e world and preach the gospel to every creature," but
that is a very debatable matter. Christ's scribes were all men, and in
writing down the sacred story, they would naturally ignore the woman's
part of it. It is not more than twenty years ago that in a well-known
church paper appeared this sentence, speaking of a series of revival
meetings: "The converted numbered over a hundred souls, exclusive of
women and children." If after nineteen centuries of Christian
civilization the scribe ignores women, even in the matter of
conversion, we have every reason to believe that Matthew, Mark, Luke or
John might easily fail to give women a place "among those present" or
the "also rans."

Superior physical force is an insidious thing, and has biased the
judgment of even good men. St. Augustine declared woman to be "a
household menace; a daily peril; a necessary evil." St. Paul, too,
added his contribution and advised all men who wished to serve God
faithfully to refrain from marriage "even as I." "However," he said,
"if you feel you must marry, go ahead--only don't say I did not warn
you!" Saint Paul is very careful to say that he is giving this advice
quite on his own authority, but that has in no way dimmed the faith of
those who have quoted it.

Later writers like Sir Almoth Wright declare there are no good women,
though there are some who have come under the influence of good men.
Many men have felt perfectly qualified to sum up all women in a few
crisp sentences, and they do not shrink from declaring in their modest
way that they understand women far better than women understand
themselves. They love to talk of women in bulk, all women--and quite
cheerfully tell us women are illogical, frivolous, jealous, vindictive,
forgiving, affectionate, not any too honest, patient, frail,
delightful, inconstant, faithful. Let us all take heart of grace for
it seems we are the whole thing!

Almost all the books written about women have been written by men.
Women have until the last fifty years been the inarticulate sex; but
although they have had little to say about themselves they have heard
much. It is a very poor preacher or lecturer who has not a lengthy
discourse on "Woman's True Place." It is a very poor platform
performer who cannot take the stand and show women exactly wherein they
err. "This way, ladies, for the straight and narrow path!" If women
have gone aside from the straight and narrow path it is not because