^r^% v ^ll^ W L^> "■cm *.*> o ^. W 1^ '^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I liilM |2.S 1.8 11.25 14 111.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation w •'^ \ ^\ [v K' 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 'H,^ ,.a..^. 'MWlFn^n MS" Entered, according to Act if Congre.., in the year 1880, bt Mcdonald & gill, in tue Office of the Librarian of Congres. at WaBhlngton. ■:^ \. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Tbte-a-tete PAr,< CHAPTER II. Women must have IIkaltu 20 CHAPTER III. Women Can have Health - 20 CHAPTER IV. HvciiENic Hints CHAPTER V. :.v Books CHAPTER VI. WniEN Must Study ... 64 68 CHAPTER VII. How? 70 •■^-^-^-^ 6 CONTENTS. CHAPTKH VUI. Makino tiik Most ok Youu Gifts Bbkau-winnino Talking Economy SKI,F-RK8PFX'T - (llArTKU IX. CHAPTER X. CHAPTER X[. CHAPTER XII. CHAPTER XIII. Getting Mahuieo - CHAPTER XIV. Making the Homk - CHAPTER XV. Work fob Cuuist - 80 88 ^10 138 145 160 180 201 Bf ■.ma.' ~— "i»S MOB ■■I 80 88 UO 128 145 100 180 201 The Potential Woman. CHAPTER I. TETE-A-TETE. Mr twenty thousand young men " from fifteen to twenty-five " have bowed themselves out, the last one waving me a merry "Good-bye," which I love to turn buck into its native Saxon, " God be with you." There is a little restful silence in my study. It has not had time to become loneliness, however, for there is a rustle just outside the door. Young feet touch the thresh- old, and my girls come trooping in, their bright faces aglow with gladness. They settle down about me like a flock of doves, and look up with a mischievous shyness, as if they half expected a lecture on their shortcomings. Not a bit of it, guls ! I am quite too gldd to see you ; and I 1 %9 8 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. enjoy qui' n too heartily your fresh, cxuboraiit spirits, to t:y to tone you dowu too suddenly or prematurely, to the sober realities. I want to talk to you a little while, con amorc ; and I trust that lie who stands "in our midst," will make what I say helpful in preparing you for the earnest work that lies in the path of each, a little further on. My audience is larger this time. Wo keep our girls more carefully than Ave do our boys ; and we can generally get at them with earnest talk. We would be dreadfully shocked to see them lounging on street corners, or in railroad stations, going to base-ball parks, circuses, and race-courses, looking in at saloons, and billiard halls, " just to see what is going on." We let the poor boys stray wherever their curiosity takes them. Untold numbers of them are snared by Satan, and we fail to take the warning. We give them twenty times the lib- erty to run at their own foolish will : and twen- ty times more men than women are sent to the State's prison. li, exuboruiit suddenly or . I want to nore ; and I midst," will ling you for ,th of each, a ). Wo keep Id our boys; with earnest ocked to see ir in railroad circuses, and , and billiard >» I. lerever their ibers of them to take the iraes the lib- 11 : and twen- are sent to TKTi:-A-TKTE. 9 Ileatheti and Moluunmcdan men thank the gods daily that they were not born women. Un- til we bcoomo more caret'ul of the morals of our sons, I am not sure but women ought to use the obverse of this thanksgiving. The Potential Woman. Does the title call up a school-room nightmare? I low like Victor Hugo's devil-fish did that awful potential mood seize the wee, weak brain I How tl»o nervous little fingers twisted the apron-strings, while the small memory staggered under the conjugation of a dreadful verb, with an interminable tangle of auxiliaries switching and snapping about I The call, " Second class in grammar I " boomed over our heads like an alarm gun, startling us out of our mischief, and plunging us into the terrible mnemonic wrestle with those mights, coulds, woulds, and shoulds, dos, bes, haves, and loves. How our cheeks burned, our eyes rolled, and our hearts thumped I If we took a running jump and rattled off the auxiliaries, wo were sure to catch the toe, and stumble upon the wrong principal. If we crept along, syllable ,'.r-i^ 10 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. by syllable, we lost our point of compass, and rushed wildly about the verbal jungle, while the terrific " Next ! " sounded over our heads. We cauie at last to know that the potential mood implied "liberty, necessity, power, will, and obligation." In talking to you about the potential woman, I may speak of what she may, can, must, might, could, would, and should be and do. Each woman is a responsible, human soul. There are millions who do not believe that sim- ple truth, especially in India, China, and Mor- mondom. In fact, nowhere in this wide, sad world, is there heart or hope for woman, except where the sentiment of the Lord Jesus Christ is wrought into the social structure about her. The Son of Mary was, and is, the best Friend she ever had, or ever can have. None but an apostle of His would have dared write, " There is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." The Creator alone has authority to limit "the sphere " of the attainmei^t or activity of any ^ j ^ . - .!»Bi ^ w jBj Mw,s;Bift,(j fii aa.<^ - T'^^ '»»- AN. : compass, and jungle, while er our heads. it the potential y, power, will, itential woman, n, must, might, do. ), human soul, elieve that sim- Ihina, and Mor- this wide, sad woman, except I Jesus Christ is bure about her. the best Friend . None but an d write, " There fe are all one in ity to limit "the activity of any TETE-A-TETE. 11 human being. To His bar alone, all may ap- peal. " Whom the Son maketh free, is free in- deed." That is the measure of the woman's lib- erty. When it comes to the question of her ability, there is a fearful jangle of voices. An East In- dian gentleman said to a missionary, " We would be glad to teach our women as you do yours, treating them as equals, and giving them a chance in the world; but we cannot, because they are fools." An absurdity, as we see it ; for the child follows the condition of the mother: and where men have brain, their mothers can- not have been idiots. God reSpects the mental capability of women. He trudts them with the most delicate and pre- cious material, putting into their hands the best work He has in this world, the care of the little children. If the motto on Gambetta's ring be true, " Vouloir c'est pouvoir" the woman can hardly be called " weak and feeble," for it is generally understood that wf 1U; 12 THE POTENTIAL WO>LA.N. " When she will, she will, And you may depend on 't," Women furnish their full share of the world's conscience. Indeed, there are many who, with their heartstrings tangled about feet that wan- der to the world's end, live only, as kings are said to rule, " by the grace of God." They perform the larger part of the public service of the Lord. Often at night it is unsafe for them to go unguarded on account of the wickedness of men ; yet they fill the churches, and it is generally conceded that they are the most devout worshippers. So largely do they preponderate in numbers in the church that our enemies sneer at our faith, and call it, " fit only for women." Do you not see, in all this, in- creased obligation to do good, strong work, in the world? Every point of power conceded adds to responsibility. "Women ought to be faithful to the Lord, for all that they have that is worth the having comes to them through Christ. The Bible is the woman's Magna Charta. Though it is busy 1 L. LN. )f the world's my who, with ;eet that wan- , as kings are 1." of the public ht it is unsafe ccount of the the churches, i they are the rgely do they lurch that our 11 it, "fit only n all this, in- ;rong work, in wer conceded the Lord, for ;h the having The Bible is )Ugh it is busy TETE-A-TETE. 13 upon the tremendous problems of existence, the genesis of all things, and the origin of moral differences ; yet it turns aside to record events that shaped the lives of women. This is the_ greater marvel, because the nations all about the Bible lands made wives, sisters, and daugh- ters, mere items of bargain and sale. To illustrate great things by small, these pauses in the mighty march of the great Book, remind one of the story of one of Garibaldi's night journeys over the mountains of Northern Italy. He was at the head of his immortal "Thousand," among the cliffs at midnight, when the song of the nightingale struck his ear. He called a halt, and those storm-bronzed, battle- scarred veterans stood with bared heads, listen- ing to the music of the bird, their hearts back in their beautiful southern homes. This won- derful Book steps in its grand movement to tell the pretty story of the loves and hopes of women, and that of their loyalty and faith. It mattered not that the hard, bad world outside, intent on its coarse jangling, did not believe iMff'is brain-work- ers that he is also a good eater, taking plenty of simple, nourishing food. His rule is to tax his digestive apparatus only three times a day. He gives his stomach regular work, and no extras; and always, a half hour before eating, he stops study, so as to g.'ve the vitality a chance to leave the brain, an('. be ready to attend to tak- ing care of supplies. After eating, he takes a similar rest. Probably students fail more fre- quently at this point than at any other. In the nervous, restless activity of crowding the mind to required effort, they crave and devour quan- tities of indigestible trash, — I cannot call it food. The stomach of an outrich would rebel against being obliged to convert it into nutritive IAN. IIYOIKNIO HINTS. 86 8 that ono can can 1)0 obeyed . that will Have keep ono fit for voukl otherwise th its ilo3CS and ons brain-worlc- ;aking plenty of ule is to tax his imes a day. He , and no extras; eating, he stops ty a chance to ) attend to talc- ting, he takes a s fail more fre- y other. In the vvdinfj the mind ad devour quan- I cannot call it ich would rebel it into nutritive nialt(!r, ortpocially if tho vital force were on duty ill tho cninium. A grain or so of common HCiiHc, in regard to the (luantity and quality of what is swallowed, and the time of its being taken into the stomach, will save from the hor- rors of dyspepsia, those whoso digestive appara- tus is not hopelessly diseased. I remember reading of a student who was obliged to leave college on account of inability to digest his food. While ho was away, lie was cured. When ho came back, ho olTered to help tho many others who were in similar trouble. Ho concluded that they would think more of a prescription that cost them something ; besides, in the usual school impecuniousness, money would not come amiss ; so he charged each five dollars, with the condition of secrecy. To their chagrin, they found that all there was of it was to knead the stomach and abdomen with their fists when there were symptoms of indigestion. If they had but known it, it was well Avorth the five dollars to understand that this little me- clianical aid to enfeebled digestion, will save one from a deal of suffering. 80 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. Ilcgulnr cxcrciso in tho open air is probaMy a better preventive, niul even remedy; but when people are in tho haste tliat character- izes young follis, it ia almost impossible to get them to take their •' constitutional " regu- larly ; anil when they do, they usually fall into a listless, die-away movement. Their thought, lounging about in tho vicinity of their work, gets very little actual rest. I suppose, to bo in health, one ought every day to take exercise that will sot tho blood scouring through the veins, clearing them out, and making every cell of tho lungs stretch itself to get its quota of oxygen. Girls are sometimes cheated out of their vitality by the proprieties that keep them on short rations of fresh air and vigorous exercise. This mischief usually begins back near the cradle ; and it strikes root in a mistaken under- standing of the purj)080 of the child's life. The boy is trained to do, and his sister to be looked at. Everything is done to develop in him strong, energetic, independent individuality ; -.■•. :'- ' II I 'i mm AN. UYfJIKNIO HINTS. 87 ,ir is probiiMy remedy ; hut hat cluiriieter- iinpossiblo to utioual" rcgu- jually fall into riicir thought, of their work, e ought every sot the blood iiig them out, fs stretch itself i are sometimes the proprieties if fresh air and back near the istaken under- Id'slife. The sr to be looked velop in him individuality ; and in her, softness and roundness, nirinctjs and lludiiipss, self-consciousness ami vanity. Ho in (liiwsod in blue or gray Ihinuel, that can stand tuinl>ling and dirt; and every time ho gets on u little, in u muscular way, ho is applauded and encouraged. She must wear n flimsy, white muslin, that is kei)t presentablo only by starch and caution. It has three frills and u bow, and its "doing up" costs no end of work, — very l)retty for exhibition, to be kept on a lay figure, or under glass; but not the thing at all in which an active, growing, little human, can exor- cise arms and legs,- so as to develop strength. Mother, nurse, or somebody, must follow the child about, i)orpotually swinging, over the poor little head ' he switch of warning, " Be careful, now ; you'll soil your dress, and then you'll look like a fright I" Talk aboil women being vain, and fond of dress! It is the Alpha and Omega of their training \u their most susceptible years, un- less a specially wise mother, or what is known as "hard circumstances," interfere to 88 THE POrENTIAL WOMAN. give them a chance to come up simply and nat- urally. In heathen countries the matter is not glossed over at all. It comes out in its bald ugliness. The girl is the property of her father or brother; her personal charms consti- tute her chief value; they must be preserved and enhanced at all costs, whether by the foot- torturing process, as in China, the shutting her up to greasy edibles for fattening, as in North Africa, or the cramping of her mind to the verge of inanity, as in India. She is brought up simply for the market. A worldly type of Christianity, that teaches a girl from her baby- hood that there is nothing for her but to be sweet and pretty, so that she can get a good husband, is not many degrees above paganism. In the light from an open Bible, it is far more reprehensible. Sweet ? To be sure you ought to be sweet; and so ought your brothers. There is no sex in moral qualities. Sweetness and gentleness are not incompatible with strength. On the contrary, one can afford to m iMAN. simply and nat- matter is not 1 out in its bald )ropcrty of her 1 charms consti- ist be preserved her by the foot- Lhe shutting her ng, as in North 3r mind to the She is brought worldly type of from her baby- i' her but to be can get a good above paganism, .e, it is far more sure you ought your brothers, ties. Sweetness ompatible with le can afford to «■ HYGIENIC HINTS. 89 b3 sweet and gentle always, who knows that she has the ability to "hold her own." The scolding, fretting woman, whose fde of a tongue would drive the wise man to live on the housetop, is often made what she is by her in- ability to cope with difficult circumstances. Xantippe has always had my sympathy Socrates married her, no doubt, from an intui- tion that she had the strength that would make her a fit mate for a man of thought ; but he fell into his queer, inconsiderate, impracticable ways, and left her to take care of the family, while he was as indifferent as a bird of the air, whether or not there was an obolus to pay the bread bill. His heathenish opinion of a woman crops out in that wonderful death scene that Plato gives in Phsedo. Socrates dismisses the women summarily, because he wants to die in peace. After making due allowance for Greek domestic wrong-doing, we can but conclude that a woman who was sent away from her hus- band's death-bed in that heartless way, had had enough to put up with during his life. If ^'3|^|gB| 40 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. she had had something to do by which she could easily have supported the household, very likely she would have left him undisturbed in his wool-gathering, and, no doubt, she would have come down to us as a most notably useful wife. But to come back to our American girls. The daintiest of them have to breathe, as cer- tainly as do pugilists and oxen ; and usually, in each case, the amoimt of vigor depends upon the depth of the breathing. Vocal train- ers have come to understand that ; they have learned that " a good voice " is not a special endowment to which one is born, like the color of his eyes, and the lack of which ho cannot hope to make up, any more than he can change the tint of the iris. Voice has been found to be a result of the action of so much well-fed, well-drilled muscle ; and if one would keep it in strength, he must not only attend to his general health, and have every muscle at its best, but he must plan systematically for the taking in of large quantities of oxygen, to be used in the maniifacture of vitality. A star MAN. HYGIENIC HINTS. 41 which she could liold, very likely listurbed in his she would have ibly useful wife. American girls. breathe, as cer- u; and usually, vigor depends J. Vocal train- that ; they hiive is not a special n, like the color hich ho cannot n he can change s been found to much well-fed, ) would keep it (T attend to his y muscle at its atically for the f oxygen, to be itality. A star actor who expects to turn the heads of theatre- goers with the utterance of one sentence, pre- pares himself by daily gymnastic drill, giving as much time to the exercise of his feet and knees as if he expected to declaim with them. When he sent forth that cry of anguish that rang in the memory of the thousands who heard it, as an embodiment of human agony, every muscle in his body was called into exer- cise. It represented weeks of athletic drill. If one muscle had been flabby and unreliable, by just so much the effort would have been a failure. Vocal trainers are coming to lay larger stress on the development and management of the muscles with which we breathe. Learn to breathe well, and you will have strength for what you need to do. I am not sure but the art of breathing will come j'^et to have a place in the curriculum of every school. How shall you breathe? Fill your lungs. Lungs take room. You crowd them at your peril. They are easily compressed; and they 42 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. clog and decay easily, also. But slender waists are admired, and we must be slender, if wo die for it, since being admired is the mmmum lonunu Never mind the lungs. What if you do make your life a peri)etual weariness? You can brace up against that. What if Mother Earth does have to turn back lier green cover- let, and let you creej) into a grave years before you were meant to wear out ? You must bo slender and delicate, at all costs. No, no 1 Make up your mind to give your lungs plenty of room. Get your shoulders out of the way. Hold your vertebral column-per- pendicular, and then use, iu your breathing, the muscles just below the diaphragm. If your shoulders are moved up and down with each breath, you may be sure you are not breathing aright. The motion of each inspira- tion and expiration should be below the pit of the stomach. Every deep, full, sustained breath, adds just so much to your power to endure the strain of hard work that is neces- sary to excellence iu whatever you undertake, liriiT'T " ''"i-^mamimmmmm MAN. t slender waists L'luler, if wo die i llie summum What if you eaiiness ? You ^'hat if Mother er green cover- ve years before You must be (1 to give your r shoulders out al column- per- our breathing, iiaphragm. If nd down with you are not if each inspira- 3I0W the pit of ull, sustained our power to that is neces- ou undertake, HYGIENIC HINTS. 48 and that is sure to come to you sooner or later, if you amount to anything in any line. In this work of keeping one's self in health, perhaps wc can give no better advice han that of Dr. Abernethy, an old English court phy- sician of great skill and influence. After his death, there was found among his effects a tin box, that was supposed to hold the most valu- able part of his bequests. It was opened with great care. It contained only a scrap of paper, on which was written : " Head cool, feet warm, digestion clear, starve the doctors." In order to keep the " head cool," it is necessary for the blood to circulate properly. It must be in the veins and arteries, about its business, keeping the scavenger work well done, and due vitality distributed to every part, rather than rushing into the brain, to endanger the blood-vessels there, drive the nerves wild, and bewilder the mind. Suitable exercise is a great help toward keep- ing the blood where it belongs. I remember the horrible sensations that came over me the 44 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. first time I found myself fairly out upon the long Atlantic swells. My head seemed to be turning into a ball of fire, my feet into lumps of ice, and my stomach, — my pen draws back from an attempt at description. I fastened my eyes upon my book, as one by one the passen- gers fled below, some of them not to appear again for days. The more susceptible could not even get down-stairs, but were stretched here and there in their steamer-chairs, in all stages of the indescribable agony. The impulse of self-preservation roused ray will to its utmost tension, and riveted my eyes upon the book. I read one page twenty times, more or less, without having the most remote idea of what the author was driving at. Just as I was about to succumb, and give up the battle as lost, 1 noticed a merry, little cricket of a girl, who was skipping about as unconcerned as one of Mother Carey's chickens. I touched her arm, as she flitted by with a glass of ice-water for one of the tormented. "Tell me, please," I moaned, huskily, "how you manage to keep amf' ^^^ MAN. ' out upon the J seemed to be feet into lumps pen draws back I fastened my ine the passen- not to appear isceptible could were stretched er-chairs, in all jT. The impulse ill to its utmost upon the book. 3, more or less, te idea of what t as I was about battle as lost, 1 of a girl, who smed as one of )uched her arm, of ice-water for me, please," I nanage to keep HYGIENIC HINTS. 46 up." — " Oh, I don't know. I just keep in mo- tion, and don't think about it." I caught her little secret. A few rousing turns on the promenade deck, and the blood was out of my head, and back in my feet, and wherever else it belonged. Why is not this a good remedy for faulty circulation on land as well as at sea. — suitable motion, and a proper management of the thinking ? I have heard of a Jesuit college where the rule is for every student to stop work once in two hours, and swing his chair around his head a given number of times. Every movement of a muscle destroys a cer- tain amount of tissue, and the blood has to rush to the rescue with new material, making good the waste. Exercise keeps it busy, so that it cannot clog and Loiter, leaving worn-out matter to poison this or that vital organ. Every one whose htabits are sedentary, ought to go through a set of gymnastics every morn- ing, after taking the bath and using the flesh- !