THE GLORY OF WOMANHOOD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXI, Issue 17, 23 January 1895, Page 3

THE GLORY OF WOMANHOOD.

The Key Dr Woodsworth, when he preached two weeks ago m the Anglican Cathedral at Melbourne, on this subject, seemed to have got a splendid, text for an up-to-date discourse on "the new woman," when he gave forth the 22nd verse of the 31st chapter of Jeremiah — " The Lord jiath created a new thing m the earth, a woman shall encompass a man." The Bishop appears, however, to have fallen short of what might have been expected of him, and to have delivered a sermon on well-worn lines. In so far as he referred to modern women, the preacher kept clear of such questions as womanhood franchise and reform dress, though these are the subjects to which most people's thoughts would naturally turn when they were called upon to contemplate a new thing m the earth, m the shape of a woman "encompassing " a man. He referred at length, we are told, to the work of the Church done by women m the English dioceses ; m protecting the purity and beauty of English home life, m the rescue work of children, m homes and orphanages, and m the higher religious education. But after giving all due praise to the women who engage m such good work, the Bishop of Salisbury concluded that the highest work of

women was to rear children for the church — " that from women might be born the strong man, just, honest, brave, self-oontrolled]and temperate," He went so far, however, as to ex£teaa a hope that QotonM women

would exercise their influence towards having religion taught m the public schools ; not by obtaining and exeroising the electoral franchise, but by means of "such organisations as those they had m England," whatever they may be. It is only too plain that the worthy prelate is not yet ready to concede that women are the equals of men.