The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 6, 1902, Page 4

UNDAY With the queen of the happiness of ety and training of atest help or their success in their ever-widening sphere of woman's influence and the sibility of her earning fame for brilllant achievements outside the home kingdom, it should never be forgotten that her first duties undoubtedly begin with the home, and if home duties be generally neglected, erforming_ wider duties emancipated women will of wisdom' with & . that will not make them any the less true. An eminent physician expressed his belief that the evil tendency referred to by Professor Kiehle is one of the great dangers which threfl(tlen the perpetuity of an ‘Woman’s her husband has been fitly compared to what the rolling process i8 to the gold— rolling it into multitudinous sheets; she either increases his strength and mul- tiplies his graces or drags him down to Many a wife who is husband, frivolous selfishness dragged him down into misery and ruin. Dr. Theodore Cuyler says “good man- agement and frugality” in the home “are before the department of superintendents of the National Educational Associauon, which convened recently in Chicago. the fact that women and girls ng drawn into commercial cturing pursuits jeopardized the of future-mothers and was a men- to a happy home life. the public press that the address of tHe professor touched a popular feeling in the minds of the thousand or more educa- tors from all points of the compass, that portions of the address, stating that life and surroundings were above rdid gains, was applauded. Professor “In this age of commercial- ism and industrial conditions no provis- ion has been made for motherhood. This phase of life seems to have been brushed We are making money- a'tamp:\ at p It is stated ting as it is ennobling an admit that we ha rous times when women are ness pursuits and public life iy of the home. L. Kiehle of the chair of gogy in the University of Minnesota gave utterance to a timely words of warning concerning the home her own level. adored by her empty and entering bu Professor D. ‘be_well performed there 15 no noed to go afar to offer sacrifice.” CAX ewrners of our daughters in com- mercial pursuits. While women will have every right to an equality with men in matters of education, they are outside their sphere when that portion of thelr education fitting them for home life and moth- erhood does not take precedence over everything else.” No doubt some read these sneer, but consequently the influence over s0 through her has apt to mean prosperity,” . while “‘extrava- gance there means vexation, temptation to recklessness and business gambling and eventual ruin.” Half of the married men who practice swindling are pushed on to it by a wicked mistress or an extravagant wife and family. A wife is the best of friends or the worst of enemies. Dr. Cuy- ler asks, “Where lies the sorest sorrow that disturbs the heart-peace and spoils all the luster of worldly gains or honors?” He answers, “It is the worm that lies at the root of the home life,” and he further states, “It is of little account to a rhan to be prosperous in his store or his office or his pulpit if he be wretched at his own hearthstone.” There is suggested to us In these words of this eminent divine the great necessity of the queen ‘of the home being a good and wise queen in the fullest sense. Great evil may result from the misdirected ex- aggeration of her best affections, as is seen in so many painful instances. saying of Emerson, en are what their mothers made them,” may be said of the wife’s influence over her husband; he is what his wife makes him. The Princess Johanna Bismarck fulfilled as near as possible the wife’s and moth- er's place in life. She was the most de- voted of life companions to the great statesman and the most loving of moth- ers to her children. One writing of her death says, ‘If the Bismarckian house- hold exhibited a tys‘ of patriarchal fam- fly life which linked parents and children N \Y, . in a circle of trusttul tenderness, tne mer- its belonged in an especial degree to the departed Princess. She warmed the home with the sunny simplicity of her nature, and when storms were raging wildly with- out she afforded her wearied and sorely tried hu nd a comfortable corner ‘wherein forget the excitements of troubled days, to take the innocent pleas- ures in life amid the home circle, and to collect his strength for renewed efforts.” In this way the Princess played indi- rectly a part in politics that was not un- important, filling the warlike Chancellor fatigable courage for the fray. But it \s said she never sought to make her stron, personal influence felt In political ques- tions. This is certainly a beautiful as well as powerful illustration of the best and most effectual way for women to wield their influence in polltics and public matters. A woman in the home who walks grandly and who is upright will not lead her husband to walk unworthily and will not drag him downward. A godly and wise wife will not rule her husband with e Heart 5% her husb ““The heart o er husband doth sai trust in her, so that he shall haverex!.g P She wh do hi “‘She o him good and not evil all the days of her life.”” . After all is sald and dohe, ‘woman's first place. pear at her best, stros with an irrepressible joy in life and mdg home is Here she must ap- . beautiful, good. 5| PR ?’?? fis\ % —— S ( In the last analysis, home happiness de- pends on the wife and mother. While woman's influence reaches far beyend the home, yet woman at home, as its queel beautifying, sanctifying, adorning an blessing it, wields a greater influence for good than woman in puble life. It was Mrs. Beecher who said: “Let home stand first before all other things.” “No matter,” said she, “how higa your ambition may transcend its duties, no matter how far your talents or your in- fluence may reach beyond its doors, be- fore everything else build up a true homs! Be not iis slave; be its ster! Let it not be enough that it is swept and gar- nished, that its silver is brilliant, that its food is delicious, but feed the love in it, feed the truth in it, feed thought and as- piration, feed all charity and gentlene: In it. Then from its walls shall come forth true woman and the true man, who shall together rule and bless the land.” This is not an overwrought picture. There can be no greater honor tl to found such a home and there can be no higher dignity than to reign its undis- puted, honored mistress. rs. Beecher asks, ‘“What ia the ability to speak from a public platform to large, intelligent audiences, or the wisdom that commands a seat on the Judg bench, compared to that which can Insure and preside over a true home, that husband and children rise and call her blessed? Truly, “to be the guiding star, the ruling spirit in such a position, is higher honor than to rule an empire,” There 13 no greater need in our country than a revival of pure home devotion; but before that is possible there must be a greater regard for the sanctity of the marriage tle. This needs to be written akbout, preached about and taught to the rising generation until all shall realize the sacredness of the wedded relations. Then the laws of the land must be so con- structed and become So uniform on this divine institution that they will be a fence about it to guard and protect it against any unholy invasion. About the time when Christianity was ushered into the world family life was terribly decayed through frequency of di- vorce and Increase of licentiousness. Wemen, it s said, counted the years, not by ihc number of the consuls, but by the number of their rejected husbands; they divorced themselves so often that they wore out their bridal veils. Tertulllan, speaking of that age, says: “As for divorce, they long for it; they long for it as though it were the natural consequences of mar- riages.” At one time laws had to be passed for the restraint of immorality, compelling people to marry, and at another time laws had to be passed refraining them from marrying. History Seems to be repeating itself in respect to the matter of divorce. It Is indeed appalling the light manner in which many hold the wedded relation and the home tie. Hearts are too often given Ifke street merchandise or driven bought slaves in fair freedom’'s gut Love and mind are poisoned with pe. jury’s' foul sta too often the cc world binds hearts in joyless marriage chains. A much-needed exhortation is ned in these lines: “Be ye true unto yoursolves; Let rank and fortur It _love | the women of r- 1d %0; altar spot, But woman is seen at her best in the home in the capacity of mother. Some one has 4 home is where mother is. There can be no Ildeal home with sweet, godly mother. What woul be without her presence and love? house, with all its household equipmen may remain intact, but when mother is Continued on Page Five.