^^%-!M^Sa^£^^-itj-^^^.i*'f^-^:,'iik<^^^S0S-%^^^^ m 46 TUB POTENTIAL WOMAN. brush, — exercise tliiit will set the blood at work ill earnest. It is easy enough. You need not lumber your bedroom with gymna- sium apparatus, unless you choose to do so. You can raise yourself on your toes, a given number of times, and bend your knees, and twist your body this way and that, and swing your arms. Any hand-book of gymnastics will tell you how to be regular and systematic aboiit it. It takes but little time. You will lose as much in one attack of sick headache as you need for your house gymnastics in two months. During the day, when your feet and hands are beginning to grow cold, and your brain dull and muddy, it will freshen you, and you will get on enough faster to pay for the trouble, if you will stop and go through five minutes of exercise. Of course you will find that you cannot compress your chest after the wasp-waist pattern, .xor hang your clothing in masses upon your hips, if you are to follow this regimen. Your garments must be so made and suspended MAN. t tlio blood at enough. You in with gymna- oose to do 80. ir toes, a given our knees, and hat, and swing gymnastics will and systematic imc. You will ick licadache as iinastics in two feet and hands md your brain 1 you, and you for the trouble, five minutes of find that you r the wasp-waist in masses upon f this regimen. ! and suspended llYOnCNIO HINTS. 47 that when you raise your slioulders the whcde weight is lifted. You do not need much physi- ological, knowledge to know that tliat style of dress is absolutely necessary to health. When it comes to a choice between a fine, strong, robust, vigorous phi/siquc, making it a joy to be alive, and dainty, delicate, and clinging helplessness, making you a burden to yourself and your friends, your common sense ought to settle the matter. Some one has intimated that tight lacing is a public benefaction, because it kills off the silly women, and leaves the sensible ones for the work of life ; but the worst of it is, it does not kill them outright. It dooms them to a living death ; and leaves them on somebody's hands for support. If there could be an elegant, well-appointed funeral, that would end the misery, it would not be so serious a matter as it is. In Greek lands, and in the time in which Paul wrote, the woman was under heathenish disabilities, that made her the "weaker vessjjl." IP B^^ 48 TIIR POTENTIAL WOMAN. Christianity could not cniiincipato her from tliem all at once, any nioro than it could set free the slaves, or abolish the drinking customs. Eighteen Christian centuries have brought us a great way from the barbarisms of the polished Greeks. Let not women professing godliness lean backward toward those paganish days, by clioosing delicacy, instead of strength. Extra- ordinaries excepted, you may have good health, if you will live by hygienic law. As most women dress, if they have even passable health, it is owing to a miracle of endurance. The animal has not yet been made that could be well, if its breathing apparatus were com- pressed into the smallest possible compass by boards of whalebone and steel lashed down with ropes, while heavy masses of woollen and cotton goods were hung upon that part of the body that was least able to carry the weight. In heeding our old doctor's advice, you must not neglect the clothing of your feet. The feet have been called a gateway through which diseases enter. Men do not trust their feet on tAX. lato her from m it could set iildiig customs. brought us a f the polished isiug godliness tnnish days, by cngth. Extra- re good health, iw. As most assable health, durance. The that could be us were com- ic compass by lashed down )f woollen and liat part of the the weight, vice, you must 'eet. The feet hrough which t their feet on IIYOIENIO HINTS. 49 the damp ground without a good half-inch of sole-leather between them and danger. But a sylph-like tread is a jirimo feminino charm, an;„,*»- " -~x- 52 THE POTENTIAL WO^LA.N. from faulty dressing or overwork, there are not a few who sink into valetudinarianism because, like Fanny Dombey, they will not " make an effort." If you want to be well and strong, it v/ill help you more than you can now understand, to decide to do something worth the doing; prepare yourself to do it well, and then do it "heartily as unto the Lord." He did not mean you to be simply an ornamental append- age of the family or community to which you belong, — a sort of sentient, lay figure, on which to hang pretty looks, graceful manners, and fine clothing, for a few years, and then to fade into the background out of the way of other similar lay figures that " must have their day." He has grand, noble wor]; for you to do, that no other can touch, and that must remain unwrought forever, unless you take it in hand. He has not laid you under a six-thousand-year- old curse, pre-dooming you to physical incom- petency. He wantij you to enjoy and grow, to work and succeed. Consecrate your body to )MAN. HYGIENIC HINTS. 53 nk, there are not [.rianism because, 11 not "make an id strong, it v/ill now understand, orth the doing; 1, and then do it " He did not amental append- ity to which you lay figure, on ;raceful manners, sars, and then to t of the way of must have their r] . for you to do, hat must remain take it in hand, x-thousund-ycar- physical incum- joy and grow, to e your body to Him, all its powers to be used not in pleasing the world, yourself, or your friends, but th< Lord who bought you, and to get this sorrow- ful race back into His sunlight. Take the best care of it for His sake, and then trust Him to do the best possible by that which you have committed to Him. Thus may you have free, glad, abounding health, for He says, "I am the Lord that healeth thee." CHAPTER V. IN BOOKS. Like the peri outside the gates of Paradise, woman has long stood before the blessed, beau- tiful book-world, hedged from its glories, for- bidden to sip its ambrosia, or take deep draughts of its soul-strengthening waters. The wisest and most thoughtful have believed her born under ban, prenatally doomed to a subject life, and they have feared lest mental culture would unfit her for the drties of her lowly, lim- ited sphere, or make her discontented with her lot. As late as the sixteenth century, Francoise de Saintoigne attempted to establish girls' schools in France ; and she was hooted at in the streets. Her father called in four doctors, learned in the law, to investigate her case, and decide whether or not she was possessed by demons that moved her to such a hopeless and impious task as try- ing to teach girls to read 1 54 IN B00K8. 66 38 of Paradise, ! blessed, beau- ts glories, for- or take deep f waters. The e believed her ed to a subject nental culture her lowly, lim- mted with her y, Francoise de 1 girls' schools ; in the streets, learned in the lecide whether ns that moved IS task as try- Ti About a century ago. Dean Swift published "A Letter to a Young Lady on her Marriage." It was received without dissent, as nearly aa I can iind. Indeed, I think it was looked upon as an excellent bit of advice to a young gentle- woman. It certainly was in harmony with the spirit of the times. He says: " It is hard that not one gentleman's daughter in a thousand should be brought to read or understand her own natural tongue ; but it is no wonder, when y are not so much as taught to spell in their r )od, nor can they attain to it in their .,:.o^e lives. I know very well that those who are commonly called learned women, have lost all manner of credit by their impertinent talkar tiveness. But there is an easy remedy for this, if you once consider that after all the pains you may be at, you never can rise, in point of learn- ing, to the perfection of a school-boy. Your sex give more thought and application to be fools, than to be wise and useful. When I reflect on this, I cannot conceive you to be human crea- tures, but a certain sort of species, hardly a de- ma- 56 THIS POTENTIAL WO]MAN. gree above a monkey, wlio has more diverting tricks than any of you, is an animal loss mis- chievous and exi)ensive, might, in time, be a tolerable critic of velvet and brocade, and, for aught I know, would equally become them." It was not because parents were unjust and cynical, that they held their daughters back from education. The majority, like the father of Mary Somerville, believed it dangerous to permit the scraggy, mathematical quantities to «nter the soft convolutions of a woman's brain. That good man forbade the servants to let Miss Mary have candles in the evening, by which she could see to read her text-books, because he was sure that, if so indulged, she would study herself into insanity. The friends of Lydia Maria Child were so afraid that she would disgrace them, by acquir- mg coarse, masculine airs, if permitted to be- come bookish, that they obliged her to write over a non de plume. The notoriety of having her name appear in the public prints, as the au- thor of books, would certainly rob her, they IAN. IN BOOKS. 67 more diverting limal loss mis- in time, bo a ocade, and, for orae them." !re unjust and lughters back ike the fatLor dangerous to quantities to soman's brain, nts to let Miss ing, by which ks, because he ) would study Child were so 3m, by acquir- •mitted to be- her to write ety of having nts, as the au- rob her, they \ idi^j^i^iiSi^X^SSS^ thought, of that fine, sweet grace, ko charming in a woman, and that gives the last delicate, priceless touch to the comfort and happiness of the home. Every girl who reads this ought to stop just here, and thank God that the light of Christ's blessed evangel is scattering this darkness. The wise and thoughtful are coming to know that God has given women mental powers that demand opportunity and scope, and that are needed in His service. If the premise had been true, that education would make women disagreeable, rough, and self- asserting, the conclusion at which those earlier good people arrived, might have been correct, and their caution necessary. When French think- ers, under the new regime, proposed to do some- thing towards giving girls a better knowledge of books, Romish priests and bishops protested energetically. "If you fill the heads of the women with history, literature, and philosophy, there will be an end of religion. They are now our main dependence in church services. Men -:TBaWHi®SK«igK«l^«s^S«»»-«^»®isaKSSi45a mmu &>?=;■ 'iA\J^5^' ■•■ •'MWtlW^lSS.'ffi&IlUu- 68 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. never go to tlie confessional. We must keep the women where we can manage them, or our churches will be empty." Their plan seems to have been to have the girls sent to convent schools, where they would be given a smatter- ing of some polite language, a little music, a few petty accomplishments, and graceful manners, and where their hearts would be kept whole and safe for the matrimonial market; then, when they were "finished," and sent out with the "society" trade-mark on them, they might go to the highest bidder, who would give them all but the one thing a true woman must have, genuine respect and love. The priests, mean- while, would manipulate the affairs of rich, dominant families, instituted in that way, through the weakness and superstition of wo- men held loyal to the confessional. No wonder they raised an outcry against the liberal educa- tion of girls. The men of India put the same thing more baldly when they say, " It is all we can do to live with our wives, and horsewhip them once a week. If they were tjiught to IAN. We must keep a them, or our plan seems to nt to convent ven a smatter- le music, a few ceful manners, be kept whole narkot ; then, sent out with m, they might nld give tliera must have, — priests, mean- ffairs of rich, in that way, stition of wo- . No wonder liberal educa- put the same " It is all we nd horsewhip ive tjiught to IN BOOKS. 69 read, they would be so puffed up, they would drive us out of *^'.ie house." The shadov A heathenism still bar'' over some Christian ho . .^, where the daugb ters are made to pass through the fire to the l^oloch of fashion, where " strong-mindedness," which is supposed to come from familiarity with books, is dreaded far more than incompetency, or sin, because, forsooth, it is incompatible with the glosses of " society." The only remedy for this is found in Christ's love and light. Let parents and daughters, teachers and pupils, become imbued with a sense of the world's need, and learn that womanly strength and tact are needed for the ameliora- tion of its sorrows. Let all bring their choicest treasures, and lay them at Christ's feet, and they will soon come to see that they must make the most of each, man or woman, for His sake, and to help on His cause. I know a woman who, in her childhood, hun- gered for books, as few persons ever do. I re- member seeing her, in her backwoods home, '^r.i^'iiui^^^i-iiaStii^iiraHSiif.t 60 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. lugging about a small turkey, while slie "watched the gap," througli whicli her father drove his wagon-load of sheaves during tlio harvest. Some books of natural history, of such sterile Latinity that I doubt if they ever had place in any curriculum, had drifted into the cabin, and this wee starveling moused through them till she could string the scientific terms all over her turkey, fancying that, by that "analy- sis," she was learning something. Then she would lay the "big Bible" on a chair, and wonder her way through the Levitical law. In an old volume from John Wesley's pen, she would study how to make an earthquake, or she would hide away from the other children to dream over the old Spectator, with its queer gossip about the beaux and belles of Queen Anne's day. Very little effort was made to ed- ucate her. «0h, she'll pick up enough to do her I" they said. "We must give the boys a chance ; they'll make their mark in the world yet. There may be a United States senator, or a president among them; nobody knows." So •MAN. IN BOOKS. «1 ^ey, wliile slie hicli lier father ves during tlio Liral liistoiy, of ibt if they ever drifted into the no used through entific terms all by that " analy- ing. Then she 1 a chair, and i^itical law. In sley's pen, she earthquake, or ;her children to with its queer lies of Queen raa made to ed- enough to do ve the boys a c in the world ites senator, or 7 knows." So the little maid was trained to do only what would "help the boys." She wrought their "sums," and wrote their "compositions," while they studied mischief. Slio never dreamed tha+ there was any injustice in this adjustment ; but she' had one little, pet fancy, that was never told. She was going to die some day ; and she prayed often that it might be soon ; and then she would know all the wonderful things that the boys were going to learn when they went to college, and that were not for girls to study in this world. Her brothers went to their professional studies, and she took the pleasant task of help- ing " another girl's brother," with similar work. As the kind Father would have it, her husband proved to be clear-eyed, large-soulod, and unpsl- fish ; and ue set about inspiring her with cour- age for herself, trying to make her understand that God had given her mental powers, and she owed it to Him to make the most of them for His work. A wearisome task had he in straight- ening out the " casto " notions into which her ■'■'^^mamiM THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. mind had been warped. It was a basal belief with her that the work of a woman for tljo world's bettering coukl be demo oidy througli father, brotlier, husband, or son. Not till slio gave herself fully to tho Lord, and IIo had made her " free, indeed," did she allow herself to think that she could utter or write a word that could direetly be of service. Since then, she has done what she could ; but she will suffer a lifelong loss from tho lack of systematio drill and careful training. Perhaps on the back porch of a cit}' home, or under the trees in the country, some young girl, whose life has been begun like that of my friend, may read this; and I want to entreat her, for the tlear Christ's love, to begin at once to make the most of herself, by systematic drill, for His work. MAN. 3 a biVHal belief woman for tho lO only thrf)Ugli II. Not till alio 1, and lie had le allow herself or write a word 30. Since then, ; but she will 3k of systematio a cit}' honje, or y, some young like that of my vant to entreat i begin at once systematic drill, CHAPTER VI. WOMEN MUST STUDY. At last it is conceded, in Protestant chriaten- dom, that women have the ability to learn. Tho woman who thinks, is no longer looked upon as a lusu» naturae. "She claims her license in her work." In spite of the disabilities of tho selfish cen- turies, there have been women who wore strong eiio-.gh to crowd through the thorny hedges of prejudice and ostracism, and achieve excellence. George Eliot and Mrs. Stowe, in fiction ; Mad- ame de Stael, in philosophy ; Mrs. Somerville, in mathematics; Mrs. Browning, in poetry; and since the dawn of the better era, instead of here and there a Susannah Wesley, or Eliza- beth Fry, we have had a host of philanthro- pists and reformers, who stand forth in the light of tho Coming Day they are helping to bring in. -■^yftH mm C4 TFFK POTENTIAL WOMAN. TIio tlioughtful aro Hiiyiiig, "If woinoa could govern oiiipires at Hccoiul-liaiMl, as did thoso who ruled French kings, what could they not do when i)crniittcd to wiold an honorable, acknowledged sceptre?" A response is found in the fact that the three periods of brilliancy in English thought wore tlio reigns of tho three queens, Elizabetli, Anne, and Victoria. God uses tho talent of women. They do nine-tenths of tijo public school-teaching ; and, recently, they have been given an opportunity to try their liand at " higher education." In many colleges and universities they have a place in tho faculty. They do their full share of work as religious teachers, though comptwa- tivcly few are salaried pastors. They do three- fourths of tho Sunday-school teaching, a largo part^of tho preaching among the Friends, be- side filling many other Protestant pulpits. Among Romanists, though held closely to tho service of their church, they wield immense influence ; and they are permitted to hold and manage the finance of their establishments. am mm ,;h«*»ft.»W»»l>>tfWW««l!5WSW SVOMAN. "If woinon CDiild and, as did thoso lat could thoy not iold nu liononiblc, rosponso Is t'oiiiid jriods of brilliaiuiy Iio r(>ip;iiH of tlio 9, and Victoria, ivomcii. They do lool-tcaching ; and, ren an o2)portunity ir education." lu itics they have a lo tlieir full share , though compafa- i. Tliey do three- teaching, a largo ? tlio Friends, be- rotestant pulpits, eld closely to the y wield immense aitted to hold and r establishments. WOMEN MUHT HTUDV. or) They also administer the sacraments in extreme cases. As the priestcsa at the homo shrine, as moth cr, wife, sister or daugliter, the woman has measureless power. By her advice " conscience cases " are settled, that turn strong feet this way or that. The creed of most men is simply an amplification of " my mother said so." The architect who built the light-house of Pharos, put the name of his king upon the wonderful structure. The first generation read it, but it was onlv in stucco. It crumbled off, and left cut in stone, to be read through the ages, the name of the architect, Sostratos of Cuydus, son of Dexiphanes. The mother writes her thought upon the child's soul; and though other hands may bury it with their scrawls, it will come out at last and remain throughout eternity. Phidias cut his name on the buckle of the girdle of his statue of Minerva so skilfully, that to remove ♦^^he name would dest;.;' \e statue. The mothei's inwrought thought 66 THIS POTENTIAL WOMAN. abides ; and happy is the child in whose spirit the tracing is by a steady, though gentle hand, and under the dictation of God. The home is the conservator of the civiliza- tion, and the condition of its women the indi- cator of its progress. Where women are hon- ored the home is noble, and the civilization safe and strong. Under that exquisite Greek cultus, a woman who aspired to any thought above her distaff and gossip, did so at the risk of an Aspasian fame. The city of Minerva became a splendid ruin, and the descendnits of the fol- lowers of Plato, serfs and pirates. Rome went down only when her matrons became ignorant, weak, and vain. The religion of the Cross struck root upon the Seven Hills only when Paula and her noble friends cut loose from their " society " entanglements, and joined with Jerome in studying the unsearchable riches of Christ. Have you read Bishop Thomson's description of the Taj Mahal, the tomb of an Indian era- press? Madame de Staei calls architecture WOMAN. WOMEN MUST STUDY. 