depart from the domestic circle, and enter on the concerns of their
country, of humanity, and of their God."




SACRED OBSCURITY


In the preface to that ill-named but delightful book, the "Remains of the
late Mrs. Richard Trench," there is a singular remark by the editor, her
son. He says that "the adage is certainly true in regard to the British
matron, _Bene vixit quae bene latuit,_" the meaning of this phrase being,
"She has lived well who has kept herself well out of sight." Applying this
to his beloved mother, he further expresses a regret at disturbing her
"sacred obscurity." Then he goes on to disturb it pretty effectually by
printing a thick octavo volume of her most private letters.

It is a great source of strength and advantage to reformers, that there are
always men preserved to be living examples of this good old Oriental
doctrine of "sacred obscurity." Just as Mr. Darwin needs for the
demonstration of his theory that the lower orders of creation should still
be present in visible form for purposes of comparison, so every reformer
needs to fortify his position by showing examples of the original attitude
from which society has been gradually emerging. If there had been no
Oriental seclusion, many things in the present position of woman would be
inexplicable. But when we point to that; when we show that even in the more
enlightened Eastern countries it is still held indecorous to allude to the
feminine members of a man's family; when we see among the Christian nations
of Southern Europe many lingering traits of this same habit of seclusion;