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Show WOMAN'S' EXPONENT. 218 ternat and household duties, but must epio, THE .WHIM'S EXPONENT. B. WELLS, - - : dlfor. to Salt Lake' City) . Utah. one year, $2.00; one copy gfx months, Terms: One copy the' price of nine. Advertising for Ten 1.00. copies ten lines of nonpareil space, one Each rates: square, time, $2.00; per month, $3.00. A liberal discount to Pablished Bcmi-monthJ- y, regular advertisers. Exj'onent Office, Lower West Room of the Council u . Business South Temple Stieet. hours from 10 a.m. to 5 pTm. erery day except Sunday. Address all business communications to Publisher. Woman's Exponent, llouee, Salt Lake City, Utah. SALT XAKE CITY, APIUL NOBLE WO RK FOt ' 1, 1879. WOMEN. There has never been a reform of any sort in the history of the world tut has been met with opposition. All new discoveries, of whatever name or nature, all new truths, no matter what divine power they may possess, or what elements of reform they may embody, or engender, are sure to meet a storm! of ridicule and disputation. Every movement which makes any advance, every new ra of light that comes into the intellectual world, and irradi- ates the darkness which has shrouded the mnd, is met with fluence which it must have overcome. Perad venture it is heretefore enan opposing inthe courage to faint as a rushlight, and the strong atmosphere of concentrated ages snuffs it out, but the enthusiasm of the individual, or individuals', which inspired and made it glow even faintly rekindles it, and by and by, after repeated effort5, it gathers ; sufficient vital force and power to shed its rays abroad. A few who possess a' latent spark of the love of truth and light may gradually become enlightened, and thus little by little the reform, which grows out of new truths finding place in the bosom of mankind, forces itself upon society, and one by one the iron bars which hedge in the-customs wear away, and the revolution of a new age and the inventions of its people are understood and appreciated. There has never been any breaking away of the silken cord which binds woman to the proprieties and delicacies of that life which in times gone by every mother marked out for her daughter, saying, "Thus far ehalt thou go and no farther;" but some great alarm, has been raised, and the cry is heard, ''stepping out of her sphere and evil prophecies and the destruction of home and total dieregaid of propriety and womanliness are apprehended by those who cannot bear to seethe removal-obut who desire to protect any old women in their weakness and keep them within the pale marked out by mankind in past ages, ere they had so ' far advanced as to appreciate or comprehend woman's ability, or strength of soul. This is a new dispensation; men bhould remember this fact; and women too; and 'tKat this new dispensation is for woman- 'al'weii'as man. Then, when men ad- varice wllKYapid strides do they expect women to ttairid till? If woman bears the noble souls who are to reform and regenerate the earth, she herself must possess, in a largo degree, this redeeming and, regenerating power atd influence to impart it to her posterity. ''M&inXmha supplied, In a wondnful farmer, the tiadesman, bul has bess; it done nothing to tij? favpr woman? .That would be unjust indeed but it la . hot soV The generation of women a ' hundred years ago must not only perform ma- - de-yol- tion." In the awakening of the sisters to duty there scenls to be hope for greater and higher culture and progress in the church. If men and women will only work in harmony with each other, and this must be dojie or no good' can possibly be accomplished; The bretbrenlb.. Elders, those who proclaim the Gospel at home and abroad, have done faithfully their work, but their hands will be strengthened by the k, 'a and their forces dou-- . help of women-workebled, and tne huslband who has upon his shoulders heavy burdens to bear pertaining to the duties of hia high 'arid boJy calling, will not need to spend his precious time to teach the" wife at home, but she herself will be qualified to stand fcide by side with him, and from the love of the work in which both are mutually interested, they; will bless and sustain each other, and ex.tend; the helping hand to the poor, the sorrowing and the tempted. Heretofore the laborers have been too few, and It was not considered proper for woman to teach her own eex, except In the schoolroom, or in that which pertained to household work and the care of children. But time, in its onward march, has brought with it wondrous changes,5 and some noble womeh have felt impressed with a' strong sense of duty and "the still s'oall voice" within which speaks to all that they had ainispion to fulfill, a work to perform, and with the sweet memories of Childhood rising up before tbem, of a mother who could touch their he?rts ss with a holy d, f do-Me- ve "over-religiou- s." old-lim- e land-mar- weave, dye, and afterwards knit and sew, make and mend, and many other things that are not now expected, or necessary. New inventions have been made that lighten Jn an Immense degree the labor of this kind, once wholly performed by hand. Man's work is thus lessened, woman's housewifely duties are proportionate; men have more time to devote to science