- To be a woman is to be a creature

Somewhat leas than man, Lower set upon the scale of Nature When the world began.

To be a woman is to be a spirit Equal-born with man, -Made, as man is, to inherit Heaven by God's plan.

To be a woman is to be the weaker In the things of earth, Unto man subservient, meeker— Poorer in world's worth. Being poorer, weaker, lesser In the earthly strife Marks—Christ teaches—the possessor Of eternal life.

Man 'twould seem then, and not woman, Has the meaner share In the common lot and human Both must bear.

For the woman, though her burden Be a broken heart, In her weakness has the guerdon Of the better part.

Man, in this world having honour, Heaven soon forgets ;. Woman, with the yoke upon her, Godward her heart sets.

And the nearer God she dwelleth,

Better doth she know. By how much her lot excelleth Grov'lling man's below—

Till her heart o'erflows with pity For the fate of man, Who, without the heavenly city,

She doth faintly scan—

In the eager market toiling .

For the needful wage, With the sordid traffic soiling Honour's virgin page.

Pity soon to love still turneth

In a woman's breast-: Woman's love to succour yearneth

Whom she loveth best.

Man to worship aye is willing Woman thron'd on high ; But, when pity's hest fulfilling,

Woman stoopeth nigh—

Worship then goes out of fashion, Man begins to love, And the woman's shy compassion, Like a fright,ed dove, Fain would fly back to its covert From the world away— But she falters, and her lover Can she not gainsay.

She is weaker, he is stronger, And true love is sweet ; He will be alone no longer, She is his helpmeet.

For the secret of her Heaven She has brought to earth, And in equal bargain given For a man's whole worth.

Greater, lesser, worser, better,

Which is which, it matters not—

Man and woman joined together,, One they are in heart and lot.

M. E. C.