The Detroit times., 1910-11-15

given me was. "Woman's Part In the
civilization OF the World. The only
excuse for my temerity Ina attempting Va
discuss such a theme, So tremendous
IA rs sweep and Significance, Is the
tUct that 81 rumes As special requeS',
civilization. What "a retrospect Ana
the civilization of the world What a
circumference By civilization, We
mean the reclamation OF the race from
saNagery instruction in the rules ana
customs OF refinement, tn a word, the
refining culture ~ tho world. May
invite YOU To- listen To the words ~
Solomon. az recorded Ina Proverbs 1881,
Let her own works praise her VA the
gates, ana then civ" heed TO an All
too brief recit Al or some or her mighty
works a. touching the welfare OF hu-
mankind
Al the outset permit me 10 say that
our purpose Is not To deal in odious
comparisons, hut TO contine ourselves
Ia womau's sphere BY sphere l mean
that world OF influence and labor which
belongs uniquely 10 women And II u
a sphere. not q segment. hut circle
And this world OF unique possibility she
shares with no man or men, Tor ~ -
peculiarly her own. Filling her sphere,
she is occupied IN definite and different
works from any and all other agents
or agencies combined.
What the thermometer IS TO the at
mosphere that woman Is to civilizations
for II never rises higher I'm the scale
of character than its women. woman
has hRd 10 battle for existence In a
many world. a world OF masculine
standards and pTcjudiced Judgments nut
she lis slowly and surely winning her
fight IL IS fight Of brain against
Drawn: virtue against vice. passion
OF soul against passion OF h"sh IS
truth must ultimately triumph. so prain
and virtue and soul must surely gain
the conquest.
History reveals the story OF the bat /,
tie Man with club and stone and
arrow ana spear and hattle-AN ana
gunpowdcr aud dynamite. has asserted
himself. hut woman has met club WIN
courage. stone with silence, arrow
with assurance. spear with sweetness
battle-aN With blessing gunpoWder
with graCa. and dynamite with deNo-
tion. Her very gentlencss hath nia ma,
her great Ey her irresistible persu"-
sion she has transformed Ignorance
into culture. rebellion INTO submission
rudeness into respect, ornaments INTO
arbitration.
Archbishop WhcatIeY's definition is
raricature when he says wv oman ~
creature that does not reason ana
" pokes the fire from the top. Prof
Maria Mitchell while travelling. met
noted educator with whom she tell INTO
conversation, and. during the inter
view. he told her OF dream OF his Ire
to see n great national university en-
lowed not with tens, but hundreds OF
millions OF dollars. She listened pa
tiently until lie ran down. and then
uuietiy asked. viii il be- for boys ana
girls alike" He paused moment ana
then said. half-aloud Il had not
thought Of the girls In the study OF
the world problems, II would seem as
" most writers had not Thought or tue
girls But no review OF the wonderiuI
evolution ~ human society can cla'rn
to be- At all comprehensive which does
not deal largely with the worth ana
work OF woman.
Let us east LONE look backward
into The remote. dim shRdow OF an
tiQuity 80 obscure were the beg IN
ningS Of the race that much Is lett Tor
fancy The hrs' association was that
~ a horde. The physical appetencles
prevailed over the psychic faculties.
the first was natural afterwards that
which was spiritual Awakened facu'-
ties brought forth ingenuity with me
result that bark became coarse cloth.
friction produced fire. scratching the
soil helped fertility, the shelter or trees
gave way 10 crude huts or leaves. We
talk much Of the patriarchal limos but
let .aus not overlook The maularchal
times at all. SCHOOLGIRLS point out that
our savage ancestry passed through
such periods. when the line or descent
was traced almost exclusively TO wo-
man. In which lineage she was really
the dominant sex
After the forest hordcs. the cl!n and
cave jewellers there came IN the hunt
ing period Rude nuts We're built along
the coasts and the people spent their
time in hunting and fishing. Then there
emerged the pastoral period. when ant
mails were dOmcsticated, and life hogan
10 TAX" on a more permanent form
From tins logically, there grew the
ngriculturad period. While husbands
and Sous were away hunting ana hsh-
ing. the women began the cultivation
|Inf tho soil cereals and vegetables hal
10 take the place Of fish and meat for
them until the mon returned Thus was
laid the foundation for tho home. the
abiding place, and the more peaceful
occupations.
Woman Taught World Its Love.
This most important epoch or tho
evolution was tho peculiar work or
woman. Civilization Is composed OF
two essential elements. CD Permanent
occupation and definite territory. t2)
RCtive exploitation OF resources. There
fore when YOU ask FOR discussion or
he part woman has PLACED In the civil
ization Of the world. the answer comes
|from the early dawn OF being, from
the sowing OF seeds to the saving or
souls she has been an essential FACTOR
In every step Of tho process.
Neither the discoveries Of science
great as they are, nor tho inventions
that make life comfortable and pleas
ant. nor the enlarged scope OF thought
and sentiment as represented In our
vast systems of education, nor the re-
sources that have enriched our treas
uries heyond tho power Of man 20 COM
pute, nor any other material henent
this world has so far forth Yielded to
the touch OF mans almost magic wand
make a civilization. To Greece we arc
Indebted for the discipline OF law. But
10 Christianity we arc indebted for the
ennobling spirit. The world empires
Of Persia and Macedonia and Rome
helTed TO prepare the way. but after
Greece had brought forth mind. and
Rome had wrought ont force. 70 re-
manned for Christianity the most tre-
mendous force IN history, 20 Nil II all
with soul
Civilization In its last analysis. Is a
spirit. And this spirit found Its most
subtle agent I'm the personality Of wo-
manhood. Her gentle touch. her tender
tone. her sarrihcial cloquence taught
tho world it's love. and trained It's citl-
ZensiIip for patriotic service. Let her
own works praise her I'm the gates"
Dare I say a.? ! will. The world Is
what woman has made IL. n has its
dark side. II ~ true but never did the
pure sweet, beautiful God-fearinR.
Christ-like womanhood as IL has today.
She IS helping 70 change vice into viz
tue. self shness into generosity. fear
into faith. mere power into principle.
nomads into nations.
Woman's intelligence and skill. her
devotion and sacrifice. have placed her
In tho van ~ every movement that has
made FOR liberty and life. In all parts
81 the world. Ia education she has
stood on the Airing line for these weary
years sometimes lighting an unequal
battle. when even Christian men
thought II n sin TO attempt the train
ms Of the female mind She has led In
every avenue she has been permitted
TO enter Madame he Stacl takes second
place 10 none I'm her vigorous. discern
ing treatment Of tho subject or politt-
cal economy No brighter flowers grow
I'm tho gardens ~ poetry than the works
or Mrs. Hcmans or Miss Baillie.
Scif ntigts have revealed in the splendid