The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-24
HER ROYAL
 WOMANHOOD Eloquent Tribute to Wo- man by Minister. ADDREssoFDR.PATTERsoN "She Hath Been a Succorer ot
 Many" Text Taken From Paurs Description of Phebe, the Servant of
 the Church.
ADDRESS sOFDR.PATTERSON


 wa. that of a succession of meetings of the phiianthropic women of the city. Two of these were in the interest or free kindergarten, one of a day nurse | " >tha others were a continuance Of l Sunday school work and home mis. s,ons. In each of these, members Of different churches united
 l It has often been desired that social l union would bring about church union but in Montgomery. 1t seems that | church union Is bringing social union. | The organization of all the societies
 of the First Presbyterian Church into | one federation, marks distinct ad- vance religiously and socially. unifying l inc aims and purposes of all the circles | of the church women, and bringing all under the more direct guidance of the nastor. who Is to be present at the 1 quarterly metings of the federation. one of the first results of the con- seriousness of the pastor of a more de- l fined dependence upon him for influence | on the activities. of the feminine com | tingent of his church and for his direc- | tion. was the preaching on yesterday, by pr. Patterson of an eloquent ser l mon, Royal Womanhood." 1 The text was chosen from Paufs | words commenting 'tPhebe,", servant of the church. she hath been suc- l corer of many"
 | He said in part:
 'The Apostle of the Gentiles places
 the crown of unqualified approval. not | on a royal Esther, not on one in au- thority in secular affairs, but on one | akin to the simple lowly women who loved Jesus, who were last at the cross and first at the grave on the Resurrec- l ton morning. .. woman has always occupied large
 share of the worlds attention. Through | out history, in one way or another. she | has been crowned. has borne sceptre; and, as Shakespeare says, They are tho books--the academies that nourish the | world Woman Is, indeed, the best | gift man could receive or God bestow.' There Is no opposition between the highest and best interests of men and | women. The paths of ascendant cy are better scaled when these are travelled by men and wo-
 men together. Science, philosophy and religion teach this great truth of the l eternal interdependence of one upon the other, and the endurance gained by union of the strength of each. Com | elementary tO each other, they reach the greatest heights through sympathy,
 and any platform or literature which
 belittles marriage and denies It's bles-
 sedness, is at variance with the truths | of nature and of revelation. Tenny- | son was no less prophet than poet when he declared The Woman's Cause is
 Mans Cause
 "Of greatest importance then it is.
 that woman get a proper view of her
 self, that she decide wisely the place
 she will choose. the plan she will | adopt Important to her, and to her world gu x-it al question. Her own view of it has l changed, is changing. and she is en- teriuR spheres once new, and unaccus- toned which she has ornamented
 This is a symptomatic condition of the
 times, with which 1t is worse than use-
 less to quarrel. With the distinct cons
 ception that there is no place for her
 sceptre like home. yet to her who is
 by circumstances forced into the stress
 full ways of men. respect and sympathy arc conceded. Compelled sometimes to abandon the heretofore 1ady-like
 employments' to earn her living, she has won signal success in professions and activities once peculiar to men, In each and all of these she can preserve her womanliness: anywhere that Gods Providence indicates there is work for her fo do. her royal womanhood Is in her own keeping. It is a part of the her royalty to have definite conceu-
 ton of this womanhood, and to hold it.
 The text points out the essential ele- ment of wonmanliness--it is heIpfuI- ness-'she has been a succorer of many Phoebe. her name meaning radiant. through all time will shine the type and model of royal woman hood. which Is essentially a ministry.
 Tn the beginning. from the creation. God intended her to be 'heIp-meet.' ana as help-meet' she fulf1lis the func- tons Of her being, and the purpose of ner Creator. She does this when she preserves her goodness; when she Is not shapeless. substanceless, but definite, real, practical, with heart pure. mind clear. drawing away from every con- tamination. Such a woman emanates an atmosphere of purity, for in her the Divine Is immanent.
 we are not so shocked when men mire themselves, but when a woman is | wicked. what horror. what distreSsl | All men feel shock as deep as is the | nature of each, to see a woman make herself wicked-for God made her good.
 Her goodness Is the secret of her power, and she maintains it by gentle ness. by sympathy by that devotion to obligation which makes the dauRh- ter, the wife, the mother, Gods most precious boons to the world. In Eng lands Queen. Victoria. her royalest quality was her falthfulness to tba humblest of her subjects, her free per- formance of duty to high and low.
 A woman's goodness is hiRh-mind- ed, 1t feels no joy in evil or scandal. 1t rises higher than jealousy and ali bitterness of rivalry or strife.
 She enthrones God. she lives in His love. Her home Is the place where her sceptre best befits her, and her chill dren, as they take their place in tha world. repeat and extend her in- huence. Though she be not learned save in gracious household ways she has the highest, best wisdom. ana happy he with such a mother for faith in womankind beats within his blood
 "Imperfectly outline royal woman hood. God alone can lay the colors and present the picture. May He do 1t. may He give you the impetus to what you may be. Whatever vour task in life, may you see the vision of royal womanhood, and attain at Iast the companIonshlp of God your Father and Creator"
 The sermon was followed by A nnost eloquent prayer for the homes where women rule, for the city made up of homes, for the State and country which are the aggregate result of the homes that women make or unmake.
 The music of the choir was well