Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-10-27
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By Bertha NJ. Clay.

clear, vibrating, sweet voice IuaC
will make it's way to the very hearts
of men; you have the fire that be-
longs to genius; you have a brilliant
magination-indeed, may say that
you have every requirement.. and a
lady orator will be novelty such as
is not seen every day"
What do you want me to be,
father?" she asked slowly.
"a teacher of the people, he re-
piled, grandiloquently
"How can 1 teach when I know
nothing?" she asked.
"You have plenty Of knowledge, and
when it fails I will supply what you
may need" he said. 81 want you to
set forth my doctrines, Leah, to
spread my teachings. I want you to
interpret my thoughts and ideas to
tue world. They will live after me,
and l shall be famous after I am
dead"
"But, father" she remarked, grave
ly, you have spent your life, you say,
in making known your belief; and if
you, so wise, so learned, so good, so
earnest have not succeeded, what can
do? A girl young and unframed,
ignorant"
81 have succeeded in a measure"
he said. ''But one life is not long
enough for the work. You must carry
it on for me. The grace and beauty
of the woman-teacher will do more
even than the fame and skill of the
man. Leah, try to appreciate, to
understand, the grandeur of the mis-
sion l give to you. If had called
you here this morning, and had told
you that all the nations of the earth
had united in asking you to be their
queen, you would be dazed and be-
wildered with delight-you would not
know how to wear such a crown.
But the mission l have given you
makes you greater and grander
woman than the sovereignty of the
whole earth could.'
I'm what way?" she asked.
you have to teach the people-the
great masses who are struggling on to
freedom and liberty"
How shall I, girl, teach the peo-
ple?" she asked, gently, 81 should
funk that white-haired men would
have little patience with anything that
could say"
eff you have been taught what to
say, they will believe it,, said Martin
Ray. 'You will not appear before
them as simple, ignorant, unframed
girl-in that case I grant you would
be little worthy of credence-you will
come before the world as the one
woman in it chosen by Heaven to
teach the people the blessings of
equality and uoerty.'
But Heaven has not chosen me-"
she rejoined.
"It has-through me; and you must
hear the voice Of Heaven through
mine. You must stand before the
world a woman trained to teach, a
woman whose beauty and grace have
been especially given to her to in
fuence the hearts of men; a woman
who deliberately gives her life to the
well-being Of others-a woman clad in
ethereal armor, delicate Of tint, full
of poetry and eloquence, the embodi-
ment of the Spirit of Liberty"
A light shOne on the girls face.
"And do you think I could do all
this, father?''
Thing! 1 am sure of it! Did not
Joan Of Arc, a girl feeble and frail as
you, lead vast bodies of troops on to
VictOry?"
Heaven called her." said the girl,
reverently.
Heaven calls you," he declared
solemnly. "a girl saved the French
crown; a gir[queen saved Hungary
from destruction in the olden days;
Judith saved her country; Queen
Esther her nation. 1t seems to me
that from time to time women are
raised up to save a great people from
destruction. You, my daughter, are
one of these"
She grew pale, and trembled under
the weight of his words. He took her
hands in his, and looked at them
| lovingly. If he were false pretender
himself, he did not mean her to be
one, and he knew that nothing sue
ceds like truth and earnestness.
'"These are little hands," he said
ito hold the great beating, bleeding
heart of the people-little hands to
plead and implore, to raise and to
beat down. But you must do it, Leah
I see the grand spirit of noble women
sweeping over you. Be of modern
Judith, and Stay the monster Royalty
She shrung back, pale and
trembling, at these words.
Il can Stay nothing" she said.
But he did not seem to hear her
He was looking at her, trying to
weigh the effect Of her graceful young
loneliness on the hearts Of men.
'Leah,' he said slowly, ''you will
do better than I have done. You will
make fortune"
A fame, almost of fire, spread over
| her beautiful face.
make a what, father-a fortune?
I though you gave up everything to
y1nO7O1n Won +OO11 f,o1,,