The San Francisco call., 1897-07-12

;irelv for women Most decidedly not.
There is in this movement work for all to
do, the men as we'll as the women" Mrs.
Clark requested that all who were pro-
fessed Christians stand. They did so, and
count was not necess ssary, for the whole
audience were on their fee. at once. After
requesting the ladies present whose hats
obstrueted the view to remove them. she
introduced Mrs. Scott T. Hers ey OF Bos-
ton, who led short service of prayer.
DR.. Kim Ecada Silva spoke on How
to Reach the Hearts of the Oriental
Women"
She said tha: everywhere in The Orient
they will tell you that the salvation OF the
land is through women. But it is a hard
thing 10 reach them, there is a wall OF re-
serve built around them, and the only way
is to touch the mother heart. In Japan,
where the women are freer than in other
Oriental lands, 1t is almost possible to
reach them. There is so much OF cere-
mony. The women there must be ap.
preached s the hunter approaches birds,
gently. Once her heart is touched let us
see what she does. Take Pundita Ramabai
for instance, look at the wonderful work
she has been doing in India. In China,
until the home is changed, until woman
is raised to her proper sphere, little can be
done.
When the mothers OF the nations are
Christians the power of Christ will come
again.
Mrs. Ida ]. Clinch then sang sacred
solo, after which Mrs. Clark spoke of the
Home and Foreign Missions. Mrs. Vic
torla Earle Mathews of New York was
then introduced and read most eloquent
address on The Awakening OF the Afro
American Women" She said in part:
II has been the awakening of race from
the nightmare OF 250 years of self-effacement
and debssement. II is not within the power
OF any one who has stood outside of Afro
American lie to Adequately estimate the eX-
tent OF the effacement and debasement, and,
therefore, OF the gracious awakening which
has quickened into life the sum ring forces
and filled with hope and gladness the souls of
millions OF the womanh0Od OF our land. To
the God of love and tenderness and pity and
justice we ascr be the fullnes3 of our thanks
and prayers for the transformation from the
death of slavery to the life of freedom. All
the more are we grateful to the moral and
Christian forces OF the world, the Christian
statesmen and soldiers and scholars who were
the divine instruments who made it possible
for this womanhood to stand in this august
presence to-day.
The auction block of brutality has been
changed into the forum of reason, the slave
mart has been replaced by the schoolroom
and the church
As stand here to-day clothed in the gar
ments of Christian womanhood, the horri b. g
days of slavery, out of which came, seem as
a dream that Is told, some horror 1ncr edibl
lnQeeQ, can tney nave eDeen, ana are not
They were; they are not This is the sum and
subs tance, the glory and the shame of the tale
that would tell, OF the message that would
bring.
created all things is no respecter of persons,
that the black child is beloved by him as the
white child, we can more easily fix the re-
sponsibility that rests upon the Christian
womanhood of the country to join with us in
elevating the head, the heart ana the soul of
Afro American womanhood.
AS the great Frederick Douglass once said,
in order to measure tie heights to which We
have risen we rust measure the depths from
which we were dragg ed. 1t is from this point
OF observation tina we must regard the awak-
ening of the Afro-American womanbood of
the land. And what is this AWAKENING? What
is its distinguishing characteristic? Pause.
1t would seem superfuous 10 ask or to answer
questions obvious, but the lamen able
truth il that the womanhood of the United
States and the world knows absolutely moth
ing of the hopes and aspirations, OF the Joys
and the sorrows, OF the wrongs and the needs
OF the black women Of This country who came
up out OF the effacement and debasement of
American slavery into the dazzling sunlight
OF freedom. My trends, call to mind the sem
sations OF the prisoner OF Chillon as he walk ed
out of the dungeon, where the flower of his
lille had been spent, in TO the open air, and you
will be able 10 appreciate in some sense our
feelings in 1863.
When the war drums throbbsd no Longer.
And the battle-fiag WAS fure1.
WI at 6 past was oursl There was no attri-
bufe OF wLmanhood which had not been sui
lied-aye. which had not been despoi ed in the
crucibie of slavery. Virtue, modesty, the joy S
OF maternity, even hope OF INN rtality sll
THESE were depied this womanhood wnen tn e
voice OF Lincoln aud the sword of Grant, as
the expression OF the Christian opinion OF the
land Dade them stand forth wi thout let or
hindrance as arbiters OF their own persons aud
wills.
The awakening OF the Afro American woman
is one oil the most promising facts in our Ma
thy and cooperation of all the female torces
of the Republic think 1 have sufficiently
shown. We need them. We have always
needed them. We need them in The work of
religion, of education, of temperance, of NOR
ality. of industrialism; and above all we need
their assistance IN Com batting the public