The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-05-15
WOMAN'S POWER
IN WORLD TOLD
BY MISS CADY
Great Opportunity Now
Open to Participate In
World Affairs

lie saturday evening meeting OF
the Girls Conference at the Meth
odist church taxed the capacity of
the great auditorium. 1t was one
of the most interesting and inspir-
ing sessions of the conference.
Mrs. c. c. Fits of Brattleboro,
presided. There was a selection by
the Academy orchestra under the
leadership of Jean Stanley Good
rich. The devotional exercises
were led by Miss Bryson and Miss
Bertha Silsby sang a solo in her
usual sweet soprano voice.
An interesting address on "The
Responsibility of Indian Girls"
was given by Miss Grace J. Paul
of Madras, India, a student at
Mt. Holyoke college. She told of
the foundation of modern Chris
tan work in india 100 years ago
when two girls took shelter from
thunder storm in the home of
missionary. When they returned
home and told where they had
been they were turned away from
their homes and told they had lost
caste with their people. This was
the foundation of a college that
had liz Indi4n girl students last
year.
The speaker said that only one
per cent of the women of India
are literate. She said the first
duty of the Indian girl is to make
the home happy. She spoke of
drink as the greatest curse of the
Indian home. The dowry custom
is the second greatest problem. A
girl who brings poor dowry to
her husband is apt to be told OF
it for the rest of her life. Another
problem is that of caste. Many
are now beginning to feel the in
justice and Stiffness of the caste
system. A person Of hig.i caste
refuses to associate with a person
Of low caste believing them un-
clean. It is our duty to see that
the social condition of Indian W0-
men is improved. Miss Paul was
loudly applauded for her interest-
ing talk.
Miss Mary /. Cady, general sec
rotary Of the Springfield, Mass,
Y. ". c. A. gave an interesting
talk on "What VIII You DO With
Your World?" She told Of the in
spiration she had received from
the great Y. w. c. A. conference
recently in Hot Springs, Ark.
We think Of America as para
disc but noted English woman
says that our problems OF unem-
ployment, social unrest, and war
rehabilitation are greater than
those Of England. If we clear
our eyes to the facts we will find
that we face overwhelming prob
lens in this county.
As we look at things as they
are we find that the world is now
all one great people. The world
we live in belongs to today not 10
those who died Is or 100 years
ago to those who come after US.
We used to think of America as
sufficient to itself. Then some
thing hit US. You know what it
was. The world war awoke us
from our dream. We now find the
world so closely allied that they
can't have influenza on the sleeps
of Russia without filing the ceme-
teries of California. 1t used to
be possible for countries to have
wars all to themselves. But
science has now made the world
so small that one little shooting
affair in Central Europe sets the
world afre. If this is true of pes
tilance and wars it is true of all
our relations. How wonderful it
would be if good health could
spread as rapidly as disease.
Miss Paul speaks of the silly
custom of caste in India. But
don't we all feel that we retain
just as silly customs in our own
land. Every little town has its
caste. What a few people did a
hundred years ago is still reflect
ed in the life of today. We have
to learn that the progress of to-
day is not made by the people who
pride themselves that they never
change their mind. The measure
of progress of the world is more |
dependent upon the power OF
youth to go ahead than on the
power to pull back. We are more
likely to go too slowly than too
rapidly. 1t does not pay to give
too much attention to the habits
and customs of the older folks |
who would stay our progress IN
the world of today.
1t is a unique hour for the
women of today. The opportuni-
ty of women has come in pecu-
liar way. 1t is the time for wom-
en- to use their brains. Think of |
the fact that millions of women |
stood over boiling tea kettles and
watched the cover rise and fall |
by the power of steam but it took !
an 18 year old boy to discover the
of this power. Love
is the only thing that creates; |
hatred tears down. We must carry !
the lesson Of creative love to the |
nations OF the world, into our in /
lustries and into our social life.
What we do shows what we be
lieVe. What a person says Is Il |
poor indication Of what they /
think. To tackle the social prob
lens of today VIC should be hon
est. intelligent and clean.
The answer TO the question
What VIII You DO With Your
World, is that you will be useful
Of society. You will be
citizens in your coun-
try and in the world. You viii
stand for social justice between
the individual, groups and ma
tins Won Will nledpe Nonr noMel.