67 lild in whose spirit lough gentle hand, Jod. itor of the civilizar ts women the indi- sre women are hon- the civilization safe uisite Greek cultus, T thought above her at the rislc of an of Minerva became icendn'its of the fol- lirates. Rome went as became ignorant, igion of the Cross en Hills only when ids cut loose from nts, and joined with isearchable riches of liomson's description b of an Indian era- 1 calls architecture "frozen music." The Taj seems to be the crystallized dream of a poet. The flowers that ornament the interior of the dome are inlaid precious stones; but oh, the human misery which this miracle of beauty commemo- rates! For seventeen years, twenty thousand poor men were forced to work upon it without pay, their rations so cut down by rapacious officials that multitudes of them died of stcirva- tion. And now, even at its base, little children in their play utter such impure things as may not enter a Christian's most unguarded thought I An empire of two hundred millions held in subjection by a few of the soldiers of a Chris- tian . queen I Nothing can save India from sinking beneath the pitchy waves of her own corruption, but to have her women taught the self-respect and dignity that come only from the religion of Jesus. With all that is upon their hands, women need to be trained to sure, steady, reliable thinking. Niebuhr prays to be delivered from tti»ttdli%a0S)^i&w^ 68 THE POTENTIAL. WOMAN. the "stupid good people." Much of tlie harm and loss from which Christ's cause suffers, comes from the ill-advised efforts of well-mean- ing saints. They think a little way into an important matter ; their thought strikes a preju- dice, and is turned out of its course. They act upon the conclusion, however, as energetically as if they had gone straight through the mat- ter. ITpon no question has there been such prejudiced action on the part of truly conscien- tio\is people as upon this. If women are to teach, they must learn the truth. They must know the way over which they guide others. They must be able to work through a difficult problem, whether it be the management of a child, or a nation's finance. They cannot shirk the responsibility. God has given them the future. They cannot do strong, straight thinking, without being trained in thought. Every one who helps shape a home, by laying her hand on the lives of others, must use the ordinary processes of education in de- veloping in herself clearness, vigor, reliability. [uch of the harm 3 cause suffers, rts of well-mcfui- tle way into an lit strikes a preju- ourse. They act , as energetically through the mat- there been such of truly conscien- WOMEN MUST STUDY. G9 -making herself strong for whatever the Lord calls her to do. Let Euclid and Virgil train her to thoroughness and steadiness. Then can she " look well to the ways of her household" ; she can "tak^ the laboring oar" in any of the great philanthropies of the day ; "strength and honor shall be her clothing," and God's " WeU done," her crown. ly must learn the way over which t be able to work whether it be the nation's finance. sibility. God has cannot do strong, being trained in Ips shape a home, es of others, must f education in de- , vigor, reliability. .;."SM8»«ate- CHAPTER VII. HOW? AccoRDiKG to the old proverb, "Where there's a will, there's a way." If a girl makes up her mind that she must have college train- ing, or its equivalent, in order to do the work the Lord has for her, slie will generally find a way to secure that opportunity. I know it is a great deal harder for girls to " work tlieir way " than it is for boys. There are fewer things for them to do» They can hardly go about shovelling snow and sawing wood. Anna Dickinson, at the front as a lec- turer, might refer with pride tp the fact tliat she swept Philadelphia cross-walks to get money to buy a book ; but mediocre women would not care to speak of having performed such menial service. If your parents are rich, uidess they are un- usually wise, }ou have greater obstacles to 70 I! ! HOW? 71 verb, " Where [f a girl makes Q college train- to do the work generally find a ler for girls to r boys. There do* Tliey can w and sawing front as a lec- le fact tliat she o get money to lien would not ed such menial ss they are un- r obstacles to overcome in securing a liberal education, than you would have if they were poor. " Society " claims you before you are out of your cradle ; and she is a harder mistress than poverty. To acquire an education, is like becoming a Christian ; the work begins with a thrusting out of self. One who is born in affluence has usu- ally everything to pamper self. Much is said, pro and con, about "self-made people"; and some one has attempted to clinch the argument in favor of college training by the weak witti- cism that to be self-made means to be badly made; while, in fact, if one is educated, it is always by his own efforts ; — self-made, if made at all. Professors, libraries, and other school helps, are most serviceable, but they are mere helps. One has to master, by will and faith, the inherent indolence, the propensity to daw- dle, and the desire for cheap admiration. Oth- erwise, all the college courses in Christendom, with all their prizes and parchments, fail to educate. The woman who is designed for " society," 72 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. J. ' I like tho devotee of the confessionul, must not be liberally educated, lest she be spoiled for the narrow, pretty role she is to play. So, in this matter, tlie girl who is poor has au advantage over one who is rich. Make up your mind that, if it please God, you will have university training. If your par- ents are well-to-do, you can bring them to see this need, if you go about it in the quiet, sweet fashion, girls have of getting what they want. When you go home, for vacations, let them see such improvement in you that they will not repent, and change their course. If you are poor, lay aside your pride and sen- sitiveness. Nothing that is honest is dishonor- able, no matter what the world says. Be sensi- ble and economical in dress, amusements, asso- ciations, and the like. Have faith in God, and you will find the " great iron gates " swinging open before you of their own accord. Let me cite an instance : A young woman, a widow, without property, made up her mind to give her two daughters classical education. DMAN. jsioiiiil, must not )e spoiled for tlie (lay. So, in this as an advantage i it please God, ig. If your par- ing them to see the quiet, sweet what they want. uns, let them see xt they will not I. XV pride and sen- lest is dishonor- says. Be sensi- inusements, asso- aith in God, and gates " swinging 3Cord. young woman, a up her mind to ;sical education. HOW? 73 She, herself, supervised their primary instrucion. Then, as they grew toward womanhood, she placed the older, who had musical talent, under the best teachers ; though, to do so, made it nec- essary that mother and daughters should econ- omize so carefully as seldom to have more than one presentable dress, and no fmery. At six- teen, the young lady began to teach music. She taught her way through college, and helped her sister, also, through a classical course ; and they both graduated without debt. I remember the first "girl graduate " in med- icine whom I ever met. I had been told that she learned to work in a silver-plating establish- ment, and saved her wages to pay college bills. I looked at her somewhat impiisitively, for a girl who could do so much, must have grown rough, and masculine, withal ; but a sweeter, more delicate soul, was nowhere to be found. In a NVestern college, one of the lady profess- ors, whom all love and honor, is not at all ashamed to let it be known that she "worked her way," in other people's kitchens, while she !ir mmtuutmttmmmmm 74 THE POTKNTIAL WOMAN. took a uuivcivsitj- course of study, serving for her board during term time, and for wages tiirougli vacations. Plan t(» do tlio best possible work for our Lord. Make the most thorough preparation ; and trust Him to oi)en the way for this when your own energies aiul resources fail. In spite of earnest jjurpose, and severest self- denial, poverty, your duty to others, or ill health, may ho[)elessly hedge your way. Then, what? Keep in the sunlight of assured confi- dence that God knows, and cares, and He will surely help you, since He has given you this desire to fit yourself for strong work. Get a catalogue of the college you would most like to enter. IJegin with the preparatory course, and plod patiently through the text-books, one by one, even though you have to be your own teacher. There is a great dciil that is helpful in the professor's influence, and in the surround- ings of college life ; yet I have found, in exam- ining students, that those who were obliged to teach themselves, had learned most thoroughly 3MAN. tudy, serving for I and for wages lie work for oui* igh preparation ; ay for this when cs fail. aiitl severest self- ;o others, or ill our way. Then, af assured confi- ires, and lie will given you this ig work. Get a nild most like to itor}'^ course, and xt-books, one by o be your own that is helpful in the surround- found, in exam- were obliged to most thoroughly now ? Tfi their lessons. They had not had rccilation-room hints, prompting or suggesting teachers to help thoni over hard places. They had been obliginl to know what they did know in a thoroughly reliable manner. lUit how can you get time for study? liy saving the minutes from the interminable c(m- fidential talks to which yttuiig people arc ad- dicted ; by simplicity in dress ; and by self- denial in ami'sements, yon can go through a college course, though it will i)rol)ably take more years than are usually given to that work. If you were in school, the main point for y(tu to make would be to acquire a habit of conquer- ing obstacles. When you have disciplined yourself to meet diinculties with a patient cour- age, confident that by brave, steady plodding, you can get through them, the work is really done, whether or not you ever hear a college bell. Take, for instance, the mastering of a lan- guage. You open a Spanish reader, and every word has a strange, perplexing look. You feel 78 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. as if you had been carried, blindfold, into tlio heart of a wood Avlierc yon had never been bo- fore, and when the bandage was removed from your eyes, you could not oven toll the points of the conii)a8S. The natural impulse is to give up, and wait for a guide. You must have a teacher, or you can never learn Spanish. But you cannot have a teacher, and you must loiirn Siiaiash, You get a gramirir, and begin with the ali)hubet. "A has tlie sound of a in father." Simple enough. "B has the same sound as in English, except whore it is softened into V." You commit to memory the excep- tions, and 80 you creep along, inch by incli, till you are able to repeat the principles that under- lie the structure and use of the language. Obstacles mastered develop strength. A mountaineer springs fearlessly from cliff to clitl". Every danger, met and conquered, has steadied his courage and strengthened his muscle, till his step has become as sure as that of the rock- goat. Many go through college, using the canes and crutches for such cases made and pro- OMAN. liiidfold, into the J never been bo- na removed fioni tell the points of npulso is to give I'ou must luive a rn Spanish. But 1 you must leurn ,r, and begin with sound of a in B has the same bore it is softened 3mory tlic oxcep- inch l)y inch, till iciples that under- s language, jp strength. A from cliff to cliff, jred, has steadied 1 his muscle, till that of the rock- (llege, using (he ses made and pro- HOW? 77 vidcd. The few do the work that develops a mental vigor which is of untold value in the labor of life. When college training is quite beyond reach, there is yet, in this generous land, enotigU of other heli>8 to enable one to work through the necessary self-discipline, even though the obsla- cles are motmtains high. Elihu Burritt, "the learned blacksmith," sup- ported liis family at the anvil, while he studied Latin and Greek. Mary Somerville, with few teachers, or text-books, became a mathematician of the first order. Frederic Douglass, though born a slave, has reached a commanding position. But some of you sit with your eyes fastened on the ground as if you had little heart or hope for anything. You say you have no special tal- ent, in any direction. You have failed where others have succeeded. There are unbreakable fetters that hold you back from excellence ; some forged by your own carelessness and folly ; others by the sins of those to whom you mm^mmmm '«*«««■ I I 78 3"lli: I'OTKNTIAL WOMAN. ttro bnutid. It la too Into for you to attempt to a uoinpliMli iiiiytliiiip;. The " iiiiglit-lmvc-hecnB" uru Htraiuled tniift that ou},'lit to wiirii every youii},' Hiiilof to do his hest wliilc lio lias oi)[)or- tuiiity, and yet there may be hope for you. Let us see. You may not regain what you huvo lost. " Tl»c tender grace of a day that la dead May never coiue back " — to you ; yet God lets you live for some good purpose. • Consecrate at onco to our Lord what is left of opi)ortunity, and trust Ilim to make all Ho can of it, in any service for which Ho may see it available. Jlemember that it will matter littlo what He bids you ia do. Anything for Him is honor enough for anybody. Tlien set about de- veloping your powers for His sake, " whoso you are, and whom you serve." Determine to bo all you can for Him. Plan a course of readinc. Cut off all time-wasting habits. Study your Bible a half hour every day. Head some solid, strong author, a half hour each day ; and as soon ■n OMAN. y^ou to attoiupt to iiH;lit-lmv(!-l)ecn«" t ti) wuni every ile lie luis ()[)[)(»- opo for you. Lc't I wluit you have mt Is (lead 3 for Hoino good Lord what is left to make all Ho liicli Ho may see will matter littlo •thing for Him is lien set about de- ako, " whoso you Determine to bo ourso of reading, ts. Study your Read some solid, lay ; and as soon uow ? 70 as you can bring yourself to do it, give a lau- i^nago or a scienco tho same an\ount of tinu!. I. earn tt) study wiiilo you are at work. Much (if your daily toil ean become mechanical, leav- ing your mind free for other service. You can rei)cat amo, ant.a8, amat, while you are drawing tho thread through tho cloth, or working at tho ironing-board. Take, as your motto, tho passwords by whicli tho Waldensians recognized each other when they were hiding from their persecutors, '' For love of Christ," and " In His name." With His blessing, you cannot fail to secure the training that will fit you to do your boat iu the Master's service. W^W^^^^^^^^- I SI illll IV ! 1 i* i ■■ i r 1 iki CHAPTER Vm. MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR GIFTS. A YOUNG minister wrote to an older one, complaining of the smallness of his congrega- tion. The other wrote in reply: "I think you will find in the Day of Judgment, that you have had quite as many to speak to as you will care to answer for." Many, like the man with one talent in the parable, fancy that they would do something in the world if they had been better endowed; but, as it is, it is hardly worth while to try ; so ihey drift with the years, and fail utterly of the good they might have done. In human lives the difftrence in outcome is not so much from difference in original endow- ment, as in a diligent use or neglect of natural gifts. ' There were thousands of women in England as gifted as Florence Nightingale ; but they 80 MAKING Tilt MOST OF YOUR GIFTS. 81 mi. YOUR GIFTS. to an older one, 8 of his congrega- reply: "I think Judgment, that you )eak to as you will one talent in the Id do something in n better endowed; th while to try ; so and fail utterly of ne. 'ence in outcome is in original endow- neglect of natural women in England itingale ; but they neglected their chance to "help just a little," while she made the most of hers. She wrote to a friend, who asked for something of her life to publish : " There is little to be said about me. God has permitted a woman of very ordi- nary ability to do a little for Himself. He has done it all; I, nothing. The only thing is, I never denied Him anything." If one is in business, it is wiser for him to know the amount of his capital, invest it care- fully, and, by sure and quick returns, to make it amount to the most, rather than to invest heedlessly, so that a little monetary gale will wreck his craft. It is better for each of us to know what gifts we have, and then make all we can of them. Talents grow by exercise. Witness the blacksmith's arm, and the singer's voice. Parepa Rosa receivod thousands a night for her singing. Firm and strong as were the muscles of her throat, she did not trust them befoi-e the public without daily practice of the Knales. I f 1 i i 82 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. As we mean to be and do all we can for the sake of Ilim to whom we belong, let us not strain after gifts that He did not see fit to give us, but let us develop those we have by careful constant exercise. The Bible rule is, he that is faithful in little shall be trusted with much ; and to tim that hath, shall more be given. You may spend a lifetime in self-scrutiny, trying to determine whether or not you have this or that gift, and thus lose the chance of using the talent that is yours beyond question. There are ajew things for the use of which you know you must give account. See to it that you make the most of them. Foremost among them is time. The time of the daughter of a well-to-do family is not regarded as of much account. It has little monetary value. You and your brother have come home from school. He is set lit business, or to secure professional standing. He gets up in the morning with the air of one of the "producers" upon whom somebody is going to depend. He draws on his overcoat, )MAN. 11 we can for the ilong, let U8 not lot see fit to give have by careful rule is, he that isted with much ; more be given. in self-scrutiny, or not you have ise the chance of beyond question, the use of which count. See to it them. Foremost r of a well-to-do audi account. It You and your school. He is set [essional standing, vith the air of one hom somebody is 3 on his overcoat. MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR GIFTS. 83 and sets his hat down on his head, as if he ex- l)ected to be of some use, and steps off down street with a brisk, business-like movement, as if it would make some difference with affairs if he were not in his place " on time." You get up when you please, spend as much time on your " frizzes " and " bangs " as you like, read as many wishy-washy stories as you choose, gossip idly with others who have nothing in particular to do, make and receive as many in- terminable visits as happen to be convenient, tangle and untangle silks and worsteds ad in- finitum. Your muscle grows flaccid. Your mind deteriorates. Ennui seizes you. You flirt with some weak-brained carpet knight, simply for the sake of a sensation. Your soul is starved. You have a sense of general good-for-nothing' ness. When you nuirry, they say you liave thrown yourself away ; tliough for the tiiu> you are grateful to anybody who will take you off your own hands, and, by giving you a house to keep, will help you find a " vo-^ r.tion." Then, ten chances to one, your troubles begin 84 THE POTENTIAL WOALAN. i II :,i 1 1- in good earnest. Incompetent servants, ill health, nervousness, financial reverses, and the thousand and one ills that flesh is heir to, corae in troops. Your hands are full of duties that demand the steadiest nerve, clearest brain, and strongest faith. Aurora Leigh says : — " The works of women are symbolical. We sew, sew, prick our fingers, dull our sight, Producing what? A pair of slippers, sir, To put on when you're weary. . . . Or else, at best, a cushion, where you lean And sleep, and dream of something we are not, But would be, for your sake. Alas, alas ! This hurts most, this, that after all we're paid The worth of our work, perhaps." Your accomplishments, as they are called, — the making of slippers, cushions, and the like, in a pretty, tasteful fashion, — are not to be frowned down. No Barebones Parliament, nor Blue Laws Congress, can legislate out of a woman's nature the love for artistic combina- tions of form and color ; yet the real value of knick-knacks of that sort is, that they give i •MAN. nt servants, ill everses, and the L is heir to, come 11 of duties that , clearest brain, ijiubolical. lull our sight, ipers, sir, • • e you lean ing we are not, Jas, alas! all we're paid ley are called, — )ns, and the like, — are not to be 3 Parliament, nor jgislate out of a artistic combina- the real value of , that they give MAKING THE MOST CV VOUR GIFTS. 85 one's homo a sweet, bright, cheery look, an air that welcomes the outside workers at evening, and charms away their weariness, like the tea- kettle song and the hearth-cricket in Dickens' little story. They are worth their weight in diamonds, when love and tenderness are wrought into every stitch. But oh, the folly of putting up such thirgs for sal:, to pay for the parson- age, or cushion the church! One might as well attempt to sell bird-songs, dewdrops, and rainbows. The givls wrfnt to do something to help along I Poor things 1 They cannot earn anything to give. Their time is regarded valueless. So they are required to " Sew, sew, prick their fingers, dull their sight," and the net profits on their products are less tlian the earnings of one day in a good, paying avocation. Talk about women never producing master- pieces of art I Many a one has frittered away enough taste upon chenille, arasine, and T^^fjty^PSfRs:-- nat 86 THB POTENTIAL 'WOlkLA.N. V. " crazy " work, to have made her a TintojJetto, if she had given the time to the study of art, and had had opportunity and scope for the exercise of her talent. The world is coarse, rough and hard, in its politics, its philanthropies, its worship. It needs everywhere the Christly gentleness, the tender patience, that women learn beside cra- dles and dying beds. Tlie woraan'r^ aspira- tions, sweet and holy, should be wrought into epic and statue, picture and cathedral. Holmes said : " No wonder Balzac wrote good novels. He dug them out of a woman's heart." Out of the woman's heart must come the sweetness that shall heal the bitter waters of this world's misery. The charities have been growing strong and practical during the last quarter of a century, because the King's daughters have been giving their strength to them, instead of to the petti- ness in which they wore held during the un- Christ-like ages. Industrial schools for poor );ttle waifs, who will surely slip into the quick- MAN. ler a Tintoretto, he study of art, I scope for the and hard, in its 3 worship. It gentleness, the !ain l/osido cra- kvoraan'd aspira- )e wrouglit into ledial. Holmes Dte good novels, heart." Out of 3 the sweetness of this world's MAKING THE MOST OF YOUE GIFTS. 