St. Elmo
I have to write to say I just finished a great book: St. Elmo.. by one of the greatest writers of the 19th century, Augusta Jane Evans Wilson. This book was the number 3 seller of the 1800's.. only Ben Hur, and Uncle Tom's Cabin sold more copies. She is a true southern lady. Society at the time of the book was on the brink of the women's suffrage movement. Here are some passages I HAVE to share from the book. These are spoken by the heroine of the book: Edna Earl, and are directly related to the things we face in our country and culture when it comes to women and their vocation.
"... I think sir, that the noble and true women of this continent earnestly believe that the day which invests them with the elective franchise would be the blackest in the annals of humanity, would ring the death-knell of modern civilisation, of national prosperity, social morality, and domestic happiness; and would consign the race to a night of degradation and horror infinitely more appalling than a return to primeval barbarism." She continues: " God, the Maker, tenderly anchored womanhood in the peaceful, blessed haven of home, and if man is ever insane enough to mar the divine economy, by setting women afloat on the turbulent, roaring sea of politics, they will speedily become pitiable wrecks. Sooner than such an inversion of social order, I would welcome even Turkish bondage; for surely utter ignorance is infinitely preferable to erudite unwomanliness."
The next passage deals with women who aspire to things contrary to the vocation God has put them in:
" I do not believe that 'all men are born free and equal;' and think that two-thirds of the Athenians were only fit to tie Socrates' shoes, and not one half of Rome worthy to play valet and clasp the toga of Cato or of Cicero. Neither do I claim nor admit the equality of the sexes, whom God created with distinctive intellectual characteristics, which never can be merged or destroyed without outraging the decrees of Nature, and sapping the foundations of all domestic harmony. Alow me to say, sir in answer to your remarks concerning learned women, that it seems to me great misapprehension exists relative to the question of raising the curriculum of female education. ... Erudition and effrontery have no inherent connection, and a woman has an unquestionable right to improve her mind, ad infinitum, provided she does not barter womanly delicacy and refinement for mere knowledge; and, in her anxiety to parade what she has gleaned, forget the decorum and modesty whithout which she is monstrous and repulsive.
Now we get to the juicy part:
" Does it not appear reasonable that a truly refined woman, whose heart is properly governed, should increase her usefulness to her family and her race, by increasing her knowledge? A female pedant who is coarse and boisterous, or ambitious of going to Congress, or making stump speeches, would be quite as unwomanly and unlovely in character if she were utterly illiterate..... A woman who cannot be contented and happy in the bosom of her home, busied with ordinary womanly work, but fancies it is her mission to practise law or medicine, or go out lecturing, would be a troublesome, disagreeable personage under all circumstances, and would probably stir up quite as much mischief, while using ungrammatical language, as if she were a perfect philologist."
How things have changed! You couldn't be caught DEAD saying or writing these words today in mainstream America, or many Christian churches...
now remember, these aren't my words but certainly are words to ponder, and quite interesting!!!