and literature, what then of women? Have thjey not talents and gifts Of a high order to develop? Who will say us nay? Why then should a limit be set to theifcalture, or a boundary to their education? And above all else, why should women themselves seek to draw tighter the silken cord, because perchance not even a rushlight of higher intelligence has eritered into their life, so shaded by the towering1 oak to which they cling, that until the darkness of the whole forest is illuminated they areunablo to discern, that here and there are lamps burning, with oil in them, but believe woman's highest prerogative is to 'learn ef her husband at home;" or perchance another class live in constant fear of Mrs. Grundy. Is there not a wide field of labor which it is scarcely possible for men to comprehend, even if they had the inclination? God has endowed woman with faculties and instincts, with the right of conscience inherent in her soul. No one doubts the propriety of woman's being an active member in the Church , in the Sunday School and all benevolent organizations, but she must step so far and no farther; and the moment she does move a few steps in advance of her predecessors she becomes the subject of ridicule, or persecution; and for fear of this, many women in all parts of the enlightened world remain Inactive and Indifferent, and clog the wheels of, true progress, But women should awaken to the duties and responsibilities which upon them now, and not be afraid of being ridiculed or sneered at, or called Goldsmith says in his "Citizen of the World," Persecution only serves to propagate new religions; they acquire fresh vigor beneath the executioner and the axe, and like some vivacious insects, multiply by dissec- . touch, have realized the woman-pow- er that might perhaps reach poor human hearts, with a pathos and tenderness, and even an inspiration, and minister, giving faith and hope to those who yearn for help and encouragementt It is well known that Christian women "feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless;" why, then, is she not also fit to minister spiritual food? The Prophet Joseph said when he organized the sisters in the Relief Society that their mission was not only to relieve the wants of the poor, but to save souls. And there are sisters living now, who have heard him speak of the power and blessing that should attend the sisters who were humble and faithful in these societies. Humility is necessary; the Savior is the example for all, He descended below all things, that He might falfill all righteousness. mw& 0 mm HOME AFFAIRS. WOs the 6th of the present month the Forty-Nin- th Annual Conference will be hald in this city. No doubt the fine weather will mate it a large and pleasant one. On Saturday, April 5th, will be the Quarterly Conference of this Stake of Zlon, and the Sisters are invited to attend. We hopo there will not be so many empty benches as we saw there one year ago. We would say to our sisters who have eent in reports of meetings held in the different Wards of this city and elsewhere, that we have published them as our space would permit and shall continue to do so. We devote one page always, and often more than one to R. S. Reports. It is necessary to publish these reports so that all may understand what is being done in other organizations, and thus work In harmony. We intended mentioning the eeveral reports we have on hand at this present date, but find them too numerous. This proves that the sisters are doing a vast amount of work through these organizations. We shall be glad to receive original articles or essays for publication from the sisters; we intend that the paper be mostly filled with the writings of the sisters, but a few selections from other papers are necessary, in order to understand what women are doing elsewhere. We designed to publish in this feue Mrs. Stanton's opening address in Liucjln Hall, at the N. W. S. A. Convention, Jan. 9., but it Is crowded out this time. i- A Quarterly Conference of the Relief Society and Y. L. M. I. A. of this Stake of Ziou was held in the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Rooms Friday and Saturday, March 21 and 22, Mrs. M. Isabella Home and her counselors presiding. Friday morning: after the opening exercists, which always consist of singing an J prayer, the Secretary read the report of the Annual meeting held in December and the Quarterly reports from the various branches of the Society in the county. There were &Uo verbal reports from some of the (societies. Friday afternoon was eccupied in hearing the Presidents from the country rettlemenis, many of them giviDg excellent Instruction, and each and all reflecting credit upon themselves and the Society they represented. Pres. Home and Mis. E. B. Wells each gave a short address, speaking of the present condition of society and the great need of reform, and other subjects suited to the occasion. Saturday morning; Mrs. Mary A. Freeze presided. The meeting was devoted to hearing from the Yourg Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations of this Stake of Zion. The Secretary read the minutes ojkthe meeting in December, and all the reports which bad been received. Several organizations bad not sent in a written report. After the reports were read, -- " |