The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1912-04-18
$1.OOa Year
ERMS: 6M onths Fifty Cts.

earth was educated by princess;
how that great Egyptian people,
wisest then of nations, gave to the
spirit of wisdom the form of woman,
and in her hand for symbol the
weaver's shuttle. Ruskin says that
woman's function is guiding, not de-
and that we are foolish
in speaking of the superiority" Of
one sex to the other, as if they could
be compared in similar things.
Now, their separate characters are
briefly these. The mans power is
active, progressive, defensive. He
is eminently the doer, the creator,
the discoverer, the defender. His in
tellect is for speculation and inven-
ton, his energy for adventure, for
war and for conquest, whenever war
is just, whenever conqest is necessa-
ry. But the woman's power is for
rule, not for battle-and her intel
lect is not for invention or creation,
but for ordering, arrangement and
decision. She sees the qualities of
things, their claims and relations.
Her great function is praise. She
enters into no contest but infallibly
judges the crown of contest. By her
office and place she is protected from
all danger.
The man in his rough work in
open world, must encounter all peril
and trial; to him, therefore the
failure. the offense, the inevitable
error; often he must be wounded or
subdued, often misled and always
hardened. Within his house, as
ruled by her--unless she herself has
sought .it-need enter no danger, no
temptation, no cause for error or
offense. This is the true nature of
home 1t is the place of peace; the
shelter, not only from all injury, but
from all terror, doubt and derision.
If it is not this, it is not home; so
far as the anxietles of the outer life
penetrate into it, and when the in
consistently minded, unknown, un-
loved, or hostile society Of the outer
world is allowed to-cross the thresh-
old it ceases to be home. 1t is then
only part of that outer world which
you have romped over and lighted
fires in. But so far as it is sacred
place, vested temple, a temple of
the hearth, watched over by house
hold gods, before whose faces none
can come but those whom they can
receive with 1ove-so far as it is
this, and roof and fire are types only
of nobler shade and light shade
as of the rock in weary land, the
light of the stars as in the stormy
sea-so far it vindicates the name
and fulflls the praise of home. And
wherever true woman comes,
this home is always around her.
The stars only may be over her head;
the glow-worm in the night cold
grass may be the only fire at her feet,
but home is yet wherever she is;
and for a noble woman it stretches
far around her-better than ceiled
with cedar or painted with vermil-
ion, shedding its quiet light far for
those who else were homeless.
The nation as whole owes to the
active benevolence of its women
and their zeal in promoting social
reforms, and benefits, which the Gus
toms of Continental Europe would
scarcely have permitted women to
confer. No country seems to owe
more to its women than does Ameri-
ca, or to owe them so much of what
! is best in social institutions and in
| the beliefs that govern conduct.
/ Out of the great chaos of the
French Revolution there was estab-
Ilished a republican form of govern
ment, and in Paris, there is won
derfully beautiful statue of a woman
representing the birth of peace; on
| her brow is the star of hope and in
| her haud is a flaming torch; at her
feet are the broken shackles. May
this be symbolic of the onward and
upward march of the life Of woman.
May she be inspired to comprehend
| the sublime mission of her life, the
relation of time to eterity, of God to
man, until her life shall flow in such
} perfect rhythm, that its music is
j the gladness of the world .