87 sands unless they are taught by some one to earn their bread honestly ; flower missions, car- rying brightness to " the least of those " who are shut away from the sunshine; and the blessed sisterhood of the White Cross, reaching down to save those for whom nobody has cared, — oh, how much there is for us to do, if we will only " find time " for it 1 For His sake who watches the humblest of His workers, let us bold each minute as too precious to waste on trifles, "redeeming the time, for the days are evil." ving strong and ir of a century, ave been giving of to the petti- during the un- ichools for poor into the quick- mmmm CHAPTER IX. BREAD-WINNENO. Probably the majority of the young ladies who read this book, earn their own living. But one says, " I am living at home. My father and brothers support me." You do not mean to say you live in idleness, do you ? " No, indeed. I am up as early, and work as late, and as hard as anybody about the house. But I don't call that earning my own living." It seems that you work for nothing, and call your board and clothing a gift. How is it with your brothers ? Do they think they earn their own living? " Well, I fancy it wouldn't be quite the thing to hint that anybody else supports them. But then, it is different with boys, you know." Why should it be different? There is noth- ing gained by calling things by the wrong name. If they earn their living, you earn 88 BREAD-WINNING. n le young ladies mi living. But My father and not mean to say ly, and work as jout the house. own living." jthing, and call How is it with they earn their quite the thing rts them. But 3U know." There is noth- by the wrong k^ing, you earn yours. In our country, both boys and girls be- come responsible for their own acts at twenty- one. " But we ought to help our parents " To be sure, boys and girls alike, owe parents a debt that they can never repay. On the other hand, parents owe it to their children to train them so that they can take care of themselves. In order to that, they must develop in them those most important elements of character, self-respect ar-d self-reliance. If you are in ser- vice for which you receive nothing, and in the attitude of a recipient of bounty, you can hardly help being deficient in those same elements of character. Wise parents make their daughters, as well as their sons, equal to self-support. But it is not " according to the customs," as the Chinese say. I have read that the Duke of Argyle ap- prenticed a son to a tea merchant. I doubt if even he were brave enough to apprentice his daughter to a milliner. Perhaps your parents and brothers delight so 90 Tin: POTENTIAL WOMAN. m 1 Jlr in having you in the home, and in giving you expressions of lovo and tenderness, it never en- ters their minds tluit you can need to bo devel- oped in ability to support yourself. In view of tho fact that you are liable any day, by their death or impoverishment, to be thrown upon your own resourccB, you ought to think and plan for yourself. Allow mc to add that you must be sweet and gentle, with all your inde- pendent thinking, or you will lose more than you gain. There is little to fear, however, in a well directed, candid facing of this question, or from its result. I have observed that they who most respect themselves, and are surest of their own standing, are most just, generous, and self- controlled. It is the incompetent, and those who are conscious of being kept out of their own, who do the fretting and scolding. As a true Christian woman, you cannot do otherwise than always treat your parents with reverence and love. Yet you nesd not shut your oyes to the fact that if you do a servant's work, you really earu a servant's wages, — I -S. rOMAN. nd ia giving you rness, it never en- neetl to bo devel- irself. In view of any day, by their ) be thrown upon ght to think and ! to add that you ith all your inde- iU lose more than fear, however, in a )f this question, or •ved that they who are surest of their generous, and self- ipetent, and those kept out of their I scolding, m, you cannot do your parents with )u nesd not shut you do a servant's lerv ant's wages, — BREAD-WINNING. WE' your board, and two, three, or four dollars a wook. As a pcrnjanont and interested member of the housrliold, your service is wort I .t>le tliat of th( best servant. You huvo, . las earn, and the proverb is, "A penny is two pence earned." It is in your i)owoi .., till the home with order, economy, comfort, and good cheer ; and they are beyond price, even in their influence upon the more conspicuous bread-winners. It is to be hoped that you will have a home of your own some day, — a home so affluent and full of unselfish love, that this common, mercenary question will never dare intrude. After the favov and service of God, that is His best gift, and most to be desired. Monetary, political, or literary success, is poverty-stricken failure, without tliis heart's rest. Aurora Leigii says : — " My Father, Thou hast knowledge, only Thou, How dreary 't is for women to sit still On wintry nights, hy solitary fires. And hear the nations praising tliem far off. ■fillilHHi 92 TUB rOTENTIAIi WOMAN. Too fail Ay, pratRiiim our quick nmwe of lovo, Our very heart of passionate womanhood, Which could not heat no In this vcrHo without lining present also in the unkissed iipH, And eyes undrled because there's none to ask The reason they grow uiolst." Tlio opposite of that droary life is tl»o pretty (Ileum tliiit lloats ever, sweet and airy, througli a young girl's fancy. IIow often is it scattered like morning frost-work in the plain daylight of hard facts I Think of the sad-faced, wrinkled, heavy-hearted women about you. They all d roamed that same dream. One was widowed Kfore marriage; another, soon after; while a third saw the fine, handsome fellow ou whose arm she leaned so proudly that wedding morn- ing, go down under the black waves of intem- perance. A fourth has had a world of trouble with her children ; and the worst of it is, her conscience lays the blame at the door of her own incompetency. Your hopefulness paints the future in azure and gold. God grant that your dreams be real- M. WOMAN. k Mmti of lovo, tiiatiluMxl, k'cisc without (m1 lips, ; 8 none to a«k ry life is tlio pretty and airy, througli :)fteii is it scattered 10 plain dayliglit of ad-faced, wrinkled, it you. They all One was widowed lOon after ; while a le fellow on whose hat wedding morn- ck waves of intem- a world of trouble worst of it is, her it the door of her the future in azure '^our dreams be real- .%.^ oOc- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I I^|2j8 |2.5 U£ 1^ 111112.2 ^ m I 2.0 1.8 1.25 1 1.4 III 1.6 .4 6" ^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4S03 •N? \ <^ ^^>%^ <^^^ ■n- CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Instltut Canadian de microreproductions historiques kva BKEAD-WTNNIKG. 93 ized. There is so great a preponderance of probability that they will fail, it is wise to prepare for failure. You will find yourself thereby the better fitted to enjoy success. Sup- pose the man who "was meant" for you does not die, nor marry anybody else, nor lose his way in finding you, and you really settle to the beautiful, blessed business of making a home, you will find that, for even the material side of your worlc, you need most thorough preparation. Every girl ought to be carefully trained in housekeeping, even if she is never to marry. She ought to know, for herspH, ;iow a living- place can be made comfortable and delightful. Every woman ought to have " a home of her own," husband or no husband. It adds to her dignity to have a house, over which she pre- sides, where she dispenses hospitality and char- ity, bearing her part, as a responsible member of the community and church. If a young lady is properly trained in domes- tic economy, she can begin with her husband at i ri'-' -i!f,'i - A\, -'' vm^i»-f^'lf'V:>_ r3 :^Ty ' i\ l'' >!X;}iS ' ^ .?*< 94 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. the foot of tht financial ladder and work up- ward. I know of no happier bit of temporality than the adding of item after item of comfort and refinement to a small, new home, — seeing it grow into symmetry and elegance under two pairs of loving hands. Many a young lady who has been brought up in indolent helplessness has had to reject the man who had captured her heart, because she knew she would be only a showy burden. Marrying for a home, she has been guilty of what blunt old Dr. Clark calls " legalized adul- tery." In her empty-hearted luxury, she knows that she has made shipwreck of the best that this world could give. While a girl is under the care of her mother, who is usually the best and most unselfish in- structor, she need not be half a lifetime learn- ing the simple details of housework. Some are years in learning to read their own language. They blunder along, stumbling over the hard word . ble to render plainly a sin- gle paragraph. o trouble is, they do not fix their attention on what they are doing. g 8 n t( ii ii y l€ h aj di tl hi ki lii w ti MAN. jr and work np- t of temporality item of comfort home, — seeing Tance under two been brought up ad to reject the 3art, because she showy burden. } been guilty of "legalized adul- ixury, she knows of the best that B of her mother, lost unselfish in- a lifetime learn- york. ) read their own ;, stumbling over er plainly a sin- , they do not fix e doing. 11 BREAT)- WINKING. 95 For the same reason, girls are sometimes a great while in learning to keep house, and never do learn it thoroughly. Suppose you make up your mind to be a good housekeeper, and say to yourself : " I am going to learn to make a bed as well as mv mother does." Your mother will be glad to teach you so that you can learn it in one morn- ing. On the other hand, if you underrate the importance of this knowledge, and fancy that you can pick it up in some way, going on care- lessly and indifferently with your work, you will never acquire a habit of keeping your house tidy, comfortable, and with economy. Some women are meanly and selfishly extrav- agant, — not of set purpose, but because they did not take pains to learn a better way when they ought to have done so. No wonder men have a light opinion of wives who have so little knowledge of monetary values that they cannot lift an ounce of the " business " burdens ; and who, in their ignorance, seem not to care at all that their husbands grow coarse, and old, in 96 THE POTENTIAL WOMAX. their dingy, dismal dens of trade, to " make the money " for them to spend in showy dress, and gossipy indolence. You cannot respect yourself unless you know that you do thoroughly, and well, the work for which you are rightfully held responsible. Miss Fisk tells us that she was one day trying to teach a company of silly, chattering Persian women, whom she could not keep quiet. At last she rebuked them sharply; and one of them looked up into her face with, "Why, don't you know we're only women ? " " That," adds Miss Fisk, " was equivalent to saying, ' We are donkeys.'" Poor things I From mother to daughter, they had never been given anything as their legitimate work, whicli they could learn to do honestly, and well, and so command the respect of themselves, or anybody else. As Christians, we ought to know better, for " what our hands find to do," we are to do " heartily, as unto the Lord." Occasionally we go into a simple home where a plain woman presides, — one who does what [AN. , to " make the owy dress, and espect yourself loroughly, and rightfully held one day trying tering Persian ep quiet. At ; and one of I, "Why,don't " That," adds ying, ' We are )m mother to iven anything ey could learn command the )dy else. As ter, for " what do "heartily, e home where ho does what BREAD-WINNING. 97 she can with the means at hand. We feel the refinement as soon as we cross the threshold. We are conscious that we are in the court of a queen. From such homes, and from under the hand of such mothers, have come the men and women who have done most to lift the world up into God'a sunlight. But you may not have the chance to grow unselfish and lovely in a lowly home. You may marry a rich man who can " set up house- keeping" for you, "with all the modern im- provements." Even then, you need a thorough knowledge of housework, or you will not be able to manage your servants, and you will find } ourself in a labyrinth of domestic disorder. A house without a competent woman to manage its affairs, may be compared to an army without a commander. There is no end to the loss of opportunity and resource. Upholsterers may furnish with an elegantly stiff and unusable air. Trained servants may bring on the meals in proper time and order, yet the atmosphere that makes a palace of a cabin is altogether lacking. -r*— w- 08 *rHB POTENTIAL WOMAN. There are a thousand and one points that need the touch of a woman of refined tuste and culture ; and without it, the charm of compu te- nesa is wanting. And then, in this republic where there are no entailed estates, the rich of to-ch\y are poor to-morrow. You do not know how soon you may bo obliged to do with your own hands the work necessary to the comfort of the household. Just here I catch a glimpse of a dragon that destroys the peace of many a family, and Avrecks many a young life. If I point him out, I won- der if some brave knight of the "new chivalry" will not ride into his fens, and dispatch him for our safety. Robbie Burns turned a Gatling gun upon him, but he failed to give him the coup de grace. He saw the meanness of contempt of plain, honest, hard work, and wrote, as best be could, to make that contempt contemptible : — " Is there for honest poverty Wlia hangs his head, and a' that ? The coward slave, we pass him by; We dare be poor, and a' that. i that need [ taste unci )f complote- e there are ay are jioor V soon you I hands the ) househokl. Iragon that and Avrecks out, I won- w chivalry " itch him for [ a GatUng ve him the pt of plain, 3t be could, BREAD-WINNINO. 09 For a' that, and a' tliat, Our toils obscure, and a' that; The rank is but the guinea's stamp — The man's the gowd, for a' that. " Wliat though on hamcly fare we dine, Wear hmldin grey, and a' that; Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine, A roan 's a man, for a' tliat. For a' that, and a' that, Their tinsel show, and a' that; The honest man, tliough e'er sae poor, Is king o' men, for a' that. " Tlien let us pray that come It may, As conio it will, for a" that. That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth, May bear the gree, and a' that. For a' that, and a' that, It's coming yet, for a' that, When man to man, the wide world o'er, Will brothers be, and a' that." Loyal Americans set their faces as a flint against European aristocracy; yet it is mere consistent than that of our own land. Its dig- nity is shared by the whole household who hap- pen to have inherited its honors. The husband 100 THE POTENTIAL 'WOMAN. is not obliged to grind up hia chances for refined, cultivated life, to get the means to sup- port his family in elegance. I once hoard a lady who seemed to have good sense about other matters, give it as her opinion thai 0.11 aristocracy is necessary to the complete- ness of society ; and, as we in America have no titled estates, she thought our best substitute is to have women kei)t daintily and delicately as an aristocratic order. Faugh I What republi- canism 1 What could a woman think of herself to take that role, while the man whoso life is a part of her own, is lashed out of all comeliness and beauty to support her pretence of superior- ity! Though this wrong social bent is the bane of married life, yet it is often the result of mis- taken tenderness. The young business man wants to hedge his wife in from all the perplexi- ties and drudgery of business. He puts her in a pleasant house, and brings about her ail the sweet, refining things within his reach, and bends to the laboring oar, fancying that she, at iSL- I r. cluinoes for eiiiis to 8up- have good her opinion 10 complete- ica have no jubstituto is lelicately as hat republi- ik of herself 3S0 life is a 1 comeliness of superior- the bane of suit of mis- isinesa man the perplexi- puts her in her ail the reach, and that she, at BREAD-WrXNlNO. 101 least, is hiippy and safe. Ho does not seem to understand tliat his comfort is as much to her as hers is to him. IIow would ho enjoy dainty seclusion while she was out alone, buffeting business breakers, her brain reeling uiuler the weight of care. A true, unselfish woman is never moro contented than when she knows that her work amounts to something in lighten- ing the burdens of those who are her life's life. If a man sells goods, it may greatly strengthen the firm for his wile to be in partnership with him. Her quick sense, and habit of obser- vation, may help him in the purchase of stock, and her tender conscience may hold him to the line of right when ho is tempted to be lax in business morals. Many a house would have been saved from bankruptcy if the wives of the partners had had a voice in the management of affairs. If a man practices law, or medicine, it might be greatly to the interest of all concerned if his wife shared his studies and work. The danger of their growing away from each other — a most deadly peril in the domestic life of 102 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. enterprising people — would bo avoifled; the womiin's tact and skill would be given full scope, and the joint interest would be bcli)ed on by the new and peculiar strength she would bring into the concern. " But," you usk, " what about society claims?" As I understand it, they are largely facti- tious, and they nuiy always be waived when oc- casion requires. There is a great deal in them that is at war with domestic happiness. Few society people, or successful business men, are happy in their families. Sooner or later, it conies out that they have met the heavy de- mands of society and business at the expense of their domestic life. Let the man and woman *' whom God hath joined together," stand side by side in work, and in social life, and we shall have fewer of those abominable divorce and scandal cases that do most abound among society people, and those who aspire to that position. Instead of the wife spending her husband's BltKAD-WINNINO. 103 oifled ; the given full helped on bIio wouUl )ut society irgely facti- ed when oc- eal in them iness. Few Js8 men, are or later, it e heavy de- e expense of and woman " stand side ife, and we ible divorce ound among pire to that jr husband's hard eiirnliigs in show and nonsense, lot her sluuo the l;il)or of prodiiciiirr, thus saving both from temptations to moral dclinciuoncios. If slio brings trained business brain to Jier domestic alTairs, she will get through them ten times niore easily than if she lives in the usual, light, careless way. She will bo willing to pay well for domestic service, securing brain for her sewing-room and kitchen, instead of only hands and feet. In lieu of lounging about with her familiars, and bemoaning the short-comings of her servants, or petulantly "carrying the war into Africa," or Ireland, as tho case may be, slio will get good girls, and show them how her house is to bo kept, treat them properly, and have from them reliable service. "Rut what about the children? Will they not suffer loss when the mother is in business ? " If sho shares her husband's work, he can find' time to teach the children, and to be taught by them the sweet lessons he needs to learn. She will have better health when she is conscious of helpful ability, — a genuine bit of mind-cure ''t>^-''>mmmmmmmMmmmm 104 THE POTENTIAL WOJIAN. that would drive peevishness, scolding, and nervousness, out of many a household. She would be in condition to give them the best of care when that duty came to hand. Best of all, she would know how to keep them in a weU- ordered, Christian home. Instead of being pushed a^ide by a father who has come to know nothing but his ledger and prices current, they would have the noble companionship of one who had taken time to turn carefully the deli- cate leaves of their shy, half-written thought, and a mother who was capable of cont- oiling herself and them; and whose strong, loving hand would lead them grandly upward to the better things. " Then comes the statelier Eden back to man, Then springs the crowning race of humankind." Girls ought to be trained to the practical work of bread-winning, whether they are to marry poor men, or rich men, or if they do not marry at all. It is a shame to our common sense if we I'lf^itiilriiii AN. scolding, and lusehold. She em the best of I. Best of all, lera in a well- ;ead of being come to know current, they nship of one fully the deli- tten thought, 3f cont-olling itrong, loving pward to the ^o man, imanklnd." the practical they are to ■ they do not sense if we BREAD-WINNINQ. 105 shrink from having it known that we work for wages. How much better are we than our fathers, brothers, or husbands? They make and sell hats, or wagons, shoes, books or lec- tures. What if we make or sell bonnets or dresses ? I fail to discern the difference in the shades of respectability. It is certainly a shame to us, if we are Chris- tians. Our Master was the foster son of a car- penter. His apostles were working men. One day He girt himself with a towel, and washed their feet. That was the work of the lowest menial, — about like our boot-blacking. He said, "What I do, ye know not now; but ye shall know hereafter." His glance swept the centuries. He saw the time when contempt of plain, hard work would be the bane of the civ- ilization. Under a false social system, to be obliged to earn one's own living, would be con- sidered a hard necessity i and exemption from work, good fortune. He did His best to save us from that false view of life : and when we get our souls filled with His thought, and our i i 11 13 Ik 106 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. lives in harmony with His purpose, we find our- selves lifted to His nobler plane. Bishop Taylor says a great deal about the strength of missions being increased by the heroism of self-support. Be his theories correct or faulty, wo know that every individual, man or woman, has to choose between being a pro- ducer or a consumer, — between self-support and parasitism. Every student of human de- velopment echoes Carlyle's injunction : " Be no longer a chaos, but a world — even a world- kin. Produce I Produce 1 Were it but the pitifulest, infinitesimal fraction of a product, produce it, in God's name ! " Have you read Drummond's description of the degeneration of the Nauplius into the Saccu- lina. It sets out in life with the outfit of a respectable crustacean ; but " the taint of para- sitism is in its blood." It fastens upon the her- mit crab, and " boards entirely at the expense of its host, who supplies it liberally with food and shelter, and everything else it wants. Its swimming feet drop off, and the animal set- 1 N. , we find our- al about the asecl by the jories correct Lividual, man being a pro- self-support if human de- letion : " Be ven a world- e it but the f a product, lescription of ito the Saccu- e outfit of a taint of para- upon the her- the expense Uy with food it wants. Its e animal set- BREAD-WINNING. 107 ties down for the rest of its life as a parasite." It was punished by Nature for " its disregard of evolution," and " its evasion of the great law of work. Instead of being an independent or- ganism, high in structure, original in action, vital with energy, it deteriorated into a torpid, and all but amorphous sac, confined to perpetual imprisonment, and doomed to a living death. Two main causes," continues Drummond, "are known to the biologist, as tending to induce the parasitic habit. These are : first, the tempta- tion to secure safety without the vital exercise of faculties ; and, second, the disposition to find food without earning it." Are there not multitudes of women who per- mit the caste restrictions of society to crowd them into " the parasitic habit," and who pay the fearful penalty of loss of vital ability in con- sequence ? Worse even than that, — there are great numbers who, when the arm on which they leaned for support gives way, sink in their help- lessness in the quicksands of sin. Tens of 108 THE POTENTIAL VVOiMAN. thousands perish every year in the streets of our great cities who might have been saved to purity, happiness and lieaven, if they had been given the means of independent support. Left suddenly in tiieir helpless respectability, with' only untrained hands with which to fight the wolf from the door, and with devils clutch- ing at the weak, trembling fingers every hour! Duchalet says : " Of three thousand lost women, only thirty had an occupation that could sup- port them. Fourteen hundred had been driven into that horrid life by destitution." Death or dishonor 1 Starvation or hell I What a choice 1 It would be well if the noble White Cross Army, in its grand rescue work, would labor to prevent the terrible wrongs it is set to right by inducing all young women to pledge themselves against dependence and parasitism ; and all for His dear sake who gave them capabilities for , high endeavor and achievement. Among the charities of women for women, there are none more worthy of aid than those that aim, by industrial training, to give girls the means of self-support. »arti8B Wtww » 1 MAN. BUEAD-WINNING. 