WOMAN'S KLONDIKE by L. Mae La Bier

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 22, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 51.

WOMAN'S KLONDIKE.

By L. Mae La Bier

In this mad rush to the great Alaskan fields for gold, and this hurry to become heroes in war; in this time when men leave home, kindred, and comfort to face sickness, suffering, and even death in order that their coffers may contain more wealth or their names be written with a “rear-admiral” addition, “come now, and let us reason together.”

There is nothing in life so beneficial as an hour spent alone now and then. It is in quiet, deliberate thoughtfulness, and not in the nervous excitement of a crowd, that character is builded. The woman who has not learned to use one hour out of twenty-four in self-examination and improvement lacks the finest element in character-building, and is not fitted to go to our Klondike. By teaching and by practise women have been led to believe that they must depend on the judgment of others. This is wrong. We are given reasoning power, as individuals made after God’s own image. There is no difference in degree as to man’s and woman’s ability to reason only as education has made it so. As a step toward overcoming the difference already existing, let us undertake the journey to Klondike, by considering three important questions:— (1) Where is woman’s Klondike? (2) what will be the cost of going? and (3) what will be the gain?

The first question is best answered by saying, The city, street, and number of yours may differ from mine; but, no matter whether in Fifth Avenue, New York, or some far-away mountain valley, these four letters spell it, H-O-M-E.

What will be the cost of going? For the benefit of the Klondikes in process of construction, I will say it is a very expensive trip. Did some one say she could not go, then? Yes, you can. What constitutes wealth? Do money, houses, and lands alone? You may answer for yourselves after considering the matter.

An even disposition will be necessary. One not easily provoked, one that “suffereth long, and is kind.” If you can’t enter this on your inventory list, proceed to invest your one-hour-a-day capital in prayerful study of self, and learn to master the powers given into your keeping. No, you need not say, “I can’t,” because the great Teacher ever stands ready to help us overcome self, and He can crown our efforts with success.

Good health comes next on our itemized list. It is certainly true that sunny tempers, sparkling eyes, rosy cheeks, and smiling lips all depend on the condition of the body. As I see the girls of to-day, my heart aches. A short time ago I attended a lecture on “Woman,” given by a physician, who showed us our bodies on charts, and explained the functions and depending relations of the organs.

A characteristic scene of the mad rush for gold over the Chilcoot Pass for the Klondike region. The dark lines on either side of the central mount are lines of men, periling health and life for the gold that perishes.

Three girls in front of me giggled, squirmed, and punched each other until true modesty was ashamed. One of these girls was a typically-laced American; the second had not learned the A B C’s of bodily cleanliness; and the third was old enough to have listened through respect, if not interest.

Our whole existence depends entirely on the unity between soul and body. The body could be called the soul house. You know full well if a house isn’t kept clean and in order, the inmates become cross, thoughtless, and discontented. This applies as well to body and soul. So our Klondike requires a “sound mind in a sound body.” Our husbands will prize our good health. Our children will call us blessed.

O, two more articles of wealth,—husband and children! You didn’t expect to journey without either, did you? A Christian husband is a very necessary part of the wealth,—a husband you can trust, and who trusts you; one you love, and who loves you; one who is in deed and truth a companion. And children are the diamonds among our jewels. Childish prattle and trust bring out perfect consecration in the home.

Girls, put your corsets aside. Dress for comfort and natural beauty rather than style. Let your bodies develop free from hindrance. Exercise, pure air, and sunshine are nature’s medicines; take them in large doses many times a day.

Lastly, don’t be one-sided, and that the dark side. “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Too often we fail to see the beautiful along our pathway. An old lady who picked up wood along the Elbe River was once asked by some tourists if the scenery along the banks was beautiful. “No; all you will see is wood, wood,” was her reply. Too often life becomes all work to us. We are too particular to have things in perfect adjustment, at the expense of our family. Through tired eyes we see nothing but floors to scrub, dishes to wash, and dirty-faced children with muddy feet. Look up! We get out of an enterprise just what we put into it. Live a life among women. Be queen of your throne; rule your dominion by love; then your husband, your children, and your friends will enjoy your Klondike, and angels will chant the refrain:—

“Mid pleasures and palaces Tho we may roam, Be it ever so humble, There’s no place like home.”

L. MAE LA BIER.