The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1897-04-17
A Strange Question.

question = " hat woman bad the most
influence upon Christi" As Marcel
Provost SAYS, this is strange question,
one which has occurred to few minds. 1t
is interesting to note the answers Of the
four writer's referred to to this heretofore
unthought o: question. Maurice Mae
terinck saws: NY belief is that no
woman exerted over Christ the influence
that his soul required. When Christ
came upon earth woman was not adj
vanced enough to realize mind Of that
kind. Jesus found among men friends
" no were 10 him about all that friends
could be: women fell short of fulfilling
her duties towards God" And he goes
on to ask: "Would not the face of the
world have been more thoroughly ana
radically changed had Jesus met Do
TINA, Aspaspia or simply AnugOna or
Joan Of Arc? But he only encountered
on his journey the Samaritan woman,
the holy women, Martha and Magical
ene-that is TO say. silence and tears
from unthinking creatures, who loved,
no doubt, but in whose love there was
not ray Of strength or light. Here
was needed something besides tears
and blind pity, and more than once he
endeavOred to bring about that for
which be craved, but without avail.
One evening, in quest Of the support
which he desired to tind IN woman 5
conscience, he talked at length with a
woman flon Samaria. Is there any
thing more sublime and more pathetic
than this dialogue, where the Son of
Man calls for response from a soul and
only receives the answer Of a childish
instinct. From that day he ceased to
question. Woman, even when
the opportunity of loving god was
offered her, thought it only necessary
to give to him perfumes, balm tears and
a shroud -
Camille Flammarion, while pointing
out Mary MagdaIene, who gave up her
sinful life to follow Jesus, thought no
woman could have Influenced his mis-
sion: His family Of Nazareth never
understood Him. One day, when
His mother and his brothers asked to
see Him during a conference, did he
not reply: who is my mother and
who are my brothers? 1t is you The
soul of Jesus lived plunged in the alb
stractions of the spiritual world. He
was good and gentle. He pardoned the
adulterous woman. His voice and His
doctrine charmed the daughters of Eve
az well as the SOILS of Adam. But He
was under the influence of nobody"
Marcel Provost thought the question
the strangest that had ever been asked
him since he began writing for news
papers.
What, my dear confrcren he says,
" When we are unable to distinguish
the feminine Influences which govern
the acts OF our friends, our relatives
and ourselves, here you come and asl,
us " hat woman most influenced Christ,
But where shall we 90 for our auth
critics? In the Evangelists? They do,
in fact, besides the mother of the Sa-
H.ouI' name some women VINO followed
lllm in His preachings, We see that
ne h'li"cie oI Jana Na3 accomplished
1T the prayer Of the Virgin; that Mary,
s1S'er Oh Martina conFerSed with linn
N the mouse Of Lazarus; that Mary
'o''NilS" MS ll9ait oE me
~ u '''' iSi'c'i'n"' ioNe' 'U' "''
i''S''1e " t ''ie '''' A'Ii-' '"GH' III I7'tH'
"'I' ~" l'1t olAS 70 conjecture tHd'
'c9,''' ii'''''l@ 'IEv'' near MS h1oIH"r I'M
~ ~. "'' 'I'li't Holf" q age she con
',''''e'. 80 o''"I's ''Ic ll,7' p,'''' III lie
''i'''-' us up - 'iie ''s' gay.
Jules I-amaltrc thought, before reply
ln@, 1T was necessary to know if the
Christ coaId be 'lniuenccd,' and on
~ 9'4''J - i'I' '''ch CPo" me Iheo-
,va. mo women, -. -,,,,,., ,,.,.,t ;.
I,o,.o Ia,.,.n o,..r,.o.,l,. IN ,,a,,, ~.
,r,a}.r,na sLn ,.,', ~, a. ,,',,> -.-''
Ia, 800. r.
.,,,. ,.,r,Il.,. I'LL. -
Ia ,,,a., oI,..,,.,. ,,.,al' XIX. ~ 49,
,.l,,,,,,,o :, Io, ,.,,,-.a,..,.;.,,. ~,
far5s b.. o.,,i,s+ +Lo r.,.n,o..l.a.
North, - ooc.,,t L,ro ~. ,n,.1;,,..,
:.
of Martha and Of Lazarus and If WAS "a
her that he first showed himself after
the resurrection. Iacordqira doae NOT
hesitate to say that the craatr,a whom
Jesus loved the most was not Lazarus
was not Martha. WAS not even St Holm
the EVANGELIST. that if was >1arv uor-
dala. < Tho si,ht Of tho toars -
Mag,!alene touched Jesus and he went
himself. Up 10 that time he had con-
trolled himself; before Mary his weak
ness broke ont 4 There vas tho,
upon the heart of Jesus"