109 1 the streets of ! been saved to ' they had been ; support. Left ectability, with' vhieh to fight th devils clutch- ers every hour! land lost women, that could sup- liad been driven ion." Death or What a choice 1 le White Cross , would labor to set to right by sdge themselves 3m ; and all for capabilities for Every woman ought to be able to take care of herself. Every one ought to be so conscious of the dignity of her life in its union with the Lord Jesus Christ, that she will be above the petty snobbishness that looks down upon hon- est, hard work. Each should have the mind of Him who " took upon Himself the form of a servant," and who, " though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we, through His poverty, might become rich." Each should seek wealth of thought, affluence of soul, the imperishable riches that will abide after the stars have faded, and the heavens have been rolled together as a scroll. nen for women, aid than those to give girls the CHAPTER X. TALKING. Philologists may wrangle as they will, yet it is generally believed that articulate speech is a gift of God. Like thought, or musical abil- ity, it is -riven in rudimentary form ; its recipi- ent must develop it, and bring it to proper dig- nity and strength. There are differences of linguistic endow- ment, as there are differences in musical talent. One may become a fine talker with less effort than another ; yet no one can talk to good pur- pose, unless he stirs up the gift that is within him. There are people who have left off try- ing to learn to talk, before acquiring even a respectable skill in the expression of thought. Grant was so slow of speech that he tells us with the utmost naivete, how he suffered on a public occasion when a congratulatory address was made to him, to which he feared he would 110 :».-« ri.i4 .M TALKING. Ill they will, yet alate speech is r musical abil- rm ; its recipi- to proper dig- juistic endow- musical talent, vith less effort k to good pur- that is within ve left off try- uiring even a )n of thought, lat he tells us suffered on a latory address ared he would have to reply ; and how the torture was re- lieved when the people began to shake hands, tlius making it unnecessary for hira to say any- thing. He thought out the campaigns that saved the Union and spoke in the victories of Vicksburg and Richmond. We would wish, more earnestly that he had learned to talk, if he had not used those last, death-smitten months in giving the world the great, honest, generous thought that filled his silent soul. Many, of gracious, richly-freighted spirits have been held in dumbness through the dolorous centuries, because their speech was timid altid gentle. When such are taught and encouraged to speak, we shall see the dawn of a Better Day. The gift of speech has been bestowed alike upon men and women; but women have not been permitted the scope of theme, nor the prac- tice that men have reserved to themselves. It has not been thought safe for them to discuss politics, philosophy, literature or science, lest they become " strong minded." On account of this restriction, they may sometimes say, with 112 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. all the more persistent fluency, what is allowed them. If a set of musical people were kept forever at a few little jingles, they might come to rattle them off with uncomfortable celerity. Men not unfrequently make painfully apparent the fact that women are restricted to few sub- jects of conversation, by dropping into " small talk " when tliey address them, as if speaking to children or minors. Women, like all who have not had a fair field, have fallen into diplomacy, carrying by favor points that they are not permitted to win by direct argument. They understand that noth- ing pleases an egotist more than to have one listen well to his talk. So they say, "Yes," and " No," and keep up a gentle jingle of the small bells of assent and applause, hoping to gain by pleasing what they are not allowed honorably to claim ; their hearts, meanwhile, hungering for the mental food of excellent, ennobling speech. Consequently their talk often has merely the flash and gleam, the shimmer and ripple of the shallows, lacking .-^> i i^'jJA.u,J4»»uuJWJmiMi i >jaM PCT^ mmmtJ' AN. rhat is allowed )le were kept jy might come rtable celerity. ifuUy apparent ed to few sub- ig into " small as if speaking bad a fair field, ying by favor ted to win by and that noth- n to have one y say, "Yes," 3 jingle of the use, hoping to •e not allowed ;3, meanwhile, of excellent, ;ly their talk id gleam, the allows, lacking TALKING. 113 tlio sweep of the cataract, and the fullness of the sea. A bad man sneers at a woman's tongue, be- cause lie has never known the sweet and serious words of a sister, the tender counsel of a mother, the whispered confidences of a wife who has surrendered all for the love of him. The men of the nobler Christian chivalry are above such paltriness. The wonder is that women talk as well as they do, since they are not allowed their full share of practice. They do hardly a thousandth part of the public speaking. It is not they who talk against time at national expense, set- tling public affairs, as Lowell says of the black- birds, "in windy congresses." It is not they who turn the exchange into the veriest Babel by their unearthly howls and shrieks. They are rarely called upon for speech-making on occasions of special interest. They do but little preaching or college lecturing. Tliey are obliged to keep silence in most of the churches. It is not their voices that are heard at a dinner "-'-■yaa g 1^ imti. «iiii.A- 114 THE POTENTIAL WOMAK. party, or above the rattle of the cars. Whore they have been permitted to create a social order that has made fine talk possible to them, as in the palmy days of the French ualouy they have reigned as queens of society ; and under their rule, conversation has become one of the fine arts, making the free interchange of ex- alted thought a most delightful pleasure., Women can talk, and they ought to learn to talk well. They train the children, and make the home, the most important of all en- terprises, demanding the clearest, steadiest thinking. Clear talking is usually necessary to clear thought. If one talks by jerks anc} hitches, starting out with a sentence that rat- tles off like an empty wagon, but that has to be drawn up and started back a half dozen times for a forgotten part of the load, you may be sure his thinking is quite as uncertain as his speech. It costs thousands of dollars to teach young ladies music ; yet it would be an infinitely finer an more useful accomplishment for them to K^tniut-JMHigvauu i Mfta iN. cars. Where •eato a social jible to them, ;h Holon^ they Y ; and under 110 one of the ihange of ex- aasure.^ ight to learn children, and mt of all en- S8t, steadiest ' necessary to )y jerks an4 euce that rat- t that has to a half dozen load, you may icertain as his ) teach young nfinitely finer for them to TAr-lvIN(!. 115 siicak well (heir own vernacular. If you can ren- derskillfuUyone of Chopin's intricate polonaises, or Beethoven's grand Hyini)honies, your effort may be iindoi-stood l)y u few cultured people ; hut you need clear thought, simply and directly expressed, that you may be understood by yourself and your friendw. You cannot be reliably truthful unless you state things plainly to yourself. If wo have careless and inac- curate habits of speech, wo may play rhetori- cal tiicks ui)on ourselves, even in our ap- proaehcs to God, and so our piety may rest upon an unsound basis. The love of friends must be short-lived, unless there is among them a free and honest interchange of thought. To 8j)eak well, one must know the meaning and grammatical illations of words; and in these days of many books and cheap education, he is surely to blame who does not learn to use his own language correctly. It would save a world of misunderstandii>gs, if we would always say just what we mean, and not some- thing else. We must speak so as to give sensi- 'fe*-; 110 TIIK rOTRNTIAL WOMAN. ble people pleasure. I need not warn you uf'iiinst iniinucri.sina, loudiu'SH, coarHcrieHS of voice or words, the giggling Imbit, tlio Auduciiv Diiiig-yer-cyea style, ns set forth by Mrs. Stowe, offending good taato by its lack of modcHty ; the Hinipering and affected, the slangy, the haughty, the ostentatious; your own common-sense pro- tests against all these faults. If it has not done so, it nuiy take severe discii)liuo to bring you up where you can see that by them you hedge up your own way. A woman ought to talk, as a real lady always dresses, siujply, neatly, and with refined taste ; her tcmes should be quiet, even, sure and steady. So much for the mechanical part. Now for the matter : she must " read much," as Seneca says, " but few books." Few and the best, wasting no time on that which is shallow and trashy, — only so can she gather material for intelligent conversation. Going through a good book is like walking in a garden of flow- ers ; even if you bring away not one blossom, you will carry its fragrance on your garments. ntai < ib n tii Wvti i» w^ ' iajBW B>«' — N. )t warn you loarHtMienH of tlio Auduciii r Mrs. Stowo, inotloHty ; the the Imuglity, lon-seiiHO i)ro- [ it luiM not lino to bring by them you 1 lady always refined taste ; 311, sure and hanical part, •ad much," as Few and the ich is shallow ither material lUg through a irden of flow- one blossom, Dur garments. TALKING. 117 massasKeeimi^ '"nr^ssmmsf IJut ill tliat garden of Hiiir9"<7 tm^AntimJtm d- -. 180 TUB POTENTIAL WOMAN. more." I think Hho might well havo afEor nie, and oat }oul delight it- CHAPTER Xir. 3ELl<'-KIWI'K(rr. All people desire tlio respect of otliers. Wo brush our luiir, and fasten our collars, that oth- ers may think well of us ; and that can hardly bo regarded out of ihe way, for the social har- monica dei)cnd upon mutual respect. Our Saviour warns against tho excess of this desire of preference. Ho denounces those who seek tho chief seats in tho synagogue, and to be called "Rabbi." He says: "How can yo be- lieve which receive honor one of another, and seek not tho honor that comoth from God only?" Titles are habitual expressions of respect. They were abolished in the Great Republic by way of emphasizing belief in the primal principle that all are born free and equal. Nevertheless, men cling tenaciously to any little shred that may have caught upon their names. Let a 146 146 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. man, by auy accident, be dubbed "Doctor," "Professor," "Colonel," or "Judge," and it will not be wise thereafter for one who asks a favor of him to neglect the sobriquet. We all laugh at the insignificance of these small hon- ors. We pass our little jokes at the expense of " Doctors " who are not learned, " Professors " who never taught, " Colonels " who never saw a battle, " and " Judges " who never sat on the bench; yet when we need to propitiate the mighty men of renown, we are sure to catch the censer and give it a swing. And, with all our dignities, what pigmies we are, to be sure ! Compare the mightiest of us with the great king, Xerxes, of Persia. J2schy- lus calls him "the Susa-born god." His gar- ments blazed with diamonds. His pa^ ice was a hundred and eighty feet high, and it stood upon a platform a thousand feet square. He feasted with every luxury tens of thousands of his subjects for six months. He gave an entire race into the hand of his grand vizier for ex- termination ; and then, by a nod, sent that same potentate to tlie gallows. L [AN. bed "Doctor," uclge," and it ne wlio asks a iquet. We all ese small hou- the expense of , " Professors " ho never saw a /er sat on the propitiate the ire to catch the iat pigmies we nightiest of us ersia. ^schy- od." His gar- !i3 pa^ ice was a and it stood }t square. He if thousands of gave an entire I vizier for ex- sent that same SELF-RESPECT. 147 Away back in those days of marvelous macr. nificenco, that Persian vizier discovered th°e usual human desire to monopolize all honors within reach, when he allowed his life to be em- bittered by the lack of the salaams of one He- brew captive. Even in America, men are as reluctant to share as to abate their honors. For instance, when a man has studied, and begun to practice medicine, he regards himself entitled to be rec- ognized and addressed as a doctor; it helps ad- vertise his business. Yet he is chary enough about granting the same recognition to a woman, though she has studied as hard, practised as much, and needs as certainly to have her business advertised. The Salvation Army are the only people who are indiscriminate in the application of titles calling men and women captains and colonels pro merito, without distinction of sex ; but their only honors are mobs and imprisonments. It is nbt only to gratify a desire for respect, but from a sense of incompetency, that men h^mSl^^i- I 148 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. seek to monopolize our scant distinctions. Usu- ally, when one holds his head specially high, you may know that there is a quaking in his fortifications. He is trying to brace against a fear that he is an utter and outright failure. Those who are assured of their own worth are not on the watch for every indication of respect from others. In this matter, the maxim of our Lord holds good : " To him that hath, shall be given ; and from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath;" but that is the world's usual law of giving. To make sure of the respect of others, we must begin by respecting ourselves. In the good old days of Haroun-al-Rasehid, as the story goes, there was a philosopher at court who was banished fifteen times, because he had always on his lips some word that dis- pleased the courtiers ; and he was recalled fif- teen times, because it was found every time that he could get along perfectly well without the court. When the world finds that our self- ctions. Usu- [>ecially high, aaking in his ace against a tright failure, wn worth are tion of respect iir Lord holds be given; and »e taken away it that is the of others, we es. uun-al-Rasehid, philosopher at times, because word that dis- ras recalled fif- nd every time ly well without Is that our self- 1 SELF-RESPECT. 149 respect is so sure and sound that we can get on quite comfortably without its expressions of regard, it immediately becomes anxious to be- stow them upon us. I repeat : if you would be respected, respect yourself. Though specially sensitive to the approbation or disapproval of others, women have every- thing to deprive them of proper self-apprecia- tion. Most of the people on the jjlanet are in doubt whether or not women are altogether hu- man. ]; '^hina, — and nearly one-half the race are Ch e, — their immortality is seriously questioiieu ; and also in India, where the Vedas teach that their existence as women is a punish- ment for some atrocious sins in a former life. In our own country, there are tens of thousands quite as degraded as are Oriental women ; — the squaw, bending under the load of papooses and camp equipage, while her high and mighty lord rides before her in his painted and be- feathered pomp ; the Alaskan, in her icy hut, and icier servitude ; the New Mexican, in her semi- Christian bondage ; the Mormon, taught in the I'-^aBaiii' . . 150 TnK POTENTIAL WOMAN. harem that she can have a soul only through the bounty of her matrimonial lord and master, — what is there in the life of any of these to make them regard themselves as other than blots on the face of creation ? In Catholic lands, it is not much better; though a woman rivals God as an object of worship. A typical young Pariaienne told a friend of mine that she was about to be married. " In- docul I didn't know that you were in love with anybody." " Oh, I'm not. My father has arranged everything. I do not know Monsieur, but he has plenty of money. When my father told me, yesterdajr, he let me know about a half dozen others who had asked for me. One of them — but, we'll say nothing about that now. It must go the way my father says. A girl can have no mind of her own, you know." In a train between Venice and Florence we met an Italian girl of twenty-two. Her English was quite perfect ; and we found, in the course of conversation, that she could read Greek and nly through and master, of these to other than luch better; n object of I a friend of Lrried. " In- revG in love [y father has iw Monsieur, ;n my father about a half me. One of it that now. A girl can Florence we Her English a the course I Greek and SELF-KESPECT. 151 Latin, French and German, and she had written books of poetry, copies of which she sent us after we reached home. She was travelling with a duenna. When we separated, we gave her our cards. She wrote her address in ray memorandum-book. "Italian girls may not carry cards," she said, with a lift of the brows that took the place of a shrug. " We might use them improperly, you know." It cannot be otherwise than that we have a shadow of this heathenism, even upon our Protestant, American civilization. All men, except the few who belong to the noble Chris- tian chivalry, think themselves, by birth, supe- rior to all women, and assume toward them a patronizing, and, at best, a protecting air. It flatters such men to have women take the " ivy " role, and " cling " to their oak-like importance in tender helplessness, and it is not difficult to induce women to take that part. Of the traits developed by this maladjustment, it would be hard to tell which is the more harmful, the arrogance of one, or the sycophancy of the other. f'T^fiS; •^U^SfiSlK SSS&S6S&SSI^^> X, 152 THK POTENTIAL WOMAN. If we would properly respect ourselves, we must learn the intrinsic dignity of our race. Aurora Leigh says : — " Hnmanity is great. And, If I wonid not rather pore upon An ounce of con]n]on,ugly,hunian dust, An artisan's palm, or a peasant's brow, Unsmooth, ignoble, save to me and God, Than tracli old Nllus to his silver roots, Set it down as weakness, — strength by no means." Made in the likeness of God, redeemed by the blood of His Son, capable of being filled with His Spirit, an eternal saintship possible, a crown and kingdom promised, who can measure the greatness of the human soul? It may be tram- pled in mire, like a lost diamond, or biiilt into coarse, common wall, like the beautiful scattered Greek marbles, yet its worth outweighs the uni- verse. The merest scrap of outcast humanity, held in probation by the Lord, may yet become heir of all things. . If you are a Christian, you ought to respect yourself. A child of the King of kings, all m&smBs- VN. ourselves, we of our race. 'eat. t, ■» od, y no means." leemed by the ng filled with ssible, a crown measure the may be trara- , or biiilt into tiful scattered 'eighs the uni- ast humanity, ay yet become ght to respect of kings, all SELF-RESPECT. 153 things arc yours, for you are Clirist's and Christ is God's. Jesus saic' of one who does the will of the heavenly I .er, ie same is my mother, my sister, my brothei. What higher dignity could one ask than that of being a sister of the King? You belong to a class who were loyal to Him when their brothers betrayed Him. They were "last at the cross, and earliest at the tomb." His glazing eyes caught the last ray of human sympathy from a woman's face. His first com- mission to proclaim the good news of His resur- rection was given to a woman. Women have been His bravest and trustiest confessors. They are two-thirds of His Church. He gives them the privilege of doing nine-tenths of the teaching that reveals His love. When one knows that she is a princess of the realm, she need not care if she passes unrecog- nized through the crowd, or even if she is jos- tled now and then somewhat rudely. She knows that the palace gates will swing wide open before her, and that the coronet and all high honors await her coming. iiwaii«ij»MfiiiiiiiiaifWiiaw tissf^ 154 THE POTnNTIAL WOMAN. When one has thia real self-respect, there is an end of shams and pretence. An English duchess dresses more plainly upon the street, and is far less airish, than an American shop- girl. Perhaps the greatest harm that comes to a woman who fails to respect herself hecause she is disfranchised and shut out from worldly hon- ors and emoluments, may be the trickiness de- veloped in her character. She cannot claim an honorable place and standing, so she resorts to small deceptions to win her way. It is of no use for her to speak, so she will keep silent, and carry her point by little diplomacies. She will cajole and flatter, and ask as a favor for that which she knows to be her own. She grows crafty, and sometimes she fails to see just what is true. You remember in the fable the lion asked the sheep to tell him if his breath was disagreeable, and bit her head off because she said " Yes." He tore the wolf in pieces for his falsehood, be- cause he said " No," in answer to the same ques- AN. spect, there is An English >on the street, mcrican shop- at comes to a If because she n worldly hon- trickiness de- mnot claim an she resorts to '. It is of no eep silent, and 2ies. She will favor for that 1. She grows see just what lion asked the 8 disagreeable, e said " Yes." falsehood, be- thesameques- SELF-RESPECT. 156 tion. When he asked the fox, Reynard replied with his usual cunning, " Keally, your Majesty, I have such a severe cold I can't smell." While we despise the falseness of the fox, we are in- clined to lay the blame at the door of the tyran- nical lion. Observation shows us the counter- part of this in many a human community and household. When Luther and his Katie stood beside the remains of their little daughter, he tried to soothe his wife's grief. "I know it hurts to give her up," he said ; " but then, this is a hard world for girls." Thackeray, in his Becky Sharp, portrays the selfish, unscrupulous cunning into which one may be crowded by difficult circumstances. Women are ridiculed for piecing out their small personal cha eras, and making them last as long as possible, yet one is thrust aside as " an old woman" at fifty, while her brother, a little her senior, is " a young man just approaching his prime." She is remanded to the chimney corner to knit for her grandchildren, while he ""'IflBBI 166 THE rOTKNTlAL WOMAN. is encouraged to attempt his host, work. It is decidedly unwise for her to prf)tc8t. She must have recourse to frizzes and furbelows, luces and illusions, appeals for protection and sharp devices. It is a brave lady who dares be thoroughly genuine. It is a grand woman who endures patiently, never cheating nor scolding. Only she who truly respects herself can do as Mar- garet Fuller saya, "Stand upon her feet, and give her hand with dignity." The honors that entitle one to lift the head come only from above. A friend of mine was walking along a street in New Orleans beside an elegant-looking, college-bred young Anglo- Saxon who had a touch of African blood in his veins. As they were stopped by some little group of the dominant who blocked the cross- walk for a moment, the spirited octaroon was stung by a sneer that curled the lip of a passer-by. " O my God ! " he muttered through his set teeth, lifting his fine, dark face toward the heavens, " Must I bear this bitter curse for- ever and forever ? " -ni work. It is t. She must :)W8, luces and I and sharp e thorouglily wlio endures Iding. Only II do as Mar- ker feet, and lift the head of mine was 'rleans beside oung Anglo- blood in his 7 some little ed the cross- octuroon was he lip of a :ered through face toward ter curse for- 8ELF-UESPEf;T. 157 Poor fellow I He Raw only the paltry human dignities, and he writhed under the sonao of wrong and outrage, because, for no fault of his, ho was robbed of what ho knew to bo his due. He had never heard that word of the High and Holy One: "Him that honoreth Mo, I will honor." By contrast with that scene, I remember see- ing a colored washerwoman lead a meeting at one of the religious watering-places whore were gathered many people of culture and relinement, — church dignitaries, also, of no mean grade. She was old and ignorant, a woman and black, but God was with her, and none dared gainsay or resist her word. It was in demonstration of the Spirit, and with power. She sat alone on the platform, swaying her sceptre over the mul- titude, — magnates and all, — a crowned queen, honored of her Lord. The real dignities are within the reach of all. The weakest in this world's estimation, have the best chance, for God hath chosen the weak things to confovmd the things that are mighty. 