WOMAN'S RIGHTS
Not many years before the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, was published in 1875 the movement began in England and America for "Woman's Rights" which culminated in the granting of the suffrage and the opening of careers and professions for women on an equal footing with men. Our Leader's comment on this burning topic of her times was brief. She says on page 63 of Science and Health, "If the elective franchise for women will remedy the evil without encouraging difficulties of greater magnitude, let us hope it will be granted." She also wrote a simple little poem, called "Woman's Rights," setting forth a transcendent idealism yet to be demonstrated in the affairs of everyday life. It begins with a stanza in Victorian strain (Poems, p.21):
"Grave on her monumental pile:
She won from vice, by virtue's smile,
Her dazzling crown, her sceptred throne,
Affection's wreath, a happy home.
This clearly indicates that woman should set the moral standard of conduct in home and society. The last stanza begins with the lines,
"To form the bud for bursting bloom,
The hoary head with joy to crown."
Herein is the crux of the whole subject. So long as we pilgrimage through this so-called human life, the care of little children and the comfort of the aged devolve largely upon womanhood the world over. To some this charge seems at times to be dull and tedious, but Mrs. Eddy regards these duties as "woman's rights." Let us therefore ask ourselves what are the qualities needed for this tremendous task. Undoubtedly self-control, patience, wisdom, cheerfulness, and serenity of spirit that remains unruffled by all the changing breezes and angry gusts of circumstances. Courage, fearlessness, and untiring vigilance are also qualities which should animate the individual who is to be a safe guide for little children and a kind guardian of the aged.
These qualities are derived from our Father-Mother God and must be sought in Him. No personality, mere intellectual training, or human environment can supply them. They are wholly spiritual and must be sought in Spirit, divine Principle. We read in the fifth chapter of Galatians (verse 22), "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith."
Now we know that in God's universe, the only true universe, in which "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7), there are no immature young children and no helpless old people. Such phenomena are phases of the Adam-dream. Science and Health describes the true status of creation in these lines (p. 250): "Spirit is the Ego which never dreams, but understands all things; which never errs, and is ever conscious; which never believes, but knows; which is never born and never dies. Spiritual man is the likeness of this Ego." But we cannot leap from the Adam-consciousness suddenly into absolute perfection. The footsteps that humanity must take, our Leader tells us, are indispensable. We must prove man's divine birthright by patient, progressive demonstration, the improving of earthly concepts until at last they dissolve and give place to the eternal reality of being.
A difficulty that frequently obtrudes itself in the care of both children and old folk is the fundamental claim of self-will; because in self-will lodges the lie of a selfhood apart from God, the belief of more than one ego. The human being, whatever his seeming age, must learn that there is only one will, God's law, God's government of every motive and act. When the parent, teacher, or nurse ceases to try to impose his so-called human will and realizes that divine Principle is governing one and all, and that all are obedient to the ever-present will of righteousness, friction is removed and the harmony of God's law is expressed in the details of daily life.
What a precious "right" it is to lead a child to appreciate all that is beautiful, good, and true. The writer remembers that when she visited Boston many years ago she met a gentleman, of Pilgrim descent, who related that as a lad of about twelve years he had wandered into the Original Mother Church edifice and, attracted by its sunshiny beauty, had remained in one of the pews to listen to the service. Presently Mrs. Eddy herself came in and went into the pulpit to preach the sermon. He did not remember exactly what she said, but her lovely, spiritual presence so impressed him that he knelt down and prayed that he might know God as she knew Him, and that he might serve Him and her Cause all his life. At the time the writer met him he was a Christian Science practitioner. He indeed dedicated his life to God and to the healing ministry founded by our Leader.
People of advanced age sometimes dwell much upon their memories, but memories can be sweetened with gratitude to God and thereby help one to lay aside all grumbling, criticism, and repining, to root out of consciousness that most noxious weed, self-pity, and to go forward with the certainty that every right idea must come to perfect manifestation. Whatever our record, we are all, from a human standpoint, on the same journey from sense to Soul; so let us be happy pilgrims.
A "right" implies the support of law and the strength of victory. Spiritually speaking, a "right" is a condition already established in Mind; it is upheld and maintained by Mind's law, and the so-called carnal mind cannot oppose or delay its appearing. This truth gives us courage boldly to claim the divine qualities which belong to the children of God, for what is impossible for mortals to attain is possible— more, it is the birthright, the endowment—of true womanhood.
No one with spiritual ideals, whatever his age or circumstance, can ever feel "out of work" or "laid on the shelf." There are "rights" to be won and established for all mankind. Mrs. Eddy sums them up in the conclusion to her poem "Woman's Rights,"
"In short, the right to work and pray,
'To point to heaven and lead the way.'"
