The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-07-03
Agarn find IN this Oriental scene a lesson

Again, I find In this Oriental scene lesson
of sympathy with woman when she goes
forth trudging in the desert. What great
change it was for this Hagar. There was the
tent and all the surroundings of Abraham's
house, beautiful and luxurious no doubt
Now she is going out into the hot sands of
the desert 0, what change it was! And in
our day we often see the wheel of fortune turn.
Here is some o1ie who lived in the very bright
home Of her father. She had everything pos
sibls to administer to her happiness. Plenty
at the table. Music in the drawing room.
Welcome at the door. She is led forth into
life by some one who cannot appreciate her.
A dissipated soul comes and takes her out in
the desert. Iniquities blot out all
the lights of that home circle.
Harsh words wear out her spirits. The high
hope that shone out over the marriage altar
while the ring was being set and the vows
given and the benediction pronounced, have
NIL faded with the orange blossoms and there
she is to-day, broken-hearted, thinking of past
Joy and present desolatlon and coming an
guish. Hagar in the wilderness!
Here is q beautiful home. You cannot
think of anything that can be added to it.
For years there has not been the suggestion
Of q single trouble. Bright and happy chill
dren fill the house with laughter and song.
Books to read. Pictures to look at.
Lounges to rest on. Cup of domestic
Joy full and running over. Dark
night drops Pillow hot. Pulses futter.
Eyes close. And the foot whose we'll known
steps on the door sill brought the Whole
household out at eventide, crying: Fathers
coming" will never sound on the door sill
again A long, deep grief plowed through
ali that lightness of domestic life. Paradise
lost! Widowhood! Hagar in the wilderness!
How often it is we see the weak arm OF
woman conscripted for this battle with the
rough world. Who is she. going down the
street in the early light Of the morning, pale
with exhausting work, not half slept out
with the slumbers of last night, tragedies OF
suffering written all over her face, her luster-
less eyes looking far ahead as though for the
coming Of some other trouble? Her parents
dav when they held her up to the font,
and the Christian minister sprinkled on
the infants face the washings of a holy
baptism. Her name is changed now. hear
it in the shuttle of the worn out shoes. l see
it in the figure of the faded calico. find it
in the Gneaments Of the woe begone
countenance. Not Mary. nor Bertha, nor
Agnes, but Hagar in the wilderness. May
God have mercy upon woman in her tolls,
her struggles her hardships. her desolation,
and may the great heart of Divine. sympathy
inclose her forever.
Again: find in this Oriental scene the fact
that every mother leads forth tremendous
destinies. You say: THAT isn't an unusual
scene, mother leading her child by the
hand" Who is it that she is leading?
nation is to be founded; nation so strong
that it is to stand for thousands Of years
against all the armies of the world. Egypt
and Assyria thunder against it., but in
and his army IS smitten. Alex
ander decides upon campaign, brings up his
hosts and dies. For long while that nation
monopolizes the learning of the world: It is
the nation of the Arabs. Who founded it2 Ish-
mael, the lad that Hagar led into the wilder
ness. She had no idea she was leading forth
such destinies. Neither does any mother.
You pass along the street, and see pass boys
and girls who will yet make the earth quake
with their influence. Who is that boy at
Sutton Pool, Plymouth, England,
barefooted, wading down into the
slush and slime, until his bare foot
comes upon piece Of glass and he lifts it,
bleeding and pain-struck? That wound IN
the foot decides that he be sedentary In his
life, decides that he be q student. That
wound by the glass in the foot decides that
he shall be John Ktto, who shall provide
the best religious encyclopedia the world has
ever had provided, and with his other writ
ings as well, throwing light upon the
Word of God such as has come from no other
man in this century. o mother, mother,
that little hand that wanders over your
face may yet be lifted to hurl thunderbolts
Of war, or drop benedictions. That little
voice may blaspheme God in the grog shop,
or cry: 'Forward' to the Lords hosts, as
they 20 out for their last victory. Ny mind
to-day leaps thirty years ahead, and see a
merchant prince Of New York. One stroke
of his pen brings ship out of Canton. An
other stroke Of his pen. brings ship into
kets of the world. Who is he? He sits to-
day beside you in the Tabernacle. My mind
leaps thirty years forward from this
time, and + find myself in relief as
sociation. A great multitude of Chris
tian women have met together for generous
purpose. There is one woman in that crowd
who seems to have the confidence of all the
others, and they all look up to her for her
counsel and for her prayers. Who is she
To-day you will find her in the Sabbath-school,
while the teacher tells her Of that Christ who
healed the sick. My mind leaps forward
thirty years from now, and l find
myself in an African jungle; and
there is a missionary Of the cross ad-
dressing the natives, and their dusky
countenances are irradiated with the glad
tidings Of great joy and salvation. Who is
he? Did you not hear his voice to-day in the
first song Of the service9 My mind leaps for
ward thirty years from now, and l find my
self looking through the wickets Of prison.
see a face SCARED with every crime. His
chin on his open palm, his elbow on his knee
"a picture Of despair. As opened the wick
ct he starts, and 1 hear his chain clank. The
iail keeper tells me that he has been in there
now three times. First for theft, then
for arson, now for murder. He
steps upon the trap door. the rope is fastened
to his neck, the plank falls, his body swings
into the air. his soul swings of into eternity.
VINO is he, and where is he? To-day playing
Kite on the city commons. Mother, you are
to-day hosting throne or forging chain
you are kindling star or digging dungeon.
A good many years ago Christian motner
sat teaching lessons Of religion to her child;
and he drank in those lessons. She never
knew that Lamphier would come forth and
establish the Fulton street prayer meeting,
and by one meeting revolutionlze the de-
votions of the whole earth, and thrill the
eternities with his Christian influence.
Lamphier said it was his mother who
brought him to Jesus Christ
She never had an idea that she was leading
forth such destinies. But 0, when l see
mother reckless of her influence, rattling on
toward destruction, garlanded for the sacri'
fee with unseemly mirth and godlessness,
gayly tripping on down to ruin, taking hel
children in the same direction, 1 cannot help
but say: "There they 60, there they go
Hagar and Ishmaelr' I tell you there are
wilder deserts than Beersheba in many Of the
domestic circles Of this day. Dissi
pated parents leading dissipated children
Avaricious parents leading avaricious chill
dren. Prayerless parents leading prayerless
children. They 60 through every street. up
every dark alley, into every cellar, along