The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-06-13
THE IDEAL WOMAN,
As Pictured by Rev. Allen J..
Van Wagner, at the Con-
gregational Church,
Last night.
Words of Advice, Warning and
Help, to the Young Ladies.

The pastor OF the Congregational church
in this city has succeeded i'm creating con-
siderable of a stir by his sermons to young
ladies under the attractive title of before
Marriage"
There have been two of these discOurses
and both have succeeded in producing
quite a sensation among the young people,
though it is a sensation entirely free from
any Objectionable feature, and decidedly
healthy and helpful in tone.
The capacity of the church
was fully taxed last night
to accommodate the audience which gath
cred to listen to the discussion of the sub
ject OF Before Marriage" There were
many young ladies present and the atten-
tive hearing they gave the preacher was
evidence of the deep interest they felt in
the discussion OF the question. Some
parts OF the sermon were very plain and
strongly put, especially where they were
brought home and reference was made TO
the foibles and questionable habits of some
society ladies. Ii was certainly bold
sermon and one very few preachers would
give utterance TO, but il was powerful
presentation OF argument, illustration, in
vective, pleading, pathos and sentiment,
and Il discourse which will do good and is
a credit to the eloquent pastor.
Mr. Van Wagner selected the words,''I
shall be lady forever" found in the 47th
chapter and 9Th verse OF Isaiah, as his
text, and spoke, in substance, as follows:
WEBSTER SAYS THAT LADY
is woman OF gentle and refined manners,
but take it that in the largest sense she
is more. 4 true lady loves whatever is
true and beautiful, and scorns he base and
foul. She has a high ideal of life she
hates and detests whatever is degrading
and mean. She is one who. in thought
and feeling, walks on the border OF the
heavenly land and has aspirations which
link her to God. To be lady is To attain
To the highest and noble>t in life; il is to
be everything which is attractive to man
and cOmmendable TO God.
Tonight | want 10 speak further on this
subject Of Before Marriage" There are
some things | want To impress very deeply
ladies here tonight.
THE FIRST THOUGHT
to which would call your attention
is that now, in the most
emphatic sense. is Your time
for mental culture. Unless Won form a
taste for, and habit OF, study, you will
never do so. Ii you neglect this till middle
life, You will find it impossible to begin
then. Ii is never safe, In this respect, tn
go beyond the age OF eighteen. The great
majority of wives have but little time for
study, or even reading, and to them comes
only snatches of time in which to indulge
this taste. Now is the time TO cultivate
your mind as to utilize these short opPor-
tunities for mental Improvement.
BE MOST JUDICIOUS
i'm the selection OF what you read. There is
a vast amount of trashy works thrown be-
fore the people, and out OF this mass you
should Gull the pure and strong and good
and beautiful, leaving the impure and
harmful to moudler on the shelves.
I believe i'm novel reading to a GER
tain extent, but not the reading of
those silly, weak, light novels,
which are always an injury, and
produce disliking for the better class of
works. Read history, biography, the
magazines and the poets. Know the
beauties of Tennyson and Longfellow. the
sublimities of Milton and Dante, the
wonderful teachings of SHAKESPEARE. And
| would advise you to read the daily
papers. What history these journals daily
record, what a mirror they are vi the living
present, how graphically they portray the
events of the town. You should know OF
these things. so that you may be able to
talk intelligently of them.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SCHOOL PRIvI-
LEGES.
Go through our own schools, and then, If
you can, go to those of a larger and better
equipment. You have Is much talent as
the young men OF the land, and lit is your
duty to give it the broadest and best
possible cultivation. believe in the CO.
education of the sexes and that the time
throw open its doors to all corners, ire
spective of sex. BY following the advice
given
1T WILL ADD TO YOUR HAPPINESS
all through life. Dark days will come to
all. Sorrows are our common heritage.
In the season of distress of soul or pain of
body, books are solace and a comfort.
They cheer the heart, bring back hope and
dispel the gloom.
FUN hOl iNr
as wife, should you improve the present.
A wife who can talk with her husband
intelligently, on the questions OF the
present, or of the treasures of the
past, has wonderful influence over that
husband. She is far more beautiful to
him for these graces of the mind, and he
graciously makes her the queen OF his
home.
Think, too, OF the holy responsibilities
of a mother in the matter OF training
their children. 1t is the greatest power on
earth to be able to gather the little ones
around the evening lamp and impart in
struction to them.
1t also gives you a position and power
in society which cannot he otherwise OBJ
tanned. There you may WELD potent
sceptre; there you may be honOred and
praised. You know not what
LATENT GIFTS YOU POSSES.