'StSHtgiUiiSlim 158 TIIK rOTKNTIAL WOMAN. Our hunger for respect can ho api)ea8ed only by a sense of tlie lionor confetTcd upon us hy the indwelling Christ. His " well done " ulono has power to silence its clamor. We may not have association with the refined and elegant. People of intellectual gifts and attainments may i)ass us hy, ignoring even our presence, hut, us the Lord's own, we shall liavo an escort of his "beautiful, tall angels." They will encamp about us, and deliver us in our times of peril. Better still, the Lord Christ himself will be with us alway, even unto the end of the world. One of my friends had to speak for the Lord one day to a large congregation. She bowed her head in agonizing prayer, so oppressed was she by a sense of her inability to do the work before her. Her brother, who sat beside her, whispered in her ear that word about our S; - iour's being strengthened in his terrible conflic'., *' The angels came and ministered unto Him." The moment before that, she had caught a glimpse of tlie mighty Elder Brother, standing M<^'m&yifmmmtmfm^pifi'««>»»if M m m^mm ss tAN. appcftsed only id upon us by 11 done " alono 'ith the refined tual gifts and ring oven our we shall have ngels." Tliey /(iv us in our i Lord Christ 3ven unto the Ic for the Lord . She bowed oppressed was } do the woik vt beside her, )out our S: - rrible conflic'., I unto Him." lad caught a ;her, standing ii>s£a> r«ijaa«i 8ELF-UKSPKCT. ir)9 at her aide, and she whispered in reply to the word of encouragement, "I do not need the angels, I have their Lord." When we know the glory of His ever-blessed presence, we cannot fail of the quiet, steady, assured dignity of genuine self-respect. \ ' 'itsK&issaaii sasmmiii^. CHAPTER XIII. GETTING MARRIED. No doubt you havo heard of the young lady whose father, on her wedding-day, tried to im- press her with the importance of the step she was taking. " My dear child," he said, " it is an awfully solemn thing to get married." — "I know that," she replied ; " but it is an awfully solemner thing not to." Even in Christian communities there are many who seem to think it a great misfortune, and a mark of spedial unworthiness, for a woman to remain unmarried. In all lands, through all the centu- ries, priest and ruler have held and enforced that there was but one thing in life for a wom- an ; and marriage to a masculine human of any sort whatever was better than to stay single. In India, it is a disgrace to all the family to have a girl of ten years not disposed of matri- monially. In America, Mormon girls, hardly 160 ^ [ED. the young lady lay, tried to im- of the step she " he said, " it is married." — "I it is an awfully jn iu Christian ' who seem to and a mark of Oman to remain fh all the centu- 1 and enforced life for a wora- e human of any stay single, ill the family to posed of matri- Dn girls, hardly - ^;;Jf'Ta^^'■;^l■'«y"■■^^W'Wy^«iiiiiniiii »^lr^J^tl^ri^«^J■„J■,,^.A.^■mi^lm,p«^,,.^^.^^^^.■^^.,|Jpp>^ :KTt*t 168 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. spent in carousing, and nights in debauchery. Is there not one moral law for both? Have you not a right to demand honor for honor, purity for purity ? One afternoon my friend's horse ran away. "Ho is worth fifty dolUirs less than he was this morning," remarked the gen- tleman, when I met him that evening, and he told me of the animal's misadventure. " Was he injured by his fall ? " I asked. " Oh, no, not at all ; but since ho has run away once, I can never again feel so safe about him as I did before." They say cancers are cured sometimes; but one always feels apprehensive lest they may break out again, after they have once taken definite form. When young men "sow wild oats," you cannot feel quite sure that there may not be enough left of the pernicious seed to produce another crop some day. You had better not join hands iu the attempt to make a home either with a man who is a spendthrift, or with one who is miserly. With the spendthrift you will soon have little left -^Mai^ittaMMialt^MMMMMBaiMHi iN. I debauchery, both? Have or for honor, n my friend's ty dollars less ked the gen- nlng, and ho iturc. " Was d. "Oh, no, away once, I > him as I did metimes; but st they may 3 once taken n "sow wild hat there may icious seed to \i the attempt nan who is a iserly. With ive little left GETTINQ MARUIED. 1G9 witl" which to procure the necessaries of life. With the niggardly soul you will bo made to feel the pinch of poverty while he adds to his useless possessions. You must bewaro of ono of those intense egotists who draw everything to themselves, and count it of more or less value in propor- tion as it builds up their own interests. There are some who are amiably tyrannical. In their mistaken kindness they would relieve you of all responsibility. Tliey have studied human nature to so poor effect that they have failed to discover that even with a little child there is nothing more enjoyable than to do things " all by it3elf " ; and nothing is more wearing than a sense of uselessness and incom- petency. I once knew a man who fancied that he could take the best possible care of his wife by keeping her in affluence, and saving her from all care, even of her own wardrobe. He thought he knew better than she did how money could be expended to advantage, — and so perhaps he did at first ; but he failed to »»»^ Biriapawft^gpTtiTiTrfin m^urni 170 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. understand that her womanly reasoning would 80011 liavc made hor his supericjr in tiiosn linos, if she had been ])erniitted to use her ability ; and, also, that there is nothing sweeter than the privilege of conquering obstacles, especially one's own ignorance. He fancied himself the very luidc of husbands, and wondered why she should look so jaded and thin, smiling always in that mechanical, bloodless way, when he was doing 80 much to make her hapi,^. . lie died suddenly, and loft her and her children in the hands of administrators, who managed the estate in such a manner that she was obliged to begin to exert herself in self-defense. As soon as she recovered from the first shock of her grief, and began to think her way through the difficult questions, the color came back to lier face, the spirit to her eye, and the elasticity to her step. But for release from his mistaken and overbearing dominance, she would proba- bly have faded into an early grave. Whom shall you marry? Some one whom you love better than all the world beside ; yet iVN. isoning would in thoHfi lines, le her ability ; sweeter than ^les, especially !il himself the Icretl why she iiiilin),' always , when he was [j . lie died ihil'lren in the mana^^ed the ivas obliged to nse. As soon shock of her y through the B back to lier 10 elasticity to his mistaken would proba- 3. ne one whom Id beside ; yet OKTTING ftrAURIKD. in you nuist be sure that your love rests upon a solid basis of esteem. He must be one whoso integrity you could trust if he were a stranger, on whom you would loan if lie were a friend, and who would be a ceaseless joy t(» you if ho were a brother. When you add to that respect and regard the suprenic afl'eetion that (Jod himself has ordained for tlioso whom lie means to make one, you have a ImukI that will endure as a girding of strength, in sickness and in health, till death doth you part. It is a serious business to join another life to your own so closely that liis disgraces shall bo yours, as well as his honors. You must share his failures as well as his successes. Unless he has traits of character that will bear the mi- croscope at all hours, your union with him will become a ghastly bore. If we are tripartite in nature, marriage should be a union of the entire being of both. We do not say much of the physical, j'et there are tliose to come after us, whoso interests will fill all the life. Towuid sunset the talk iw a < a K.T fe iilii ain» M Mtt'ii/n* ; a i I 172 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. will bo of Httlo elso. Li.4ton to a group of mothora. They liiivo but one tucino. Health is ns certainly a part of tho capital that each brings into this concern, as arc money, education, and talent. Illness con- BUinoa time and vitality. Disease saps tho foiuidation of tho homo. Thoso who come after must have an oadowmeiit of health, us well as of reputation and culture. More attentif)n is usually given to mental conditions ; though in this, also, there aro some- times grievous mistakes. Man and woman, husband and wife, should live on tho same in- tellectual piano, interested in tho same lines of thought, reading tho same books, stirred by tho Ramo enthusiasm, sharing each •other's mental pleasures, or else, as the years plod on, they will grow apart, till they can hardly touch each other's finger tips across a gulf of indifference. A young man of fine tastes and good educa- tion married a girl who was pretty and weak. During tho courtship she had looked charming- ly sweet and sympathetic over the beautiful i I N. GRTTFNO MARniKD. 173 a group of things h{3road uloud to licr, and ho had dreamed 0. of tho ox(iuisito hapi)ine!s of a shared intollec- ' tlio ciipital tual life. The honoymcjon liad hardly waned !oni, lis a 10 bef(f health, US that incomprchcnsiblo stuff has got to be," he Bccretly voted her " a fraud," and slammed tho n to mental doov of his heart in her face. When ho went 3ro arc somc- to bed with a wild, nervous headache, aTid she aiid woman, bathed his throbbing temples with eau de the same iii- colofjne and ice-water, she might better have samo lines of sent for tho undertaker to tie crapo on the tilled by tho door-knob. From that hour they lived apart ler's mental intellectually. lie went on with his studies od on, they alone, and she busied herself with her petty y touch each fancies. Both were to be i)iticd, for both had indifference. missed the mental comradeship that is so dear good educa- and helpful. There arc hours when she must ty and weak. know that she is a clog and a burden. She can 3d charming- but feel twinges of jealous j)ain when she sees he beautiful him drinking in the fine thought of some intel- 174 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. lectual woman, as thirstily as the ground takes rain after a drought. Then comes to hira the fierce struggle to hold himself loyal in the mental desert of his home, while ho catches glimpses of the thought-fellowship he might have had but for his wretched blunder. It is even worse when a woman marries a man whose mental ability she cannot respect. Unless he is unusually kind, beside the isolation that she has to endure, she Avill be subjected to no end of annoyance on account of his jealousy lest she eclipse hira, and her successes throw him a little in the shade. Besides, we are not 3'et so far from the darkness of heathenism but that many think of a man as so much smaller iu consequence of all that his wife achieves. The main point in the matter is the need of fellowship in spiritual things. Tie Apostle warns believers against being unequally yoked with unbelievers. But ma)- not a Christian girl marry an unsaved man? I will not say that it is impossible for her to do so without spiritual loss; but 1 regard it an exceedhigly dangerous experiment. - ai»tX '' .T>*ii"'V»» » j. 'W afif'w.''i i j > s*My»iffiw > in ' ri^^ ««p. [AN. 5 ground takes mes to him the loyal in the lilo ho catches ship he might under. man marries a cannot respect. :le the isolation be subjected to of his jealousy accesses throw les, we are not heathenism but > much smaller fe achieves. r is the need of Tie Apostle lequally yoked it a Christian [ will not say do so without ,n exceediiigly GETTING MARRIED. 175 Many a young lady has married an uncon verted man in hopes to win him to her Saviour; but so frail and so perverse is human nature, she has found it very difficult even to hold her own. She must try to please him, and if he is a worldling, she can do that only by going with him to questionable places of amusement. How often have ladies said to me : " My heart is hungry for a better spiritual life ; but my husband holds me back. I do not enjoy the theatre and opera, but he will go any way ; and it is safer for him to have me with him." But most frequently the wife goes before her husband in spiritual things. Yes ; but I think the majority of such cases are those in which both are unsaved when they are married, or when the husband is not a decided worldling or unbeliever. lie has what Finney calls " a secret hope." Usually, if she cannot win him during the halcyon days of courtship, she need hardly hope to do so after they have settled into the plain, prosy, every-day work of life. It is a mystery to me how one who is fully 1 176 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. consecrated to Christ can love as a wife ought to love her husband, one who is an enemy, or even a neglecter of her Lord. He may be respectful to Christians and their worship, and faultless in outward morals, but if he 'is un- saved, he is dead in tresspasses and sins. He has the carnal mind that is enmity against God. IIow can one ■who walks with God live with such a man in close and constant unison of soul ? She must lack the best outer means of grace, communion on spiritual things with her dearest human friend. She must be held back from the expi'essiou of her religious sentiments, and the development consequent upon that expression, by the constant fear that she will weary him by that which is distasteful to him. If she goes to any one else for such spiritual help, he can but be grieved that she prefers the society of others, and neglects him. How can she rest in peace a single hour while he who is dearer than her own life is in danger of eterua,! perdition ? The Avrath of God abides upon her husband, no matter how dear he may be. ST. a wife ought n enemy, or He may be svorship, and if he ' is un- id sins. He igainst God. )d live with it unison of ter means of iigs with her je held back 1 sentiments, upon that lat she will eful to him. ich spiritual 3 prefers the . How can le he who is iv of etemtil les upon her ly be. GETTING MAEllIED. 177 There is a paradox in this matter of Chris- tian enjoyment, — the more you share it with others, the more you have for yourself. There is also great joy in sharing our best things with those whom we love. Indeed, they hardly seem fully our own till our "other self" has had a part of the pleasure they give. There is no happiness on earth to compare with that of well-married people who are " one in Christ Jesus." You may use your best judgment in this matter, — of your choice of a husband ; but, after all, you will need special Divine guidance. Only God knows the future. His eye alone can cut down through all shams and disguises. The only safe thing in this all-important mat- ter, is for you to " commit your ways " to Him, tliat He may " direct your paths." Solomon says that a good wife is of the Lord ; and is not also a good husband from the source of "every good and perfect gift"? It is God who joins together those whom man may not jtut asunder. ta 178 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. When your mind begins to settle upon some one who seems also to prefer you, the whole matter ought to be taken to the Good Father, with confideuce that lie will arrange it just as it is best. In order to Divine direction, you must choose that the matter in liand may go God's way: not like the young fellow who asked to be guided in a similar matter; but added, under his breath: "But I must have Mary." In your choice, oblige yourself to swing to the opposite side from your inclina- tion. Then trust that your motives, being fully in Christ's hand, are under the blood of cleans- ing. Do not say : " I cannot live if God denies me this friend." No; say, rather: "If He who sees the end from the beginning, knows this not to be for the best, I pray Him to break it up. Better, a thousand times better so, than that my life should be blighted by a mistak' in this vital matter." With God's sanction and blessing you can but be sure of great happiness in the long walk through life. le upon some au, the whole Good Father, ige it just as lirection, you liand may go g fellow who ' matter; but I must have I yourself to I your inclina- es, being fully ood of cleans- if God deuies : "If He who inows this not ,0 break it up. so, than that nistak' in this 3sing you can the long walk GETTING MABRIi'-D. 179 Tcnnj'son says : — " Two heads In council, two beside the hearth, Two In the tangled business of the world, Two in the liberal offices of life, Two plummets dropped for one to sound the abyss Of science, and the secrets of the mind. In the long years liker must they grow, — The man be more of woman, she of man; He gain in sweetness and in moral height, Nor lose tho wrestling thews that throw the world; She, mental breadth, nor fail in childward care, Nor lose the childlike in the larger n.ind; Till, at the last, she set herself to man Like perfect music imto noble words." EB. The true Christian home is the one remnant of Eden in this out-of-joint world. A thousand pities that it is so far to seek, and hard to find ! There are thousands of living places where men and women hurt constantly those whom they ought to help, chilling them to death with misunderstandings, tliereby making their own lives as desolate as a desert. Those who ought to stand heart to heart, doing tlie work and en- during the weariness of life, are separated by seas of icy indifference. Most of these people have, within reach, the means that, wisely used, would make the home a very Paradise. There can be no nobler business than home- making, for in the home the base-stones of char- acter are laid. The foundation of a building shows less than the rest, yet no fault is more lisas^iHus than its unsoundness. A defect in 180 MAKING THE HOME. 181 3ne remnant A thousand laid to find ! places wliere those whom o death with ig their own ,e who ought vork and en- separated by these peoi^le , wisely used, disc. 3 than home- tones of char- of a building fault is more A defect in early training manifests itself in the terrible failures of later life. I once knew a family whose mother gave each of her children something of her own brilliancy; but, all ! the pity of it ! — she gave each also an obliquity in regard to the truth. They went astray, speaking lies as soon as they were born. Their father had many noble traits, but a fault in his own training led him always to treat his wife as if she were a minor, under his guardian- ship and control. Busy in his profession, he could not do well the work of both parents. He would lay down iron rules that he expected her to observe exactly, but which were often more honored in the breach than tlxe observance. She was not brave enough to resist openly his autocratic will ; and as a natural result of the grinding of his small tyrannies, she became de- ceitful and tricky, and trained her children ac- cordingly. They developed so inveterate a pro- pensity to deceive that they would cheat when openness and honesty would have been far better policy. They became Christians ; some 182 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. of them ministers ; yet they failed constantly of the grand work for which they were fitted by fine talent and generous impulses ; and all on account of that defect in their home training. Many a one who might have been a giant, achieving the noblest results in God's work, is pre-doomed to failure because the mother who laid the foundation of character, is weak or careless. The woman's hand gives the life a bias that it will follow, not only to the end of life, but throughout the eternal years. Hence, in God's name, I say, let it be steady, sure, and strong. Let the home, where she does her best work, have her strongest thought, her main strength, her most devout prayer. The character of the home determines also the destiny of the nation and of the race, for it is the workshop of the civilization. Some one has said : " Let me make the songs of a people, and I care not who makes the laws." I would say: "Let me shape the homes of the people, and I will make both songs and laws." MAKING THE HOME. 188 onstantly of re fitted by and all on ne training, en a giant, id'3 work, is mother who ia weak or I. bias that it of life, but ce, in God's and strong, best work, in strength, irmines also race, for it Some one jf a people, ." I would the people. Home-making is as natural to women as it is for birds to fly, or fishes to swim. When we SCO eagles taking to the water, and fishes floun- dering over the meadows, we may expect to see true women seeking happiness outside the home. I do not know much about the actress and chanteuse, but I do know intimately most of the women who are in public Christian work. Many of them are toiling for the means to make their own home safe and comfortable ; or they sacrifice their happiness that the less fortunate may be helped to ti e means of making the home what it should be. When I have seen them in the seclusion of their family life, I have seen that no homes in all the land were better kept, or nearer the ideal. It is not they who leave their children with half-civilized servants while they are out in the whirl of excitement and dis- sipation. It is when society chains a woman to her car that you may expect that moral slaugh- ter of the innocents. Then all hopes and loves are sacrificed to the insane appetite for admira- tion. 184 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN, I till Ilk most of tho tlay'dreama of young girls revolvo about the home that i.