The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1917-01-18

Secondly, education makes woman
se.f-reiiant. AS she becomes more
educated she gets about more freely
and independently in the world, She
knows where she is going tand lis on
her way J and she knows how to ger
there, without missing her traln-ot
taking th4 wrong one! she is capable
Of Gaming ner own living. 4 Iarg e
number and variety of emp!oyments
are open to her, and she can manage
her Own b,slncsa affairs, thank you III
you vii. only mind your o"nD without
nearly 50 much ASS stance or interior
ence from persons OF thai ether human
order, known as men whom law and
custom have constituted as her guard
lans fOr sons UuaLy centuries past.
OF course, this comes with a little
shcyk TO the ,hiyalry school Of phlIoso-
ply, but, brethren, We may just as
well al Just ourselves To the new con
ditions Education is abroad in the
land, ard it is contagious, The women
are more exposed to it then ever before
ii The history Of the world, and are
catching tin mighty epidemic. And
It j. not to b. expected that they will
escape ihe characteristic sequelae OF
tnls inl-c,ien namely, wide knowledge
increased s1:I-j- .,.s.--, AMI greater IA
depend nee # lat ~aHts wa.chfyl
DroJ,cl,01 hitherto accorded them ~
iha. slo>I. ,n order VI beng 10 wAi~..
yoa ana being
Thirdly. eoJe=lI3n cts woman free.
''Ie shall >GoH the truth aui the truth
Shall make you free This is what
education does for al!-and for woman
in a special sense. because she is Vlsi-
bly, enslaVed by the tyrant custom. We
are all enslaYtd TO ignorance and to the
limitations Of our uu development, and
education frees Us ali ia proportion as
we may be blessed with its true minis
traitors; but in The case OF WJmm, We
can see the breaking Of her Shackels
before our vcIy eyes. She is being
taught, and the teaching is releasing
her-economicaIly, politically, spiritual
~. The conditions Of her life and her
work are being improved through her
own agitation and self-eXpression. She
is rapidly acquiring the ballot and par
ticipating in the management of public
affairs. And she IS possessing her own
soul!
And, fourthly, education enhances
all places woman has enjoyed the enVi
able reputation Of being among all
the sexes that roam the earth'-by far
the most charming. Twas her beauti-
| fal face that launched a thousand
ships, and burned the topless towers of
Hum Twas she to whom young ldaS,
wounded with beauty in d summer
night, " addressed his immortal tribute:
80 beauty lone and like candle clear
in this dark country OF the world.
| Physically, Intellectually, personally,
! she is admittedly The most charming
| creature God has given to earth, and u.
each of these ways education emily add
| to her charms Ine charm Is not II
mere physical beauty, nCr in intellec-
| tual acutenes6 or wealth 0. knowledge.
nor vet in moral Woythiness, but it is in
the mysterious combination Of all these
which we may call personality. And
| the greatest thing that education does
| for woman-as for man-lies in its de
valopment of personality. 1t does this
or else it is not education. 1t is the
greatest OF all the goals to be desired
by any human being, it is like the hope
OF going to heaven-Which doubtless is
much the same thing the expanding of
ones persona 'ity more and more until
it shall have become one of the godhead
the great original Person in whose
image we are created.
To sum up, our answer to the ques-
tiF-zG sta.E2I With What is education
doing for woman?-we may say: II
increases her usefulness; it makes her
salf-reliant; it sets her free; and it en-
nd n
we may pay her the tribute that is only
her Just due that she is indeed out
helpmate. She is mans greatest de-
pendence under God. She brings him
into the world. She nurtures him with
tender care. For him she makes every
sacrifice of self--even CT life. When
the evil days come. when friends for
sake him, and bodily suffering, disap
po;ntment and pain are his, her hand is
there TO smooth his brow, to comfort
and to bless the mother, the wife, the
sister, the daughter. They never for
sake him. Though his footsteps may
wander far from the paths of recitude
and honor, their love will follow him
even to the gutter, ard lift him up from
disgrace and despair. And in that la
hour of inccnceiyab,e sOlemaity, when
lis soul confronts his Maker, the holy
Offering of W0mGn'5 prayers and Wom-
an S tears is an eHer-present interCes-
sion to a merciful Providence. With
an unceasing devotion, with an almost
infinite patience AMI with Christlike
compassion they fail not to edo out the
duty"-and show enough Of Gods light
for US in the dark to rise by and |
believe that we are rising!