“The rights of women, what are they?
\nThe right to labour, love and pray,
\nThe right to weep, with those that weep,
\nThe right to wake when others sleep.<\/p>\n
The right to dry the falling tear,
\nThe right to quell the rising fear,
\nThe right to smooth the brow of care
\nAnd whisper comfort in despair.<\/p>\n
The right to watch the parting breath,
\nTo smoothe and cheer the bed of death,
\nThe right when earthly hopes all fail
\nTo point to that within the veil.<\/p>\n
The right the wanderer to reclaim
\nAnd win the lost from paths of shame,
\nThe right to comfort and to bless
\nThe widow and the fatherless.<\/p>\n
The right the little ones to guide
\nIn simple faith to Him who died,
\nWith earnest love and gentle praise,
\nTo bless and cheer their youthful days.<\/p>\n
The right the intellect to train
\nAnd guide the soul to noble aim,
\nTeach it to rise above earth’s toys
\nAnd wing its flight to heavenly joys.<\/p>\n
The right to live for those we love,
\nThe right to die that love to prove,
\nThe right to brighten earthly homes
\nWith pleasant smiles and gentle tones.<\/p>\n
Are these thy rights? Then use them well,
\nThy silent influence none can tell.
\nIf these are thine, why ask for more?
\nThou hast enough to answer for.<\/p>\n
Are these thy rights? Then murmur not
\nThat women’s mission is thy lot.
\nImprove the talents God has given.
\nLife’s duty done – thy rest is Heaven.”<\/p>\n
Mary Griffiths, 25th February 1908<\/p>\n
The above poem is included by permission of the author of An Unfamiliar Family<\/em> Robert Searle-Barnes, in the September-October 2005 Gospel Magazine<\/em>. Writing about his grandmother, who was the wife of the Vicar of Smithfield Martyrs Memorial Church, he says: “One thing is certain. Mary Griffiths had no sympathy for Suffragettes. Her contribution to mother’s autograph album was entitled ‘Women’s Rights’, a nine verse poem. It has no inscription, unlike the other entries in the book and may well have been her own composition.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “The rights of women, what are they? The right to labour, love and pray, The right to weep, with those that weep, The right to wake when others sleep. The right to dry the falling tear, The right to quell the rising fear, The right to smooth the brow of care And whisper comfort in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"resource-author":[912],"topic":[],"class_list":["post-2257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","resource-author-griffiths-mary"],"yoast_head":"\n