-. to be. I know that ahviiys furnished the staple for my castle- building. Tt would bo well if they could have systematio i)r(!paration for thia work, ns it is to be the main business of the majority. When we reach the Golden Age, every college will have a woman of broiid experience and keen insight to lecture on thia all-iuiportant topic. Nothing ex- cept personal salvation, to which it is closely akin, could bo more helpful, or tell moio upon the future. You can make a home without a husbrmd, thoujjh under disadvantages. It may lack per- manence, since there is uo other relation in which we may depend upon the union of inter- est to last to the end to end of time. A tree is a marvelous specimen of vegetable life, and it takes the sunshine and storms of many years to bring it to strength. It must have as large a branching under-ground, where it can take hold upon the muscles of the earth, as it sends toward heaven. This would be im- N. MAKINCJ THK HOME. 185 £ young girls be. I know or my castlo- y could have rk, (IS it is to '. When we e will have a icti insight to Nothing ex- it is closely 11 nioio upon b a husband, iiay lack per- ■ relation in lion of inter- 3. of vegetable id storms of th. It must •ound, where )f the earth, would be im- possible if it could be moved as easily and safely as an onion or a turnip. Tiiere is sometiung like this in the making of the home. It ni 1 that God sliould join two people togetln ■* bettor or for worse, in order to its perrnane«cy yet when that is not practicable, natui' makeshifts that answer admirably. The young lady who conducted me through an iisyluni for deaf mutes, talked so easily and pleasantly I did not discover that she was hearing with her eyes, till I asked a question while her face was turned from me. Nature having closed the poor child's ears, had put upon her eyes the work of the missing sense. It is much better to " read the lips," than not to know the thought of others ; but, after all, the original plan is the best. There must be harmony between the princi- pal factors in making the home, be they friends, sisters, sister and brother, or husband and wife. That harmony can be secured only by each yielding to the other. Each must surrender personal preferences for the common weal. It is anything but harmony where the giving up is ^ isn TUB roTKNTlAL WOMAN. (ill on one side of tho house. That is poor music that is all huso, di- all soprano. Solua do very well for a change, or to render 80inc aenti- inent most effectively; but wo want "the parts" in the hulk of our music. When tho harmony is finest, it is not simply a succession of simple chords. It grows intricate. Now tho base takes the theme, and then tho soprano, tho alto and tho tenor being ready to take their turn, according to the effect to be produced. In per- fect family life, there is not tho monotony of the perpetual dominance of one "part." Now it is the Imsband's voice that carries the melody, V'hii3 t"; rest "accompany"; then the wife's s< prano rings out, steady and clear, and the basso sinks into a support. In this harmony, as in tho service of Christ, each is free to do his best, and develop his powers to tho utmost. To get ready for this important part of your future work you need to learn to yield grace- fully. While you have clear convictions of right, and sharply-defined opinions of the fitness of things, you must learn that the Lord never AN. That is poor iiu). Soloa do ilt'i' 80ino scnti- ,ut"thc parts" 1 tho harmony ision of simple ^ow tlic base )prano, tlio alto akc their turn, lucod. In pcr- lO monotony of ! "part." Now ries tho melody, then the wife's clear, and the ;his harmony, as } free to do his the utmost, xnt part of your to yield grace- convictions of jns of the fitness 1 the Lord never fc. R.^S^8?S."s8' r:.*"^ ! f iWaiJi iitiiti iifciiiiiii' 7 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 |4i ■SO 1^ 1^ 1^ i^ m I.I lU us u IM 2.0 18 '•25 1.4 III 1.6 « ^ 6" ► Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. M580 (716) 872-4503 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques ^^#&l??l MAKING THE HOME. 187 packs all the wisdom in one brain ; and perfect I)erceptions are as rare as perfect eye-sight. One is color-blind, and you might argue with him till doomsday, and you could never make him know green from blue, or yellow. Another is near-sighted ; a third sees double ; a fourth is so well satisfied with his first glance that he never cares to look upon the other side of a matter. Where there is so much imperfect vis- ion, we can hardly be sure that our own eyes are absolutely reliable. So we must learn to express our opinions humbly, and with due re- spect for those of others ; above all, !' j>ving fei- vent charity. A voice that habituall/ '* sharps " or " flats " will spoil a choir. So an intolerant spirit will ruin the harmony of a household. Do not seem to yield while you are secretly all the more determined to have your own way. While you hold your opinions with due firm- ness, go around to the side of those who oppose you, and see how the matter looks from this point of view. The surest guard to harmony is that all shall agree in asking that their joint af- . 188 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. fiiirs may "go Gc I's way." Leave it to the Master to settle all difficult questions, and you may depend upon it, you will have peace. In the well-made home all are industrious. Mere consumers are impedimenta^ the carrying of wluch can but exhaust the strength of the producers. To live by the effort of other peo- ple makes one selfish ; and selfishness is always an enemy of peace. I am told that in Brittany children only three years old are given something to do to help win the family bread. One often sees, among our own poor, one infant playing nurse, and lugging around another not much smaller than itself. It seems cruel to take the little things away from their dolls and kittens, and set them at work, but it makes industry a second nature to them. I learned to knit when I was very small, and my mother insisted that I should knit twenty times around the mitten or stocking every day. I thought myself dreadfully unfor- tunate, especially v/' ^ the sock was large enough for my fate Stitch by stitch, I had iffii . ' . h . ; OMAN. Leave it to the lestions, and you have peace. are industrious. nta, the carrying 3 strength of the ort of other peo- fishness is always tiildren only three to do to help win sees, among our lurse, and lugging laller than itself. ttle things away and set them at i second nature to 1 1 was very small, it I should knit tten or stocking dreadfully unfor- sock was large 1 by stitch, I had MAKING THE HOME. 189 to worry off the daily task, while other little girls were doing whatever they liked ; but the habit of industry was worth infinitely more than the discomfort it cost. In the family there can be genuine commu- nity of feeling only where all join hands under the common burden. There must bo discipline in the home, — an ideal of neatness and order, to which it must be held, yet it must not be " Faultily faultless, icily regular, splendidly null." It requires the genius of a statesman, or stateswoman if you please, to hold each within given lines, while there is the greatest freedom for the development of individuality. This seems easier in the country, wnere the rooms of the house seem to have rambled in and sat down together, at their own sweet will, additions and lean-tos coming up in a friendly way, and with Queen Anne-ish disregard of original, boxlike symmetry. In the city where land is valued by the inch, miles of houses are built exactly alike, because there is but one way in which to hang 190 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. K cubes of space most economically about a flight of stairs. Tliere it seems harder to give scope to individual traits of character in the makeup of the home. From the compacting process, there comes to be but one usual way of doing every- thing, and upon that iron bedstead all must be stretched. Yet, after all, this is but in the seeming. If the chick within is kept under the proper conditions for a suitable length of time, it will peck and grow out of the shell. It is the life within, rather than the form, that needs to be developed after its kind. Take the customs of the table, for instance. Less than three courses at dinner might seem to one to indicate a lower type of civilization than she could endure. Yet, with the ordinary American confusion in domestic service, she would have to enslave herself and the rest if she were rigidly to insist upon having the table cleared after the soup, and also after the heart- ier dishes ; while seven or eight courses would require drill and attention sufficient to carry a regiment through the first chapters of its tactics. ^ffag . iy^'i . ^ ; ;(i:«¥r^'i 'if ■i' l ^isy^rir OMAN. illy about a flight 31' to give scope to in the makeup ol" ing process, there ^ of doing every- itead all must be is is but in the is kept under the e length of time, e shell. It is the rm, that needs to ible, for instance, nner might seem pe of civilization with the ordinary 3Stic service, she and the rest if she having the table after the heart- jht courses would ifficient to carry a pters of its tactics. MAKING THE HOME. 191 While you have seen the mistress of the house sitting, with persistently uplifted brows and diawn lips, measuring off a sparse, machine-made talk, waiting for an awkward servant to shamble thiough her duty, you have felt in the ghastly stiffness that the careless clatter of the farm- house table where your butter slid down prema- turely upon the warm potato, and the api^le- sauce adjusted itself to the roast a little too democratically, was preferable; for was there not good fellowship and much excellent sense? It cannot be denied that we sometimes at- tempt to support a style that may be agreeable in itself, but that is beyond reasonable reach of o'lr individual purse; and we thereby incur much discomfort and deserve blame for our ex- travagance. In England, nothing is wasted. Some farm- laboiers, into whose cottages I took a peep one day, asked me how I thought they could get along in America. I could but tell them that with their English habfts of economy, they would soon have a competence ; but the trouble r 192 THE rOTEXTIAL ^VOMAN. would be, tliey would learn our American ex- travagajice, and th-^n they would get on no bet- ter here than there. There are tracts of country, rich and produc- tive, in the Middle West, that show what may be done where foreign peasants work to the original plan of their life. I have in mind a beautiful region first settled by New Englanders. Their frugal habits, developed on the rocky home soil, soon turned the new country into rich farms, with large, comfortable houses. There were books, churches, and schools, after the early, intellectual New England type. But their children indulged notions of extravagant living that the resources of the country would not support ; and before long, mortgages were spun like spiders' webs over the broad, fat acres. Then the farms had to be sold. Purchasers were found in the Scandinavians, who had been pinched by the close poverty of their mountain- ous, storm-swept homes, into the most rigid economy. They took possession of the fine farm-houses, and lived on bare floors, eating ■^a i tg . 'ri i f . B i iiBja i Bii« litm i i Tfirffl^rTrffrMiY ia 8 i iii i T < 7ni i iiw i --w - _^ ^»-?B:'»Wf':St^V.-'-'J.<-r/^»laAj;.^a..w^fl»vv):a;.v^,'>f:..^.« , ^y.,.. MAN. r American ex- .1 got on no bet- icli and prodnc- show what may ;3 work to the lavo in mind a few Englanders. on the rocky w country into jrtablo houses, d schools, after and type. But of extravagant country would mortgages were broad, fat acres, d. Purchasers I, who had been their mountain- the most rigid Dn of the fine J floors, eating MAKING THE HOME. 193 buttermilk and potatoes, and saving every avail- able cent to complete their payments. But their young people are beginning to yield to the yeasty American spirit, and the probability is that they wiU repeat the blunder of the orig- inal settlers. How much better would it bo to live one's own, individual life, simply, plainly, and with- out ostentation, affluent in genial hospitality, in books, and in loyalty to God, rather than to ape those whose financial and other circumstances are of so different an order. That you may be able to do this, you must learn by study of your own tastes and capabili- ties, and by Divine enlightenment, just what kind of a life you are meant to live, and what sort of a home you are set to make. Choose your model, and work toward it as God gives you opportunity. I confess that none looks more attractive to me than those of the Scotch cottagers. Robbie Burns wrote of them : — "From scenes like these auld Scotia's grandeur springs; "- iirWWiMMiTI 194 THE rOTKNTlAL WOMAN. or tlioao of tho old New Englaiul, before capital sot all her brooks turning spindles, when slio was content to send out from her plain hillside homes grand men and women, every spare pen- ny being turned into college training, and good, philanthropic thought; or that humble dwell- ing in Bethany where Jesus of Nazareth was often a guest, one of the sisters doing tlie house- work, while the otjier studied theology at tho Master's feet. Let the pattern of your future home be shown you while you are alone with the Lord on the mount of communion; Ihen prepare yourself carefully to make it, when tho hour strikes. Master the details of its economies and indus- tries. Learn to keep it faultlessly. The Lord may see fit to give you your time for intellectual or benevolent work, by sending the means for you to hire a substitute in the kitchen and sew- ing-room ; but you will need to know how every part of the work ought to be done, in order to get much comfort out of it. Love is the staple in this home-making busi- MAN. il, before civpital idles, when she !i' plain hillside very spare peu- ining, and good, b humble dwell- if Nazareth was Lk)ing the house- theology at the e home be shown ;he Lord on the prepare yourself 10 hour strikes. >mics and indus- ssly. The Lord e for intellectual ^ the means for kitchen and sew- I know how every lone, in order to )me-making busi- Wa'teiy--"SHeaiB^t?t''-fjw'-i'-:iiit»Mi«Mv.^«...y.).i.i.,. , -..: )g>»«^ MAICINQ THE IIOMK. 195 ness; and that it may last, there must be trans- parent candor and tender, plain dealing. Practical jokes must bo ruled out. They buzz about in an innocent, harhdess way ; but when the nerves are not quite sound they annoy like swarms of housc-llius. Sometimes they have a covert teasing in them. Then they sting like gnats and mosquitoes. I liave been in houses where the windows were covered with screens to keep out insects, yet within their walls sensitive hearts would lie awake for hours fighting off the stinging memories of jolly little jibes and cruelly-aimed jests. You certainly would not expect a happy home if you permitted its inmates to let loose upon each other flings and sarcasms. As well exjject an agreeable entertainment from the opening of an occasional box of lizards and snakes. There must bo the rebuking of faults, and free personal criticism in a home ; but it is mis- chievous where that work is not done in the tenderest love. I have sometin;>.M been aston- ished beyond measure by the niggardliness of wnmm 190 THE roTKNTIAL WOMAV. cominciidiition, and tho abuiulanco of fault-fiiid ing among those who really lovod eacli other dearly. I ouco heard a brother say to his sister : " I'm afraid to tell you what I think of you, for fear you will bo like the Irishman's sweetheart ; she became so set up by his flatteries, she wouldn't spcuk to him." Nothing makes people so liumble and so anx- ious to show themselves woilhy of the love and confidence of their friends as genuinely honest, cordial commendation. When a poor fellow's heart is throbbing with a wretched sense of in- competency, how it soothes and strengthens him to have a loving hand laid on his arm, and to hear tho voice that is dearer than all beside whisper, " John, you did nobly to-night. That can't help doing good." Some time when ho ii^ rested and fresh, give him your criticisms, but let it be always wheu he feels surest of your love. When your sister has to do some public work that taxes her to the utmost, do not let your fcrnnrr-UHMm^^r. .. .u^^^......,:. - ,...»^,. 9 of fiiult-rnid Q(l each other s sister : " I'm ' you, for fear reethcart ; slie , she wouldn't lie and so anx- f the love and luinely honest, , poor fellow's ed sense of in- rcngthens him is arm, and to liiin all beside i)-night. That me when he if^ criticisms, but surest of your no public work not let your JIAKINO THE HOME. 197 fear of her faihiro drive you out of the room. Do nut sit and study tlio pattern of the carpet, as if you were ashamed to look up, or tie your shawl fringe in knots. Let her have one face lifted to hers from which she can catuh a ray of courage and ho[)e. I remember a breakfast-room scene that hanirs in my memory sweeter and brighter than any- thing I ever saw from the hands of the old mas- ters. One of the sons — and any sister might be proud of the liandsomo fellow — comes in with a graceful and cheery "Good-morning," then bending to kiss the cheek of the lionored one at the head of the table, he says : " (lood- morning, grandmamma. How charming your face is this morning I How I wish you'd been at the Missionary meeting last evening. It would have done your heart -good to see how beautifully mamma presided. You would have been proud of her. And Mary's singing — mamma, didn't you think she sang better than usual?" "I don't know, dear." The mother turns toward her daughter with a look of siu- |] 198 th;e potential woman. cere appreciation. " Mary always sings well." " Anybody could sing with such lovely accom- paniments as you ;ilay, Harry ; " and the young lady's face is lighted with the pleasure of frank, hearty commendation. They hardly needed the " Grace " at that table. The kind, good words Avere to me, "the stranger within their gates," " Like the benediction that follows the prayer." I thought : " Oh, the pity that it is so rare, when it is so easy to brim with happiness the hearts that we hold most dear I " Where there is this loving candor there must be confidence. Confidence is the bond that binds people, communities, nations, together, and that lifts the world to God. When it is gone there is nothing left. We can endure anything for those whom we fully trust. Upon the firm- ness of the confidence that binds together the members of a household depend their fellow- ship and joy in each other. That the home may be lifted out of the com- MAN. ays sings well." :h lovely accom- ' and the young leasuro of frank, hardly needed riie kind, good jer within their the prayer." at it is 80 rare, h happiness the ndor there must the bond that ns, together, and I'^hen it is gone 3ndure anything Upon the fara- ds together the id tlieir fellov/- out of the com- MAKINO THE HOME. 199 monplace, there must be books and study. It will be well if tliere bo also pictures and music. You can prepare for this by gathering your little library now by economies that any one can practise who has oo good an end in view. Better repair the dress and wear it the third season, and expend the value of a new one in good, wholesome, mental food. When you have an opportunity of learning some pretty handi- craft, use it with reference to the inexpensive bric-a-braa with which you may decorate the walls of your home. But after you have done your best to make ready, you will find that all will be useless un- less you have God's blessing. Except the Lord build the house the workman worketh in vain. Character must be not only strong, but pure ; not only noble, but godly. Your home must be a palace of the King, and not a palace that He visits once in a long while ; but one where He abides. It is His presence that transforms brick and marble into a royal residence. 200 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. Let the intention be established within yon that when you have a home of your own, Clu'ist shall be recognized at the table and in daih- worship. Love for Him shall not be a theme to be spoken of only with bated breath and when one is in Sunday dress, but it shall give tone to all the talk. All servants and guests shall be helped heav- enward by the evcry-day life. You must begin at once to abide in Hira, that you may have time to gather strength for the busier and more important days. li HI I »l llil ll» l l| l . li »l l J MHMMUklftMMMMtfl N. tl within yon 11- own, Clu'ist and in daily be a themo to itli and when give tone to helped lieav- Li must bccria ou may have iier and more CHAPTER XV. WORK rOK CHIilST. Direct service for Christ — that is, the win* ning of souls to Ilim— is far nobler and better than any other. It develops the personal piety of the worker; and by piety I do not mean simply correct deportment ; no, nor a little stir of devotional sentiment, an occasional good-na- tured impulse, and a small charity or so sand- wiched between great slices of selfishness. I mean the Christliness that gives itself utterly to the bringing of this revolted race back to its loyalty to our rightful Prince. To do this work with any degree of success one must have unquestioning obedience to our Lord, constant trust in Him, and contact with Him ; and these are also the conditions of spiritual growth. This is, of all, the most dignified service. Servants pride themselves upon the honors of 201 mm^ 202 THE rOTEKTIAL WOMAN. their employers, patrons, and masters. He whose we are and whom wo serve, is King of kings, and Lord of lords. Talk about its being a eross to sacrifice for II im ! Wo ought to leaj) for joy that we are counted worthy to suffer for His name ; that as lie was in the world, so may we be also. All that I have said about health, mental furnishing, finance, social adjustment, and the rest, is simpl}'- preparatory to this service, that you may be fitted for the work of winning souls. All honorable work tends toward this, and it is more or less helpful to the worker and the cause, as it is more or less under the Divine control and blessing. Even philanthropies and benevolences that do not help souls to the Lord, are mere pallia- tives, instead of specifics for the sin of the world. Young ladies have hardly a fair field in Christ's direct service ; but He is so careful au economist that if they prepare themselves A.N. masters. He •ve, is King of ibout its Ixniig I ought to leap ly to suffer for world, so may lieallh, mental ment, and the 3 service, that k of winning ird this, and it orker and the er the Divine ivolences that •6 mere pallia- lie sin of the I fair field in i so careful an L'e themselves "WORK FOR CHRIST. 