Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-25
SLAVES OF THE. NEEDLE.
DIR. TALBKAGE DISCOURSES ON
WORYEN'S WAGES.


the Olden Time-WOrll Indispensable
To the Happiness of the Gentle Sex
Equal Compensation for the Sexes De
manded.
BROOKLYN, n. Y, May A.-Dr. TAI
mage preached in the Brooklyn Taoerna-
Gle this morning on the subject, Tine
Despotism Of the Needle; or, Discourse
on Woman's Wages" Before the sermon
DR.. Talmage explained the epistle OF
James where ii says, BE not many mas
ters." which. he said, was reproof for
those who are disposed to be bossy in
their disposition. The opening hymn
was:
''Mid scenes of confusion and creature com
How sweet to my soul is communion Of
saints!N
The text was from Eeclesiastes w., l;
$50 returned and considered all the OPP
pressious that are now done under the sun,
and behold the tears OF such as were
oppressed, and they had no comforter;
and on the side of their oppressors there
was power" Following is the sermon in
full:
Very long ago the needle was busy. 1t
was considered honorable for women to
toll in olden time. Alexander the Great
stood in bis palace showing garments
made by his own mother. The finest
tapestries at Bayeux we're made by the
Queen of William the COnquerOr. Au-
gustus. the Emperor, would not wear any
garments except those that were fash
toned by some member of his royal family.
So let the toiier everywhere be respected
The needle has slain more than the sword.
When the sewing machine was invented
some thought that invention would allie
Viate wOman's toll, and put an end to the
despotism OF the needle But no; while
the sewing machine has been a great
blessing to weil-tO-do families in many
cases. it has added to the stab of the
needle the crush Of the wheel, and multi
tudes OF women, notwithstanding the re-
enforcement Of the sewing machine, can
only make, work hard as they will, be-
tween 81 and 50 per week.
The greatest blessing that could have
happened TO our first parents was being
turned out Of Eden after they had done
wrong. Adam and Eve in their perfect
state might have got along without work,
or only such slight employment as a per-
feet garden with no weeds in it demand
ed. But as soon as they had sTnned the
best thing for them was TO be turned out
where they would have to work. We
know what a whitening thing 1t is for
man to have nothing TO do. Old Ashbel
Green. at foup-scOre years, when asked
why he kept on working, said Il do so
to keep out of mischief" We see that a
man who has a large amount of money to
start with has no chance. OF the thou
sand prosperous and honorable men that
you know, nine hundred and ninety
nine had to work vigorously at
the beginning. But | am now to
tell you that industry is just as important
for woman's safety and happiness. The
most unhappy women in our cOmmuni-
ties to-day are those who have no engage
ments to call them up in the morning;
who, once having risen and breakfasted,
lounge through the dun forenoon in slip
pers down at the heels and with dis
heveled hair, reading Ouida's last novel;
and who, having dragged through
Wretched forenoon and taken their after
noon sleep, and having passed an hour
and half at their toilet, pick up their
card case and 90 out TO make calls; and
VINO pass their evenings waiting for some
body to come in and break up the
monotOny. AFabella Stuart never was
imprisoned in so dark a dungeon as that.
There is no happiness in an idle woman.
1t may be with hand, it may be with
brain, il may be with foot; but work she
must or be wretcbed forever. The little
girls Of our families must be started with
that idea. The curse of our American
society ia that our Young women are
taught that the first, second, third, fourth
fifth, sixth, seventh, tenth, fiftieth thou
sandth thing in their life is TO get some
body to take care of them. Instead of
that the first lesson should be how, under
God, they may take care Of themselves.
The simple fact is that a majority of them
do have to take care of themselves, and
that. too, after having. through the false
notions of their parents, wasted the years
in which they ought to have learned how
successfully to maintain themselves. We
now. and here, declare the inhumanity.
cruelty and outrage Of that father and
mother who pass their daughters into
womanhoOd having given them no facility
for earning their livelihood. Nine. de
Stael said: SIT is not these writings that
am proud OF. but the fact that | have
facility in ten occupations, in any one of
which ! could make livelihood"
You say you have a fortune TO leave
them. o, men and women, have YOU not
learned that,like vultures, like hawks. like
eagles, riches have wings and fly away?
Though YOU should be successful in leav-
inga competency behind you, the trickery
OF executors may swampit in night; or
some officials in our churches may get
up mining company and induce yOur
orphans to put their money into a hole In
Colorado; and If, by the most skillful ma
chinery, the sunken money cannot be
brought up again, prove TO them that IL
was eternally decreed that that was the
way they were to lose it and that
II went in the most orthodox and
heavenly style. Oh. the damnable
schemes that prOfessed Christians wilen-
gage in--until God puts his fingers into
the collar of the hypocrite's robe and
rips il clear down to the bottom. You
have no right because YOU are well of 10
conclude that your children are gong to
be as well OF. A man died leaving large
fortune. His son fell dead in a Philadel-
phia grog shop His old comrades came
IN and said as they bent over his corpse
"What Is the matter with you, Boggsey -
The surgeon standing over him said 4:
"Hush upl lie is dead" COB. he Is
dead ~ they said. "Come, boys, let Us 20
and take a drink in memory OF poor
Boggsey"
Have you nothing better than money 10
leave your children If you have not,
but send your daughters into The world
with empty brain and unskllled hand.
you are guilty Of assassination. homicide,
regicide, infaEticide. There are women
toiling IN our cities for two and three dol
Jars Der week, who were the DAUGHTERS ct
merchant. princes. These suffering ones
now would be glad 10 have the crumbs
that once fell from their fathers table.