noticed how his every childish step was
turned to the right, how every noble
impulse was stimulated, how Justice
and truth and virtue were so instilled
into his nature by the faithful mother
how her soul was mirrored in his day by
day until almost before one was aware
he was a strong, brave man. He is out
in the world, now, jostled here and there
by vice and dlShonesty-only jostled a
moment, never turned, for a thousand
times a day in the worst surroundings.
the thought of the dear mother at home,
of her precepts and her example, her
prayers and her admonitions safeguard
him. AT the ballot-box, in the halls of
legislation, when the time comes for
him to act it is the mother training in
childhood, yes and the mother training
before he saw the light, that acts
through him, for the well-being of his
fellowmen, and for the welfare of soci-
ETY.. He never casts a ballot that the
| mothers unseen hand does not guide his
choice; he never frames a law that has
not her soul inwrought in it's Justice
and it's wisdom.
mo voice in the Government for
sooth. Is there voice in the Govern
ment" that is not a woman's voice-for
good or bad?
Men are what their mothers made
them," says Emerson. Woman's work
is higher, sublimer than that of the po-
litical worker. She is the maker of the
makers of the Government. Let her look
well to it that she step not down from
her high pedestal, that she lay not down
her God-appointed task to take up and
fritter away her precious time upon
minor details not intended for her.
Is it not enough that woman furnishes
the sailing chart for the Ship of State,
maps its course and points out the
breakers and the hidden rocks without
getting down to "holystoning" the
deck and tarring the ropes? Is it not
enough that she is the very essence and
spirit Of the principles which run our
Government, without dividing herself