203 thoroughly, He will see to it that they have plenty to do. Ho says He will set before you an open door, and no man can shut it. " Yes," you saj-, "I bclicive you ; and I desire of all things to win jjooplc to Christ ; but I do not know how to get about it. There are not many things for girls to do." To begin, I would say, whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it, not only with your might, but for the Master's glory. I have a friend •who was obliged, through financial reverses, to earn her livelihood by dressmaking. She would much rather have been holding revival services, but there was her little daughter and invalid husband demanding her care, besides the rent and grocery- bills were to be paid. So she said : " I'll trust the Lord to give me work and skill, and I'll do my best to help the spiritual life of every lady whose dress I fit. I can, at least, tell what Christ has done for me; and they'll have to listen to it, for they can't very well escape, after the fitting begins." With that earnest resolve and trust, she went to work. "-H^aHl 204 THK POTENTIAL WOMAN. She succeeded well in her business, and at the same time she helped scores find the Lord. Through the blood of Christ, get rid of your ambitions. Self-seeking vitiates many a noble effort. In even our temporal affairs tlio ques- tion ought not to be : " Wliat will this do for me?" but, "Will it help forward Christ's cause ? " " Will the kingdom come the sooner for my doing tais, rather than something else ? " The world would soon be brought to Cluist, if all who bear His name were thus loyal. In Grant's "Personal Memoirs," though there is little expressed of patriotic or devotional sen- timent, yet a purpose runs tlirough the book like the vertebral column of a seri^ent, which, you know, is all backbone, to put down the rebellion. No matter whether his ability was recognized by his ranking oflficer or not; no matter though five-days' marching and fighting had to be done on two-days' rations ; no matter what his personal sufferings were from expo- sure, hard work, dangers, jealousies, misunder- standings, there was nothing to be done, but, 38, and at the 10 Lord. it rid of your [lany a noblo lira the qnca- 11 this do for .^ard Christ's 10 the sooner 3thingelse?" t to Cluist, if Dyal. though there 5votional sen- gh the book rpent, which, at down the 3 ability was ' or not; no ■ and fighting s ; no matter ) from expo- 3S, misunder- >e done, but, WORK FOR CHRIST. 205 as he said of himself in one of his lieaviest fields, to "keep right on." The Government must be sustained. We can be sure of the result in our efforts to put down the rebellion against our King. We have infinite resources within reach of our faith. All tiiat is lacking is the tireless, unsel- fish devotion that characterized the great cap- tain. Grant thought of himself only as a soldier. The nation had educated him, and it had a just claim upon the best service he could render. Think of yourself not as a possible heroine, author, artist, poet, but as a worker for Christ. You may be occupied in any of those lines; but the prime, overmastering purpose must be, the winning of souls to the Lord. If you have not yet reached that gracious condition, pray without ceasing, and claim the promises of God till you are so equipped for the service. Be sure it will save you a deal of hard discipline, if you attend to this at once. Be what you want others to become. Live ^1 BtasMw atm j^wL^i. wum 206 TUB rOTKNTIAL WOMAN. according to your text-hook. Do not indulge, even secretly, a fault ngainst which you wiini others. If you urge tlicni to live by the thir- teenth chapter of First Corinthians, never stain your own lipa with an uncharitable word. I remember a pastor who had an inveterate love for tobacco. His disgust of the habit would keep his mouth clean months at a time. Then he would take just a morsel to allay ner- vous discomfcn-t, and, presto I he was inider the power of the weed. No one knew it but hci yet while he talked to his yoxnig men about the expensive and harmful liabit, he was in the dust and ashes of self-contempt. One day, when, after long abstinence, ho was on the point of yielding to the ten:iptation, Some One whispered in his soul : " You have often cried to God for help to overcome ; now ask Him to remove from you thij wretched appetite." He fell upon his knees, threw himself upon Christ's mercy, and claimed, through the blood of the Atonement, healing from the unsoundness. That >vas fifteen years ago. and, to this da}-, he lot indulge, h you wiini by tho thir- ncvcr stiiiu word. u invoterato E the hiibit IS nt a time. :o allay iicr- vs under the r it but he i men about 3 was in the One day, tvas on the I, Some One often cried ask Iliiii to )etite." He pon Christ's )Iood of tho iisoundness. this dav, he WOIIK FOR ClIIUST, 207 lias not had the slightest wish to touch tobac- co. Social strictness has kindly saved women in our latitude and longitude from the tobacco habit ; but we arc human, and there are other chains that Satan forges for us, and against which some of us have to struggle desper- ately if we would be free in Christ. Let us ask at once, that the Lion of Judah may break every chain, that we may be free indeed; and that we may never indulge, even secretly, what wc. would condemn in others. Having prayed and waited before the Lord till you are settled in regard to the line of work He intends you to take for the winning of souls, begin immediately a thorough jjreparation. If you are to bo an educator, you will be surer to win yotir students to Christ, if you do firi;.t-cla.ss teaching. They must respect your genuineness, where they can see your work, be- fore they can trust you heartily to lead them in paths of which they have little knowledge. " That man's preachuig will never do me any 208 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. good," I heard a woman say, not long since. — " Wliy ? Doesn't ho preach well ? " — " Well enough, I suppose ; but I heard him yell out at a boy that scared his horse, — though I was sure the child didn't mean any mischief, — in a way that made mo feel that there was no good in his preaching for me." A hundred sermons and a thousand prayers spoiled by one impatient word I Unreasonable ? To be sure ; but wo may as well face the facts, and prei)are ourselves to bo guarded at every point. We are on an enemy's shore, and eter- nal vigilance is the price of success in soul-win- ning as in everything else. Master carefully the details of the work you arc set to do ; and do not attempt more than you can do well. Those who are superficial in everything, being content always with a smat- tering of what they are supposed to know, soon wear out the respect and confidence of their associates. Some women are glad to serve on any " Board " to which they can be elected, when WORK FOR CHRIST. 209 long since. " — "Well yell out at igli I was lief, — in a as no good ,nc1 prayers easonable ? e the facts, (1 at every e, and eter- n soul-wiu- work you more than perficial in ith a smat- know, soon Be of their e on any cted, when they know that tho extent of their service is simply to help occasionally at " making a quo- rum." A little of tho time that they give to ft^olish chat, would euublo them to master tho details of tho work in hand, so that when they said " Aye," upon a question, it would bo some- thing more than the echo of a leader's opinion, — it would represent a judgment from another standjjoint. Do not become bigoted about a work that may be entrusted to you. They who succeed constantly, do have a way of centering all their strength upon the case in hand ; and yet, if they are broad enough for permanent success, they do not cast others out of the synagogue because they regard some "ther interest as more important. Let there be a largeness in your thinking that will enable you to rejoice in the successes of <^hose who do not pronounce your shibboleth. Only one who is Divinely helped can attend faithfully to the work in hand, and at the same time take in the field where others toil. 210 TIIK rOTKNTlAIi WOMAN. V..ltuiro said: "Attention to minute details is the grave of great opportunities." Ood can nun.ber hairs an.l uphold worlds. Only they who are made like Ilim in spirit can hold care- fully and strongly the one point, while their Hvmpathies are broad enough to cover the whole. n u • 14- It may seem quite unnecessary to tell bright, ingenious young girls, not to become fossilized or stereotyped in method; but I am talking now more about what you are to become, than what you are; and I think fossilization is not a question of age. When young folks attempt to help souls to Christ in a stiff, unnatural, mechanical way, they iiU the unregenerate with contempt and wrath. Be your fresh, natural, simple self in all you attempt to do; and remember one thing: you can have no " patent right" methods. As soon as you fancy that you have a line of approach, an order of questions, or a style of deportment that is warranted not to fail, you wiU find that that on which you rely become^ altogether un- -«iui»i il|llll*»«M»»»WWa>WMM»— DWf mm-sm WOUK Foil oiiitrsT. 211 ito details God civn Only thoy hold caro- aiilo their cover the tell blight, foasilizcd im talking icomo, than ion is not a iks attempt unnatural, nerato with if in all you thing: you [8. As soon ■A approach, deportment n'.l find that [together un- reliable. 'J'ho re.wons nro plain if you look toward the Mastor. IIo alone knows that Htrangceccon tile, disordered, hu.nati soul. IIo only can tell how to reach it with Divine truth. Wo succeed in our attempts in exact proportion as we depend on Ilim to teach us the method of approach. In so far as wo depend on past successes, wo cease to d.pend on I Jim; and so wo fail to make available Ilis power, which is our oidy hope. While we have close, personal contact with Christ, we shall be kept trom "cant," which is merely a good thing said too many times. Short-sighted peoj.Io may give us credit for generalship and originality in the Lord's work; but it is simply our "hearkening diligently" to what the Friends call the "Inner Voice," and obeying it without hesitation or demur. There are no better forms of speech for us to use than those given in Gods Word; and avo cannot do better in the way of furnishing than to commit it to memory. We can more easily have faith for the message to take hold upon 21-' THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. the soul, if we give it in God's words, than when we use our own forms of expression ; for He has promised that His Word siiall accom- plish that whereunto He hath sent it. Yet wo must have the spirit as well as the letter in using Scripture. It became the boldest hypo- critical cant under Cromwell's Bavebones Par- liament; and in our own time the Mormons utter such blasphemous absurdities, claiming tliat the Holy Kj.iv^t tells them to say so and so, that when one is among them he is almost ashamed to use that most holy name, or to quote the words of inspiration. It requires Divine wisdom to live within whispering reach of Him who said: "I am with you alway,' and not have the appearance of telephonic familiarity and carelessness ; and also to carry constantly His messages to souls, and not become self-conscious and mechanical. But the great comfort is. He has ])romisod to give wisdom liberally, just for the asking. God often sends to the mark the arrow from a bow drawn at a venture ; but that is not His NMM ik;-- r. WORK FOR CHRIST. 213 (vords, than tressioii ; for sliall accom- , it. Yet wo the letter in loldest hypo- lebones Par- he Mormons ies, claiming i say so and he is almost name, or to 1 live •within said: "I am lie appearance jlessness; and iagea to souls, id mechanical. 18 ])romisod to I asking, he arrow from ;hat is not His rule for our service, as I have observed His work. When he sets us at the winninor of a soul, we must go about it with as complete a renunciation of self as if there were nothing else in the universe worthy our thought for that hour. We must remember those in the bonds of sin as bound with them. We must put our souls in their souls' stead, and work as if our own salvation were at stake. One wintry, stormy night, a wreck signalled a Life-Saving Station for help. The "shot- line " was sent from the mortar over the strand- ed ship ; the " whip-lines " had been drawn out to her and made fast, but the pulleys would not work. Something had gone wrong. There was no time to lose, for the vessel would soon go to pieces, and the crew perish in the breakers. So earnest were the life-saving men to rescue them, that one went out on the ropes to the wreck hand over hand. The great surges bat- tered him, and rolled over him, pitching him this way and that, but out he crept into the pitiless night and dangerous sea. It was a 214 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. little thing that he had to set right upon the wreck, but if he had not risked all to reach the imperilled crew, they would have gone down. When God sets us to bring souls to Himself, we must be ready to swing out into the teeth of tempests, and upon the wildest seas, if we may but save them from death. But when this work of winning souls to Christ becomes the passion of the life, is there not risk of over-enthusiasm and fanaticism? To be sure there is ; for, as a quaint old man said : " You can't get out of gun-shot of Satan while you stay in this world." You may trust Christ to keep you from the tangential ten- dency that comes with the increase of power. To be and do just right, we must constantly " walk neat," as the Jubilee Singers sing, with better sense than English. The exact line of right action is as difficult to hold, as the hair bridge Mohammed's souls were obliged to walk over to get into Paradise. To plow a straight furrow a man sights some object across the field, and keeps his eye upon it. To make RHbvw •■ ■"" ■ Ju WOIIK FOR CHRIST. 215 ipon the each the le down. Himself, he teeth 13, if we souls to , is there laticism ? old man of Satan nay trust itial ten- )f power, onstantly ling, with jt line of the hair 1 to walk a straight cross the To make straight paths for our feet we must constantly look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. According to our faith it will be done unto us. In other words, our success will be meas- ured by our ability to bring God into each case, and, by our self-losing trust in Ilis power, making available His omnipotence. Christ said : " Without me ye can do nothing^ The excellency of the power is not of men, but of God. There are said to be thirty thousand promises in the Bible. If you will avail yourself of but this one : " Lo I am with you alway," your suc- cess as a soul-winner will be fully assured. I remember once trying to lead a young lady to Christ, when there was nothing in her man- ner to indicate her interest in her own salva- tion, except that she was willing to let me talk with her on the subject. When I pressed the question: "Will j'ou now offer yourself to Him for His service ? " she would make some careless, evasive reply, about having to give up 216 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. this or that amusement or association. At length, it came to me that I was trusting in my own efforts. Had not those same appeals been the means of helping many decide for Christ, and "vould they not win her? I cried in my heart : ' Blessed Lord, forgive me for attempt- ing to do Thy work! Now I step back, out of the way, and ask Thee to win this child to Thy- self." She knew nothing of what was going on in my soul, but when I turned to her again with the question : " Miss Elmer, will you now give yourself to Christ?" her carelessness had vanished, and she responded from the depths of a deep nature: "Yes, ma'am, I will." Within fifteen minutes she gave evidence of having been thoroughly converted. ' That we may learn and keep this secret, of the Lord, we must hold our consecration intact and complete. Take any little work that our hands find to do, and do it with our might for His glory. Remember, for His glory, not for your own, or that of your friends, or your church, or your doctrine. The plainest work, fait] pedi side in t T you ors thei heai leas He had its \ Chr sayi mul \^ Let tion ties. S; one hav( WORK FOR CHRIST. 217 faithfully done, with His blessing, will be a pedestal high enough to give you all the con- sideration that He sees it best for you to have in this short life. The world is Christ's enemy. Its favor is your greatest danger. Ulysses obliged his sail- ors to bind him to the mast of his ship, and fill their own ears with wax so that they could not hear his entreaties or commands for them to re- lease him, when they sailed by the sirens' isle. He knew that the music of the enchantresses had lured myriads to their death, and he feared its power. We must be bound to the cross of Christ, and have our hearts filled with those sayings of His, if we would go safely where multitudes have perished. We are living in a day of grand opportunities. Let us be broad enough to take in " the situa- tion," and measure up to our highest possibili- ties. Sydney Smith declared it an impertinence for one with less than a thousand pounds a year to have an opinion. We live in a land where the 218 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. poorest of the sovereign people may have opin- ions, and in a day wlien wliosoever can, may express his or her opinion with all the power that can be crowded into it by a noble life. "We are living, we are moving, In a grand and awful time." Events are crashing by, so potent in result that they might stir dead men in their shrouds. We cannot shirk our part in them. Never did woman wield such a sceptre of power as that which American Protestantism has put into her hands. Mordecai said to Queen Esther: ".Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? " But he added, in a warning which it will be well for us to heed: "If thou altogether boldest thy peace at this time, then shall enlargement and deliverance arise from another, but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed." South of the equator the constellation known as the Southern Cross shines with rare radiance. The traveller, camping for the night on the An- "■wi ive opin- an, may le power life. in result shrouds. ceptre of sstantism to Queen art come I?" But e well for Ldest thy ment and thou and 3n known t radiance, n the An- WOKK FOR CIIIUST. 219 des, sets his watch, and goes to his rest. As the night wears away, he calls to the watchman: "What of the night? What is the hour?" The watchman looks up into the deep, dark sky, and replies to the traveller, " It is past midnight, for the cross is bending." Thank God, it is past midnight, and the cross of our Lord is bending to the wretched and perishing. Through the sweet and tender ministrations of Christian women, hundreds of thousands of the most degraded and oppressed of human be- ings, — the women of the Orient, — have cauglit, even in their dungeons of darkness and despair, rays from the cross of our Redeemer. Neglected women in our own land are being rescued from a fate no less miserable, and a gloom no less appalling, by the same tender and puissant love. They who are bound by the chains of appetite are being set at liberty through the tireless zeal of the queenly " temperance wom- en " ; and the noble White Cross Legion are bending over the maelstrom of death, to help out and upon the Rock, those in whose baleful 220 THE POTENTIAL WOMAN. loss all suffer, but fcr whose perishing none seem to care. In this day of widening opportunities, may the blood of Christ \/a8h the heart of each of you whiter than snoiir, and fill tii9 soul of each with a deathless purpose to do her very utmost to bring to His kingdom Him who rules that He may save wawwH Sf^' ing none ties, may I each of 1 of each :y utmost rules that OUR OWN PUBlddATlON^. SENT POSTPAID FOR RKTAIU PRICK. BOOTH, CATHERINE. AKgreuivc Chriiitlanity. CJ, No. 1. Songs of Joy and Gladness., Words only, iic; music, TAYLOR, Rev. B. S. Full Salvation. Flexible, 40CI doth, True Perfection : The Story of Job. WILLING, Mra. J. F. From Fifteen to Twenty-five. (Gilt, 7sc.) Potential Woman. WOOD, Rev. J. A. Christian Perfection as Tatight by John Wesley. WATSON, Rev. G. D. White Robes. Coals of Fire. Holiness Manual. Fruits of Canaan. 50 I 00 50 ■o ao 7$ I oo IS 5» as I 00 7S 50 10 SO •s An so so SO 50 I 00 50 SO SS 10 HOLINESS BOOKS OF OTHER PUBLISHERS ALSO KEPT ON SALE. McDonald & gill, Publishers, Boston. I Mrs. Willing's Latest and Best Books. Dr. A. Lowrey *»y : " Mri. J. F. Willing ii the belt Udy writer in America." From Fifteen to Twenty-Fiye. ^ fiook for J0O28. 224 pages; i2mo.j very handsomely bound. 50 cts. This book In beautifully bound, beautifully printed, and beautifully writ- ten. It liaamoregdiKl sense to llic »<|uare incli than any bixik written spe- cially (or young men tlialwe have ever read— the Book of I'roverba excepted. — Dr. Hasiki. Sthklb. J. F. Willing has written a good book for boys, entitled " From Fifteen to Twenty-five." It considers the duties, di^cipline, temptations, opportuni- ties, sources of strength, etc., which come to young people, and seeks, by wise counsel, to incite its readers to make the very best use of their lives. — CENTKAL ClIKlSTlAN ADVOCATE. An instructive little volume from the pen of Mrs. J. F. Willing. The subject is a trite one, but it is treated in a very fresh and a.^'iciive manner. These years are the determining ones of a youth's career. Mi . /filling writes wisely, kindly and impressively, in reference to almost every position i- which young men find themselves as life opens before them. It is a wholesome and excellent book to place in the hands of a lad as he is about to leave his home or to start in business. — Zion's Hbkald. The Potential Woman. '3i Book for ©iris. Uniform with the above. 50 cts. McDonald & gill. Publishers, Boston. Jg By J Rkv. •ongs in it Dr. G Rev. A Wb Prof. for the sail lUv. I Rev. Rev. Ue with th Rev. and inter«i Rbv., Words Words McD oks. dy writer F'lYi:. 3 CtS. itifiilly writ. ATittcn spe- lls excepted, rom Fifteen , opportunl- il seeks, by itir lives. — illing. Th» live manner, ■'illing writes ion i"- which lulcRome and ve his homa I. AN IMMENSE SUCCESS. 80,000 Copies sold in eighteen months I SONGS er Joy and Gi2Adness By McDonald, Cili., Kirkpatrick, and Sweney. Commendations. Rkv. John Parker: "Voiir hook has met my ideal. There are fifty iongs in it, any ten uf which would sell the book." Dr. G. D. Watson : " It ii as near perfect as a song-book can well be." Rev. W, B. Wigoins; "'ITie best book out." A Well-known Composer; " Beautiful as well as grand." Prof. O, L. Cartkr, Boston ; " No better book of song yet produced for the saints of the nineteenth century." Rev. S, a. Sands: " For social meetings it is unsurpassed." Rev. F, E. White: "Our people are delighted with it." Rev. M. W. Knapp: "The book is rightly named, and is a great favor- Ue with the people." Rev. J. A. Wood; " U has delighted our people, and inspired new life and interest in the meetings. " Rev. J. F, Oliver ; " It is a gem." Words and Music : 40 cts, each ; $4 per doz.; $30 per loo. Words ONLY: JJoard covers, 15 cts.; $1,50 per do/., I'aper " I3 cts.; ;Ji,io per doz. loston. Mcdonald & gill, Publishers, Boston. AggpB^^iVe ChPi^tianllii, BY CATHERINE DOOTH. I&trodnotion by Daniel Steele, DD. Thl» Hook has met with % remarkably favoralilo rnrnptlon i llonin of the Icaillne )ia|»'rM (UwotliiK more timii a column <>/ «iiavfi to o iiM'iitlntnry iiotlocH of It, It U enUoned by every earnest Cbrlitlun who iiaa read it. PRICE, FIFTY CENTS. •*GODLINESS» BY CATHERINE BOOTH. Zntrodnctloii by Daniel Steele, D.D. nr. noiiRan Clarke gayii: "Tl>l« little book will be an admlr> •bill companion to ' ARnresgl vo OhrUtlanlty.' There In the aarae olenr-ciit, keen, inflUive atyle, and the Rame exposure and hatred of Bbum. We oouimend it to our readers." PRICE, FIFTY OENTg. THE HOLT GHOST, AKO THE PEEFEOT HEABT. These are two sermons which we have selected from the above books, and published iu tract form. 3 cts. each: 30 cts. perdos.: |2 per 100 McDonald & gill, Publishers, 86 Bboufield St. - - - • BosTOK. 11— l.'MWBBBIE^'^ . y