love in the mountains of God are full to overflowing, and every man
can pipe the supply into his own heart and live victoriously,
abundantly, gloriously, as God intended us all to live, then it will
come about that the sword will be beaten into the ploughshare and the
spear into the pruning-hook, and the Lord will truly hear our prayer
and heal our land.

CHAPTER XIV

THE LAST RESERVES

To-day I read in one of our newspapers an account of a religious
convention which is going on in our city. It said that one of the lady
delegates asked if, in view of the great scarcity of men to take the
various fields, and the increased number of vacancies, the theological
course in their colleges would be opened to women? And the report
said, "A ripple of amusement swept over the convention."

I know that ripple. I know it well! The Church has always been amused
when the advancement of women has been mentioned right out boldly like
that. There are two things which have never failed to bring a laugh--a
great, round, bold oath on the stage, and any mention of woman
suffrage in the pulpit. They have been sure laugh-producers. When we
pray for the elevation of the stage in this respect, we should not
forget the Church!

I have been trying to analyze that ripple of amusement. Here is the
situation: The men have gone out to fight. The college halls are empty
of boys, except very young ones. One of the speakers at the same
session said, "We do not expect to get in boys of more than eighteen
years of age." Churches are closed for lack of preachers. What is to
be done about it? No longer can Brother M. be sent to England to bring
over pink-cheeked boys to fill the ranks of Canada's preachers. The
pink-cheeked ones are also "over there." There is no one to call upon
but women. So why was the suggestion of the lady delegate received
with amusement? Why was it not acted upon? For although there were
many kind and flattering things said about women, their great services
to Church and State, yet the theological course was not opened.

The Church has been strangely blind in its attitude toward women, and
with many women it will be long remembered with a feeling of
bitterness that the Church has been so slow to move.

The Government of the Western Provinces of Canada gave full equality
to women before that right was given by the Church. The Church has not
given it yet. The Church has not meant to be either unjust or unkind,
and the i