West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-11-30

70 eacn OF the older, he said, "Now /
who will give baby part of his or /
ange?' simultaneously the three
older pointed to the younger and I
exclaimed, willie will do it.0
God bless the Willies and He does
bless them, but their generosity
VIII not excuse another's selfish |
ness.
Because Mrs. A. or B. is alert and
active, the weaker sister is not
thereby excused from doing her
part to hasten the time when Gods
Kingdom shall come, His will be
done in all the earth. If she has
not ten pounds she will not be re-
sponsible for the use of ten, but let
her beware lest she wrap up her
one pound and lay it away in the
napkin of her Immaculate house
wifery.
AS to the question of how much
time is our own, and how much
must be given to the Lord it is all
His, and we are to glorify Him in
whatever we do. eff she have
brought up children, if she have
lodged strangers, if she have wash
ed the Saints feet, if she have re-
lieved the afflicted, # she haze dill
gently followed euery good word and
a0ork." That is Paurs description
Of the godly woman. Home duties
are our first but not our only duties.
"Beginning at jerusalem" but not
ending there. There may be Mrs.
Jellybys who neglect their homes
and children to make garments for
the inhabitants of Baraboolagha,
but where one woman goes to this
extreme of superfuous activity,
scores content themselves with an
apathetic interest in the cause of
Christ by pleading their home du-
ties, not realizing that an interest
in the happiness of those outside Of
their homes, yea, even on.heathen
shores, will react upon themselves,
making their lives richer and
sweeter, in making them better
wives and mothers, because their
hearts have become enlarged. Those
who essay to excuse their indiffer-
erce to Mission work by referring
to their domestic duties, may find a
hint Of a better way in the story of
the Rabouska, the mythical woman
who in Russia brings Christmas
gifts to the little ones. The legend
says that the wise men as they
journeyed called to her to come to
them and worship the newborn
king, but she answered, "wait until
I have my house in ORDER" but they
could not tarry, and when her work
was done they had gone on their
way through the desert and there
was no guiding-star to light the
feet which had fingered too late.
Too late she saw her error, and now
in every little child she sees, she
looks for the Christ-child, and for
the least of the little ones she tries
to do some service to atone for the
past. Let US not, "cumbered with
much service" for ourselves, ne
glect to minister to the least Of
Christ's brethren, that we may
thereby serve him.
"Know thy opportunity" should
be the motto Of every Christian.
We cannot doubt that God gives US
opportunities, but they are feet of
step and once gone are gone forever.
Would those who bewail their want
of opportunity find in an honest
searching of their hearts that they
really wish to do the work from
which they excuse themselves. If
they do not wish to do Gods work
have they given themselves to
Him? An earnest longing to do a
right thing generallyfn finds a way to
do it. Could not most of US, if we
were thoroughly in earnest, find
time and opportunity to do much
work outside our homes? Can we
not arrange ouraffairs that we may
spend that occasional hour in the
Mission circle, and cheer the hearts
of the faithful few who are always
IN their places? But supposing
we cannot do anything for the
cause of Christ outside our homes,
we may keep ourselves in sympa-
thv with the work and workers by
o,r Gifts and hv nl1r nraVerS lfI