The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1886-05-21
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
rhirteenth Discourse of the Series
ON 1.-THE Marriage Ring"
The Trials OF Modern Housekeeping--The
Weight Of Responsibility Attend
Forced Economy and the Pangs
of Non-Appre.i stion.


Forced Economy and the Pangs
of Non-Appre.istion.
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, having re.
turned from his Western trip, occupied
the pulpit Of the Brooklyn Tabernacle for
the delivery of his thirteenth discourse CT
the marriage Ring" series, the subject of
which was 1.-THE Trials Of Housekeeping"
and the text:
Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister
hath left me to serve alone? Bid her, there's
tore, that she help me.-Luke x, 40.
Yonder is beautiful village homestead.
The man of the house is dead, and his
widow is taking care of the premises.
This is the widow Martha of Bethany.
Yes. will show you also the pet of the
household. This is Mary, the younger sis
ter, with book under her arm, and het
face having no appearance Of anxiety and
perturbation. Company has come. Christ
stands, outside the door, and, of course,
there is a good deal of excitement inside
the door. The disarranged furniture is
hastily put aside, and the hair is brushed
back, and the dresses are adjusted as well
as in SO short time Mary and Martha can
attend to these matters. They did not
keep Christ standing at the door until they
were newly appareled or until they had
deliberately arranged their tresses, then
coming out with their affected surprise
as though they had not heard the
two or three previous knock.
ings, saying: "Why, is that your"
No. They were ladies, and were always
presentable, although they may not have
always had on their best, for none Of US
always have on our best; il we did, our
best would not he worth having on. They
throw open the door and greet Christ.
They say: "Good-morning. Master; come
in, and he seated" Christ did not come
alone; He had a group of friends with
Him, and such an influx of city visitors
would throw any country home into
perturbation. suppose also the walk from
the city had been a good appetizer. The
kitchen department that day was q very
important department., and I suppose
that Martha had no sooner greeted the
guests than she fed to that room. Mary
had no anxiety about household affairs.
She had full confidence that Martha could
get up the best dinner in Bethany. She
seemed to say: "Now let us have di-
vision of labor. Martha, you cook, and I'll
sit down and be good" So you have often
seen great difference between two sisters.
There is Martha. hard-working, painstak-
ing, q good manager, ever inventive Of
some new pastry, or discovering some-
thing in the art of cooking and housekeep-
ing. There is Mary, also, fond Of CONVEX
sation, literary, so engaged in deep ques-
tions of ethics she has no time to attend to
the questions of household welfare. Il 10
noon. Mary is In the parior with Christ.
Martha Is In the kitchen. It would have
been better il they had divided the work,
and then they could have divided the OPP
portunity Of listening to Jesus; but Mary
monopolises Christ while Martha swelters
ut the fre. It was very important thing
that they should have egood dinner that
day. Christ was hungry, and he did mot
often have . luxurious entertainm emit.
Alas, mel IL the duty had devolved upon
Mary, what . repast that would have
been. But something went wrong In the
kitchen. Perhaps the fire would not burn,
or the bread would not bake, or Martha
scalded her hand. or something was burned
black that ought to have BEEN made brown;
and Martha lost her patience, and for
getting the proprieties Of the occasion,
with besweated brow. and, perhaps, with
pitcher in one hand and tongs In
the other, she PUSHES out Of the
kitchen into the presence Of Christ,
saying "Lord, dost thou not care
that my sister hath left me to serve
alonew Christ scolded not word. Hit
were scolding, should rather have his
scolding than ANYBODY else's blessing.
There was nothing acerb. He knew Martha
bad almost worked herself to death to ret
him something to eat, and % he throws .
world OF tenderness into his intonation %
he seems 10 say: any dear woman, do mot
worry; let the dinner go; sit down on this
ottoman beside Mary, your younger sister.
Martha, Martha, thou art careful and trou-
bled about many things, but one thing %
Al Martha throws open that
Kitchen door, look In and see q great
many household perplexities and ankle
Hes.
First, there II the trial Of nor. apprecia.
don. That 10 what made Martha 80 mad
With Mary. The younger sister had NO
estimate Of her older sisters fatigues. Az
now, men bothered with the anxieties Of |
ne store, and ONCE, and shop, or coming |
rom the Stock Exchange, they say when |
hey get home: 'sOh, you ought to be in |
'ur factory little while; you ought to
have to manage eight, or ten, or twenty |
Iubordinates, and then you would know |
What trouble and anxiety ars!" Oh, sir! |
he wife and the mother has 70 conduct ct |
'hs same time university, . clothing e.
Adjustment. restaurant, laundry, .
library, While she IL health o61cer, police |
md president Of her realm. She
must do thousand things, and do /
hem wen. In order to keep things
gotng smoothly; and 20 her brain
md her nerves are taxed to the utmost. /
know there are housekeepers who
Ne 20 foftunats that they can sit in an
armchair In the library. or lie ON the BE-
ated pillow, and throw Oh all the care
lpon subordinatss who, having larre
vages and CREST sxpsrisnce, can attend 70
VI Of the Affairs of the household. Those
We the exception. am speaking this
morning Of the great mass Of houssksep.
ED-the women 70 whom lifa n a strm~~I. |