Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-05-18
WOMANS POSITION
IN THE WORLD
Address by REV. LYLES. of Manning


won her place in science.
| Nurses
If man wages war to kill men and
debauch homes and destroy crops
and leave wounded men to die, wo-
man flies to the rescue. When the
Crimean war was being waged the
prisoners and wounded were tended
by the rough hand of man. 1t was
reserved for Florence Nightingale to
go and with the delicate hand of
woman, with her pathetic pain
charming voice and tender manners
that causes the sufferers. face to be
turned from the wall and kiss the
shadow of this "angel OF mercy" as
she passed, to listen to her sweet
voice with tender hymns of home and
loved ones; to hear her speak or read
a letter from home. All this was
more healing than the surgeons knife
or his medicine. This one woman set
the standard for mercy's work in the
army and on the battlefield. War with
all its cruelty has been shorn of its
torturing part of having to lie on
the battlefield and exc out life by
dying by inches, and who will name
the names of noble women who in the
society with Clara Barton with Spain
who sacrificed home and ease and
luxury TO bind up wound or dress
a sore or read or sing or pray with
those who so needed help.
Courage pays it's devotion at the
shrine of suffering and love. 1t is
heart power, and not any other force
that is most impressive and enduring
There is a charm that fingers over
the home of Josephine, in that palace
a few miles from Paris. Her gentle
patient love exhibited thro' melon
choly years of suffering and injustice
seemed to hallow the place. Not only
the. embroidery worked by her fin
gers, not the harp that was a solace
for the weary days, nor the circular
chamber where this unhappy empress
babe farewell TO earth, but you will
travel with the reader, thro' the long
narrow, shaded path to the quiet lit
tie church where rest the remains of
Josephine. There, on the monument
of this true woman were wreathes of
Iimmortelle, placed there by the hands
of Napoleon's veteran soldiers. 1t is
more than sentiment that causes the
eyes of those horny-handed heroes of
many a battle to be blinded with
tears as they so honor the memory
of this gentle, loving empress. The
lofty column Vendome erected as a
monument of Napoleon's splendid
victories and composed of cannon
captured by him in battle, is laid
PROSTATE by the hand of the Com
mune; but the tomb of Josephine
wears undisturbed its wreath of love
and affection. Blessed are those wom-
en-, found in every sphere of life,
who, like angels of light, accompany
the stricken sons of men, to illumine
the darkness of their ways; to sweet
en- the sorrows of life's cup of bitter
ness; to share the burdens too heavy
to be borne alone; and to sing the
cheering song of hope in the night
of Responding gloom.
Truly, woman has earned the high
distinction she has gained in science
and in deeds of mercy to suffering
soldiers
In Education
i Conditions of the hour make II ev-
en- more imperative that our women
lshould be educated than that men
should. Eight men out of ten are SO
engrossed in business that they have
comparatively little opportunity or
energy or proper frame of mind for
lreading and culture, outside Of mat
tiers pertaining strictly to the bust
ness or profession in which they are
engaged. Thus, the women of our
time have an especial eligibility and
a peculiar fitness for continuous edu-
cation. This has actually begun to
tell on the comparative culture of
men and women in our midst. Wom-
an is winning the scholarships In al
most equal proportion with man. She
is receiving diplomas and degrees
from our highest institutions oflearn-
ing in liberal arts, law, music. art,
medicine, and oratory.
IL our libraries have been made
rich and attractive by the writings
of Shakespeare and Dickens and Wet
or Hugo and Gibbons and Carlyle,
has not the charm been enhanced by
Lydia Marie Child and Felisia Hem
ans and Mrs. Isabel Alden, who writes
under the name "Pansy" and Mrs.
Isabelle Mallon. who once cheered
the Girls rooms under the title of
Ruth Ashmore.
II Charles Dickens could kindle a
spark and start such blaze by Mich
olas Nicolby as to burn out the inn
purities of the schools of England,
and Victor Hugo forge q shaft to for
ever exalt conscience in Les Miser-
ables. 1t was reserved for Harriet
Beecher Stowe to generate such volt
of electricity to melt the metal of
our nation and by its intense heat
burn out slavery and purify our pure
gold Of liberty.
In Reform
The great authors of all times have
confessed that the home life is the
standard of the nations greatness
and the ckurch's strength and the in
Idividual's power. They also have
been utterly unable to tell the influ-
ence of the homelife upon civiliza-
ton. From the home center starts
the streams of influence that color
mans thoughts, mans actions. mans
strength, mans character. The libra
ries are full of histories of war, COM
merce, literature, and finance. But
thus far no author has arisen to show
how the Preside and the rich affec-
ton of the heart has colored mans
industry, and art, mans education,
mans morals and mans religion. For
the home all commerce and agricul-
ture and manufacture are pushed to
their perfection; for the home all col
ors are made bright. all marbles
beautiful. and all music sweet; and
for the home all laws made Just prop
erty safe, and life secure and rich.
Il AS of old the exiled saint persecut-
ed and in despair. saw the New Jeru-
salem coming down out of heaven.
and swiftly darkness and sorrow
passed into Joy and emulation of