The Irish standard., 1914-09-05
WOMEN OF AMERICA AS NATION
BUILDERS.
phia Catholic Girls High School
by Miss Gertrude NJ. O'Reilly,
of Dublin.

Wnen asked TO speak to you, the
graduates of the Catholic Girls high
school, asked myself, What is the
best message which I, an Irish wom-
an. can bring to these young Ameri-
can girls just before starting out on
their journey of life?" And there
came to my mind these words of
Mary Alphonsus Downing. ("Mary
of the Nation" as she is better
known y: mo nation can be truly
great whose women are contempti-
BILE! How can anyone deserve such
fate from their fellow man? In
many ways, but principally by want
of truth. do not mean merely
truth in words that we convention
ally take for granted, but truth in
word and action.
But before we come to that point
let us consider the question of ma
tionality and woman's power in the
building up of the nation. You young
Americans have a unique opportun-
ity in this regard. Your wonderful
country has passed it's pioneer days
and is now growing to full ma
turity. Men and women from all
parts of the world have come bring
ing with them their traditions and
customs and America must discrim-
mate, take only what is best, reject
all that is less good, gaining by the
experience of the older nations.
avoiding the pitfalls of injustice,
tyranny, extravaganza and ambition
into which they have fallen, and
stand forth before all the world true
to the ideals which in the beginning
1T set before itself. Now you, the
coming women of America, an essen
tial part of the American nation,
have much power in your hands,
heavy responsibility laid upon your
shoulders. In the home, the school,
the business and social life of your
country your influence will be felt.
You will be the mothers of the chill
dren of tomorrow, to the mothers the
children naturally look for inspira-
ton, and on the children of the fu-
ture the nation must depend. See
then that you do not fail your coun-
try, but help it on to the realization
of It's highest ideals. Recognizing
that the nation is made up of indi-
viduals, that, consequently, the life
of even the most insignificant among
us is matter of vital Importance,
think what you would have America
to be and be that yourself. And if
you would develop yourself to
your highest and noblest possibili-
ties, above all, and before all, be true
be true to God, true to yourself
and true to your country.
Trust first to God-the God of
Truth-loyal to His teachings, cost
what it may; not merely keeping His
commandments, but true to His spir-
it. You do not content yourself with
not offending your friends, you strive
to give them pleasure, you are loyal
to defend their interests, if your
friendship is sincere, and can you
offer less to God, the best and tru-
est of friends?
Then true to yourself-true to the
dictates of your own conscience. Ev-
cry one must stand or fall alone, so
let no one ever persuade you to lower
your standard or choose that which
is less good. Do you ever stop to
think that you were born free, en-
dowed with the God-given gift of lib
erty, and that by an imbecile, I'M
reasoning going with the tide, fol-
lowing blindly any fashion that is set
Fashion not only of dress, but of
thought and manner), you are throw
ing away the treasure and becoming
a slave? Nowadays no outside in
fuence can enslave us, it is ourselves
that accept bondage by not daring
to be true. Let us throw off pre-
tense and be ourselves-not striving
to appear richer, more learned, more
fashionable. or anything beyond what
we truly are. 1t Is an age of pretense
and it is all so small, so ridiculous,
in such bad taste, so inexpressibly
vulgar and middle-class! If we
could once realize the truth of the
saying, 1--WE are what we are in the
sight of God, and we are nothing
more" we would be a long way on
the road both to common sense and
refinement.
In the old days women had only
the home to consider. and from that
sanctuary her influence was mediate
and indirectly felt; no economic con-
ditions have changed, driving her
out into the work-a-day world where
her influence on civic life is immedi-
ate and direct. She must be good
citizen as we'll as homemaker.
Every day questions arise on which
she must be capable of forming an
opinion-labor conditions, prohibi-
ton, socialism, child labor, to name
only few, are subjects which direct
ly affect the moral well-being of the