The Portland daily press., 1900-02-05
Restlessness of Women
One of Them.
Marked Decline OF Religious
Sentiment Among Sex.

The Rev. Dr. Fsnn took for his subject
last evening "The Perils Of the Home" ;"
He began by speaking Of the Importance
Of the home a. the foundation OF the
state, the training school OF the child
aud the birthplace Of religions Observance
| and Of faith, the confidence Of the past
| and the hope Of the future. Then he
| or ccesdsd to speak Of some OF the evils
which threatens Its existence; Of the
demands of sooiety which attraet from
the fireside the mother and the daughter;
| Of the expense which this 10 not only
to the purse but to the mind and TO the
life. what q number of social. political,
ecclesiastical matters prey upon the home
life and draw away the members Of the
family from the evening fire aide. What
are the evils which attack the home from
withinf IL is fact that many homes are
built strictly upon the sand. What are
the ideas OF young men regarding mar
riage? Is marriage o sacrament, con-
tract or an arrangement What idees
has the modern young man about homer
His fancy Ia caught BY pretty dress or
face but has he any adequate idea Of what
home isf Is IL not based on trust and
reverence and lover Does the man realize
that the foundation Of marriage Ia In
religionf II at 1t Is the noblsst gilt OF
God to mani Look at the multitude OF
divorces which are now sought. There
were over thirty In this city alone q
short time ago. Think Of the terrible
excuses offered for them, the grounds on
which they are based. 1t is degrading to
talk OF them or think OF them.
Is there any danger to the home In
these daysf Look at our state, the by
worc Of the world. This Is not altogether
foreign to us but is home born and bred.
Is there any psouli ar peril in the passing
bouri How much religion Is there In the
home! Are there any family devotions
or any recognition Of God In the home
which you knowP What is the impress
sion Of the authority in the head OF the
house. Where has he opportunity that he
should havef Do you know man who
leads his children to Gods Does he
cateohise them and develop In them
religious idoasf 1t Is for him to know
who enters his doors, who are the COM
panions of his childrsn In the teacher. In
their school and to look after their relig-
ious training. Are there any whom you
know who do these thingsS
Is 1t possible to bring up children to bs
obedient. to understand their responsible
ity unless they are properly trained In
the homer
The woman Of the home is restless,
disturbed, unnerved because her place and
station is not yet established either in
her own mind or in the minds Of others.
II the times are to be marked BY any
particular thing 1t Is by woman's un-
rest She regards herself now as q men,
Der of another race. She speaks as II she
could do any thing that man does and
can accomplish anything that men have
accomplished. She regards men az stand
ing In hsr way and prohibiting her from
doing what she would wish to do. As
though men never had mothers, or moth
ers themselves were not the daughters OF
mothers The restlessness 10 something
underlined. She feels a. II she were kept
under, as though she dreaded the
changes Well think that the modern
woman is rather happier than her sisters
used to be. She NO longer feels that mar
riage is an absolute necessity to her hap
plness. She has come to realize that she
can be happy outside Of the marriage
| relation. 1t 10 q help to her. She Is not
40 morbid and devotes herself to litsra-
ture, art or her occupation and In them
finds support. But after all she 10 not
ouite as happy In doing things for her
self as she would be In doing things for
Others. Religiously too woman has
changed. The scepticism which has had
It's run among men 10 now striking into
the ranks Of the other sex and Is going
further. Women do not regard Oh ese
questions as do men or go down deep
into these SUBJECTS. They take on the
superficial and they take up the suEersti-
tions, the greatest foiiies and abomina-
tions and are easily caught by them. Oh
the abominAtions that they are osptivated
vith-The Madam Blavatskies. Theoso.
phy. Christian Science and other things
When they leave the church they CLOSE
the door after them and 90 out into
whatf Do they wonder at the disturbed
relations OF the homei What can be said
of the religious help the women who are
thus enticed away give to their children
What abominations they go into. The
other aay saw copy of what is termed
a womsn's Bible, as vile thing as
ever saw. In this 1t Is claimed that there
IL a female God, filing the world with
ideas Of the vsriest nonsense, the climax
of absurdity. These are the tendencies
ve must study, The home Is the place
for women to great degree and the
home Is lost II 1t Isn't q Christian home.
We never see MEN so degraded that they
do not reverence the Christian home. We
men may be impious. we may be black :
yards, but cur wives are our anchorage