The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-01-24
(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.)

(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS)
THE woman question" inescapaDiy
Is one Of today's living issues. Every
thoughtful person Is bound TO race ~
suuarely, and to look into 1t oeepls'
Whatever Is merely superficial or lnGi-
dental should be eliminated. Thus the
suffrage issue is not the woman qus
ton Even the so-called IeHiiiiis'
movement" which skaters the oIo On ~
ventions and finds other sphere Ioi
woman than that of wife, mother anu
home-maker. is not sufficiently lncius.
i've. Considered dispassionately' tne
distinctive mission of women must en-
ter into any study of the woman luvs
tion." This NAV appropriately be done
in connection with the present ouAuaS
school lesson. For here we ind the at
tention of millions of persons the woiiS
around simultaneously concentrate
upon the New Testament storieS .he
are sufficiently general to open up tne
whole woman question" AS we WaIh
with Mary of Magdala, and Joanna,
and Susanna, who followed Jesus anu
ministered to him of their substance
and as we sit in the shadow OF the nos
pitable Bethlehem home. where the
tired Teacher so loved to resort, we
may consider what light the Blple
sheds upon this modern perplexlty.
A Frank Word About Women.
Whatever the future may holo'
whether woman is to rule by paliot OF
by battle axe. or by ministry ana IN
SEPARATION. there are certain trhom ,s
which may frankly be stated doou1
woman's place in the past
Always her first field has been the
home and the children. She has been
potent in affecting the most lntimate
and basic human conceptions. hers
has been the shaping influence upon lie
at its springs. She has made nome
a sweet word. The picture OF the
home where Jesus delighted to visit is
illuminative.
Always won en- have been more re-
iigious than men. At all times and I'M
der all creeds they have been the de-
tenders of the faith and the attendants
of the altar fires of spirituality. rms
continues during today both In the
Christian church and in pagan lands:
Christian church and in pagan lands. II
man is an incurable religious animal
then the female of the species is more
religious than the male. No symptom
on the days horizon is more alarming
than the modern increase in the num-
Der of women who give religion no
place in their scheme Of things. and
who undertake to get along without its
restraints and it's consultations.
Always woman has been an idealist-
That the claims of Jesus should be so
swiftly and deeply understood by
women is significant 1t is a rare
church indeed that is not attended by
more women than men. This also IS
true Of concerts, lectures, art exhibit
tions, and the higher classes of drama,
and all literary and ethical occasions.
The idealism of woman is apparent
on every hand.
Always woman has been the heart
ener of men. Kipling makes one OF
his characters say There are just two
kinds of women in the world: those
who put strength into men and those
who take it out Of them" The friend
ship of Martha and Mary evidently
mean. much to Jesus. This apparent
~ indirect exercise of wOman's power
may not satisfy some persons; but the
armorer's part in the battle is as real
as that of the warrior. Barrie's ex-
quisite sketch of margaret Ogilvie"
recites how his mother declared that
she would be proud to be the mother
of Robertson Louis stevenson as far
himcelf, Barrie vows that all he is
or has done he owes to his mother.
The world can ill afford to lose that
kind of woman.
The Real Emancipation.
Here we come to a profound his
torical fact Jesus Christ has been
the real emancipation of womanhood.
In his discipleship she has gone to
newress of honor. to newness Of SER
vice. and newness OF character.
Through all the centuries, since one
little group of women were last at
the cross and first at the grave" wom-
en- have been the best friends of Jesus,
even as he has been the best friend
of womanhoOd.
A new sense Of sisterly solidarity
has developed in Christianity. We
might call this noble sex conscious
ness. The passion of Christian woman
for the welfare of the women of the
world is not often discussed in the
newspapers, but it is the broadstand
and most beautiful phase of the whole
woman question"
WOman's Ideal Man.
In return for what he has done for
her, woman has lavished upon Christ
the intensity and fullness of an I'M
measured devotion. He has filled her
vision of an ideal man. His strength
and tenderness, his mastery and His
ministry. have satisfied womans loft
have raised their sons by the Christ
standard, and have fired the hearts
of those sons with the Christ passion,
have been the greatest servants of
the race. is there anything that
would better serve these new times
than more of this spirit in the DAVIS
WOmanhOod?
The company of women who follow
ed Jesus. as We are told in this lesson,
were the fOrerunnerS of an innumer-
able host. 1t would exalt the think
ing, the living. or the characters of a
multitude of US who are talking loose
ly about the woman question" if we
were to get a clear vision of the tvne
of womanhoOd who in home and
church and Christian women's organ
izations are modestly seeking to heir
the world in the name of the Lord
Jesus
HOmelcSsneSS of the Leader
1nterjected into this lesson story
as if to accentuate the human needs
of Jesus on the comfort that was
brought Him by the sympathetic wo.
men, are the three instances of the
men who wanted to follow Him. Te
the first the Master replied: 'Tht
foxes have holes, the birds of the
heavens have nests; but the Son OF
man hath not where to lay his head.
The second wanted first to bury hi,
father and the third to bid farewell
70 his ia u1ilX hut IeSa1S x,oi.&oa -.