Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-10
W0MAN'S MISSION.
THE QUESTION WHAT rs HER TRUE
SPHERE.
John wcsIey's Mother-A Great Ser
mon-It Was Always So-FaIthfuI-
ness to Religious CnlIing-Some
Women of the bible.
Correspondence Of the pIsbateh.l

| In his lyceum repertory a lecture on the
eternal woman question and her homo
duties. one night, after he had delivered
this lecture in Washington. young lady
who was studying medicine, said TO him:
Doctor. what you say is very good for
women who have husbands and children.
but what 10 you say to those Of US who
have none?"
Il say get them" was the curt re-
joinder.
But marriage is no longer the sine qua
non Of woman's existence. Outside OF
that, just what is her true sphere" will
probably never be settled to suit every
one. 1t is fact that women themselves
are as widely at variance on that issue as
men. The sphere is like teeter-now %.
now down-but never up nor down long
enough TO say. There you are.'. How
ever, we haze found 1t now revolving for
the first time I'm the sacred circle OF the
modern church, with four women elected
admitted to the Methodist conference in
Ohio. Perhaps, Il IS as well that the
Church, whose founder was John Wesley.
should be the first to recognize women
in its councils. Ii is to the mother OF
John Wesley, who must have had some
intuition OF her sons spiritual future
that MethOdism owes her great divine.
Il do intend" said this good mother.
Ito be more particularly careful of the
soul OF this child" IT is really nothing
new" this uplifting OF woman to the
Church. The greatest sermon ever
preached-upon which rests the religion
Of Christ for all ages-was preached by a
woman; nayi by "A council. or synod
or presbytery or conference of wo-
men, just as you choose 10 call it. 1t
was the sermon OF the Resurrection. Wo-
men were the first apostles Of the Resur-
rectiOn-the first to carry the good news
10 the others. Do you suppose they were
dumb; that. calling the other grief
stricken followers. and meeting in some
humble secret place. they told the glad
tidings in pantomlme?
THE ROLL OF HONOR.
The roll OF honor Of these first dele
gates to the Christian Church (Which num-
bered 120. l believ0 IS Mary Magdalene,
Joanna. a member of Herods household.
and wife Of his steward: Mary, the mother
of James, land the other women"
ALWAYS THAT WAY.
or course, the apostles did not believe
e; they Had not been vouchsafed the
vision Of angels and 10 them the "wo-
mems words seemed as idle talk" II
has been that way ever since. The apos-
ties don't believe" and the women have
been preaching right straight along
Priscilla was the mother OF sunday
schools. II sounds curious, but mo
Their Is the right word. Priscilla had n
home OF her own, and she widened its
narrow limits to a Bible class. and taught
h.. IL
ter 10 the Hebrews. OF this, though. the
learned commentators are In some
doubt, and / suspect Priscilla wrote it
I'm "a moment OF heavenly inspiration"
i am often astonished that people, espe-
cially woman, do not know more OF the
lives OF Bible women; for. 10 take from
the churches OF the New Testament the
work and influence OF women would be
TO take many pages from early history.
The contention seems to be as TO the
place. st. Paul did not know what
trouble he was storing up for the nine
teenth-century woman when h. fixed her
place I'm the Church. nor did he foresee
that his words would be held binding
against her at Sunday-school cOnven-
tons. picnics, circles. or any other
church auxlliaries. where men and wo-
men are assembled together And that's
the gist Of the whole busness-the
together" st. Paul probably. want
ed just as much 70 define a woman's po-
sition, publicly, I'm the spirit OF the law.
with the mans, as with that OF the
Church. Nowhere is It eniolned upon
woman TO be gilent i'm church meetings.
except as in subsection 20 the higher
authority-mani The question IS now,
Can men stand 1T? Have they progressed
50 far spiritually that they can with
eta oil h Embellishments oh oh
sisters might use 10 gain a pOint2 Be
cause Of this, st. Paul. as a bachelor
may have had a holy horror. Wen,
the women were not TO invade the pull
pit; they were not to tamper with doc
trinal points, or tread the dangerous
ground Of UNCONVENTIONAL differences
but what follows? In the jails women
tell criminals OF Christ who died: IN the
hospitals they preach Of Him who suf-
fered the ills Of the flesh In the aims
houses. Of that Saviour who had not
where to lay His head-preaching all the
while
FAITHFUL TO RELIGION.
II women have been faithful 10 any
one duty in life Il has been 10 their re-
ligOus calling, and they have helped
10 plant houses OF worship on every Hill
top and valley, and in the streets OF
all our cities IL does seem a narrow
creed that when a woman. by begging.
and holding fairs. and donations. helps 10
build a church, that within its four walls
she can have no other rights than put
ting down the carpets. But the age is
progressive. and so are women; for. at
one time. it was questioned if they could
sing in church!
There's another side TO these alterca-
tons: Men have taken laundries. they
are cutting and making wOmen's finest
gowns and most confidential garments,
and yet one does not hear the women
talking about "encroaching on woman's
spherew ! effect, they say: LET the
men 20 ahead, and do anything they can
10 best. If they can wash better than
women, let them wash; II they can sew
better, let them-and wen give them
plenty Of work"
1t is the first woman who undertakes
n thing that IS likely to have a hard
time. Pioneering is ever a thankless
task; but some one has to do Il, and
all honor to those who have the strength
and courage to survive the ordeal!
There has been some kind OF a moss
grown sentiment drifting about that "
women attain to places in public life
heretofore held only by men masculine
gallantry would go. This rests very
much with the women. They can re-
tain all Of mans chiyalry by the preser-
walton Of manner. n state. n place
aloft, which. though hard to define are
real facts in effect. II only woman
chooses 10 make them so.
But perhaps it Is as wen that she
makes her initial bow in mixed as
senblage-i. p, together the
audience where Christian courtesy will
he riven her II nlnpant gallantrN is want