Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-10-23
By Bertha NJ. Clay.

full you have great talent; you have
q clear, vibrating, sweet voice that
will make It's way to the very hearts
of men; you have the fire that be-
longs to genius; you have 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, grandiloquentIy
How can | teach when | know
nothing?" she asked.
You have plenty OF knowledge, and
when IT fails will supply what you
may need" he said II want you to
set forth my doctrines, Leah, to
spread my teachings. | want you to
interpret my thoughts and ideas to
the world They will live after me,
and | shall be famous after am
dead"
But, father" she remarked, grave.
/ ly, you have spent your life, you say,
in making known your belief; and II
you so wise, so learned so good, so
earnest have not succeeded, what can
| do? A girl young and unframed,
| ignorant"
Il have succeeded in measure"
he said. But one life is not long
enough for the work, You must carry
IL 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 | 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
wiIdered with delight-yOu would not
! know how to wear such crown
But the mission ! have given you
makes you greater and grander
woman than the sovereignty of the
whole earth could
In what way ?" she asked.
| You have to teach the people-the
great masses who are struggling on to
freedom and liberty"
How shall |, n girl, teach the peo-
ple?" she asked, gently, 81 should
tnnk that whitehaired men would
have little patience with anything that
| could say"
IF you have been taught what to
say, they will believe It," said Martin
! Ray. you will not appear before
! them as n simple, ignorant, unframed
grim that case grant you would
be little worthy of CrodcnCo--yOu will
come before the world as the one
woman In 1t chosen by Heaven to
teach the people the blessings of
equality and hOerty,"
But Heaven has not chosen me, d"
she rcjoined
1T has-through me; and you must
hear the voice of Heaven through
mine. You must stand before the
world woman trained to teach, Il
woman whose beauty and grace have
been especially given to her to in
fluonce the hearts of men; u woman
who deliberately gives her life to the
wellboing of othors-a woman clad in
ethereal armor, delicate of tint, full
of poetry and eloQuence, the cmbodi-
ment of the Spirit of Liberty"
A light shone on the girls face.
And do you think could do all
this, father
Thing! am sure of it! Did not
Joan of Are, II girl feeble and frail as
you, lead vast bodies of troops on to
victory"
Heaven called her said the girl,
royerontly.
"lIeaven calls you" he declared
solemnly, "A girl saved the French
crown; a girl-queen saved Hungary
from destruction in the Oldon days;
Judith saved her country; Queen
that from time to time women are
raised up to save n great people from
destruction, You, my daughter, are
one of these"
She grew pale, and trcmblcd under
the weight of his words lie took hen
hands in his, and looked Mt them
lovingly. If he We're false prctendeI
himself, he did not mean her to he
one, and he knew that nothing sue
Gods like truth and oarnostncss.
These are little hands, he said
ITO hold the great beating, bleeding
heart of the peoplo-little hands tC
) plead and implorc, to raise and t'
beat down. But you must do II. Leah
see the grand spirit of noble womer
sweeping over you. BE of modern
Judith. and Stay the monster Royalty.
She shruug back, pale anC
, trembling, at these words,
u can STAY nothing she said.
hut he did not seem to hear her
He was looking at her, trying e
weigh the effect of her graceful younl
lovelincss ON the hearts of men.
= leah" he said slowly you vii
. do better than | have done, You vii
make n fortune
| A flame. almost Of fire, spread owe
: her beautiful race,
Z Make a what fathCr-a fortune