Machar frequently wrote about challenges faced by Christianity in the face of rapidly advancing scientific knowledge. Her friends included prominent Darwinists such as George Romanes and Grant Allen, and she wrote that Christians should accept evolutionary theory as part of an adapting and fuller understanding of God's word. Secularist William Dawson LeSueur, although he disagreed with her, praised her arguments. Machar also advocated for churches to deliver more charity to the poor, especially during the depressions of the late 19th century. She was particularly critical of the hypocrisy she saw where churches worked to save the souls of the poor, while disregarding their physical needs. She argued for justice, a right to work, and sufficient means to rise above a subsistence existence. Beyond her essays, she also explored these themes in her well-received 1892 novel, Roland Graeme, Knight. Machar also advocated for prohibition and proposed that the state should establish homes for the care of impoverished elderly citizens, whom she described as "veteran[s] in the industrial army." She dedicated her own resources to this cause, bequeathing an endowment to establish the Agnes Maule Machar Home at 169 Earl Street in Kingston "for old ladies past earning their own livelihood.". The terms of her will turned the property, designed in 1849 by William Coverdale (architect), into a residence for elderly Protestant women of "gentle birth" in 1932, until its public sale in 2003. A witness to Confederation, Machar was concerned about English–French tensions in the young country. She wrote poetry, fiction, and historical accounts of French achievements in Canada. She also wrote (unsuccessful) letters and essays pleading for clemency for Louis Riel, and, after World War I, compiled and translated letters from French soldiers who had died in the conflict. Feminist As a feminist, Machar argued in favour of higher education and fair working conditions for women. She advocated for better conditions for women and children in shops and factories, as well as for legislation requiring shorter hours for women workers. This last demand was challenged by fellow-feminist Carrie Matilda Derick who argued that it was inconsistent with the goal of gender equality. Machar was officially connected with the National Council of Women of Canada where she read many of her papers. Death Machar died in Kingston in 1927. Selected works Faithful Unto Death: A Memorial of John Anderson, Late Janitor of Queen's College, Kingston, C.W. (1859; published anonymously) Katie Johnstone's