Year: 1877

She presses her hands hard down upon the
thorns and persuades herself that others
clasp only roses. Could she only know,
could all women in happy homes only know
the hunger of hundreds and thousands OF
women for such homes, prayers of thanks
giving would ascend as perpetual incense
to heaven. Scores of women, envied by their
own sex, reverenced, admired, praised, by
men, are laboring and longing for home
nothing more. They anticipate with JOY the
day when they may lay by at their own
threshold the armor of the battle field and
enter into the enjoyment of their one trophy
of vlctory-the home peace and tranquility.
There is no sickly sentimentality in this
Women must work or starve; they recog-
nize the fact, and with heart and hand push
poverty from them and their loved ones. If
they can do this best professionally, as writ
ers artists or actresses, they accept the
chance for success and the struggle begins.
If they become bookkeepers, clerks, dress
makers or labor at other trades they know
the fight before them and they enter the lists
prepared for long conflict. There is al
ways reward for honest labor, and the
woman who works in her home or outside
of it is sure of a arecomPense, if it comes only
in the growth OF mind and soul, the result
of exerting the powers of thought and re-
fection. There are blessings and gains for
workers, but they are no more foi the
professional than for the home laborers, they
differ only in kind and degree.


1t is quite common remark that girls are
getting too independent now to get married;
that having once earned their own money
they will not be willing to accept a pittance
from husband. Mothers say with pride,
my daughters take care of themselves, and
have no need to marry for home" Women
clutch their bank books and their hearts in
the same grasp, and declare that the power
of money is stronger than that OF love. God
help them if this be so. Do they think of
days of sickness? of years of old age? of
hours of loneliness, when dollars and cents
will hire a nurse, physician, but can not
buy single loving kiss or attention? Do
they know what it is for a woman to be
homeless, except in so far as she shares that
of a relative friend?. Do they expect to
stand alone when heart and head grow faint,
and the only desire is for rest and love? No
They are strong and well now; they have
money now; they have youth, beauty, vi
vacity, business energy now. But what of
| the future? woman needs home, trust
and children; love to satisfy her nature and
establish her firmly in her kingdom. Well
for her If having these she also has peculiar
talents-God given-that will make her re-
nowned and help her to benefit others. Wom-
en- who look out upon the world from the safe
shelter of fathers or husbands love and
name, do not, can not know the difficulties,
the pain, the perplexities, the sorrow that
are before those who are trying all alone
without the strong arm of love about them
to push their way on to success. To the
| ignorant the dangers of such life do not
exist to the experienced they are only too
well known. To the sheltered the beating
of the storm is but part of natures grand
anthem; to the exposed ii is pitiless blast
that chills and beats upon them until they
are glad that they bear it alone.


The men of the present day are not cruel
task masters; they are not brutal or unkind
any more than were those who lived hun
dred years ago, and | doubt if they are as
much so. Our fathers and brothers are as
chivalric, as tender, as loving as any that
| ever lived. Then as these are the ones from
whom husbands are to be chosen. why all
this hue and cry about tyrants? The chill
dren whose tiny arms cling to us, and whose
lips press kisses upon ours are as pure, as
gentle, as precious as those blessed by the
Savior; then why despise them? Why are
they not welcomed as the greatest treasure
of life, as the link that unites us with the
great future, upon which through our chill
dren we will leave an impress that
books, pictures or statues created by
our brains or hands could never equal.
The mother in her home, teaching, direct
ing, educating morally and mentally her
children has a perpetually increasing re-
ward-the growth of their bodies and minds.
Encircled by her husbands love and pro-
tected by his care and labor from want,
blessed with the devotion and respect of her
children home becomes to a true woman
her kingdom, and she the reverenced queen.
God has never given a talent to a woman
that will not make her a better wife and
mother, surer companion for her husband,
a more competent instructor for her chill
dren- The busiest women at home have yet
found time to exercise their entire ability,
and from the nursery, the sick room. the
sewing room of such mothers have been sent
precious books, beautiful pictures, sweet
creations of genius and art. How longingly
many a woman who has worked all day in a
studio, Office, or store, looked in upon home
scenes as she wearily made her way to her