The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-05-09
Short Sermon.

| Snort SERMON.
From q new periodical called the Sem
icoon,' published at Cincinnati, we ex-
tract short sermon on Vmtuous Women.
1t is very much in the style of some OF
the old divines, who thus covered up CEN
sure in mock laudation.
Trxr.--Who can find vrtuous woman, for
her price is far above rubies.-Soiomon.
AS viruous women have in our days
become as plenty as they were rare in the
days of Solomon, we can easily test the
accuracy of his description, detecting his
inaccuracies, and observing how they are
intermingled with correct description
of which we subjoin the following instan-
Ces:
She sceketh wool aud flax, and workcih will
ingly with her hands.
Hired laborers, are technically denom-
mated hands and so are slaves on the
other side of The river. The inaccuracy
in the above account consists in the use
Of the term hands, for servants Of both
sexes, it being generally confined TO the
males. The correct portion Of the des-
crip,ion is, that the viriuous woman is
Wiling ihat her 4hanI~,' VI sviyauts siIvui5
do her work.
She is like merchant ship-she bringeth her
food from aiar.
This smile has generally been consid-
cred very correct. Merchant ships usu-
ally carry small burdens in proportion as
they are swift sailing and slilishly rugged,
and the more expensive and beautiful they
are, the less profitable are they. 'Iier
food is brought from affair; tina! is TO say
her tea comes from China, her sugar from
the West Indies, and her other luxures
from all parts of the world.
She riscth also while it is yet night, and giveth
meat to her household and portion to her maid
ems.
There is little incorreclness here,
which may, perhaps, be in the translation.
The true meaning of the verse probably
Is, that the viriuous woman, when she
gives party, sits up all night and gives
supper to her visitors, allowing her
maidens to eat portion after them.
She considere,h field, and buyclh it; with
the fruit of her hands she plantc,h a vineyard.
That is TO say, the viriuous woman be-
ing occasionally tired Of the town, per-
suades her husband TO buy country seat.
and by the labor of the hired hands, TO
ornament it with vines and fruit trees.
She girde,h her loins with strength, and
| strengthcneth her arms.
| This is strictly correct. The virtuous
woman requires a strong girdle around
her lons, in order to make her waist as
small as fashion requires and she mus,
strengthen her arms in order 10 draw her
girdle as tight as is necessary.
She percciveth that her merchandise is good
her candle gocth not out by night,
That is, when she goes out shopping
she examines an immense quantity oil
goods for the purpose Of being sure thai
they are Of the best quality, before she
makes purchase. Her candle, Of course
cannot go GU. by night, whether she gives
a party or goes 10 one.
She layc,h her hands to the opindIe, ard he
hands hold the distah.
This is very obscure passage, and i
is not easy to determine wha, The terms
spindle and 'dis,aG' mean, when uset
in the above connection. 1t is generally
admitted that they mean something exclu
sively used by women; but whether they
were articles that have gone out Of ust
and are forgotten, or are the names o
something now in use, is matter of grea
controversy. Some persons are OF th'
former opinion, while others think the.
mus. have been musical instruments, lik
the piano and guitar. Others imagin
tina, they we're articles Of household fur
niture, such as hand-bell, or pull bel
TO which the yriuous woman has lrt
quent occasions to lay her hand. Upo
the whole, the decision oil the queslio
is SO difficult, that we leave i, to our rea
: ders.