West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-10-10

ana y coronal; then there Is just as great an
influence In the opposite direction in the
bad mother, her brow beclouded with
ungoverned passion, her eve flashing
with unsanctihed fire, her lips the
fountain OF fretfulness and depravity,
her example a mildew and a blasting, her
name a disgrace TO coming generations. her
memory a signal Tor bitterest anathema. her
eternity n whirlwind and a sufocation and a
darkness. One wrong headed, wrong hearted
mother may ruin one child. and that one
child, grown up, may destroy q hundred
people, and the hundred blast n thousand.
and the thousand a million. The wife's
sphere IL a realm OF honor and power almost
unlimited. What n blessing was Sarah 10
Abraham, was Deborah 20 Lapidoth, was
Zipporah TO Moses. was Huldah TO Shallum.
There are multitudes OF men In the
been the result OF n wife's frugality.
-Four hands have been achieving that
estate, two at the store. two At the
home. The burdens OF life are compare
hands TO help us lift them. n greatest
difficulties have often skunk away because
there were four eyes TO look them out OF
eountenance. What caro- you for hard
knocks in the world as long as you have
a bright domestic circle for harborl
One cheerful word in the evening tide as
you come in has silenced the clamor OF
unpaid notes and the disappointment OF poor
Investments. Your table may be quite fr1i-
gally spread, but it seems more beautiful 10
you than many tables that smoke with veni-
son and blush with burgundy. Peace meets
you Mt the door, sits beside you at the table,
lights up the evening stand, and sings I'm the
nursery. You have seen an aged couple who
for scores OF years have helped each other on
IN LIES pilgrimage going down the steep of
years. Long association has made them
much alike. They rejoiced at the same event.
they bent over the same cradle, they wept at
the same grave. In tho evening they sit
quietly thinking OF the past, mother knitting
at the stand, father in his arm chair at tho
fire.
Now and then a grandchild comes and
they look at him with affection untold and
come well nigh spelling him with kindnesses.
Inc lie currents beat feebly in their pulses
and their work will soon be done and the
Master will call. Afew short days NAV SEN
arate them, but, not far apart in time OF de-
Parture' they Join each other on the other
side the food. Side by side let Jacob and
Rachel be buried. Let one willow overarch
their graves. Let their tombstones stand
alike marked with the same Scripture. Chill
dren and grandchildren will come in the
spring time TO bring flowers. The patriarchs
OF the town will come and drop n tear over
departed worth. Side by side mt the marriage
altar. Side by side in the long journey.
zee oy side IN their graves. After LIES
htful fever they slept well.
But there are, as my subject suggests. do
nestle scenes not so tranquil. What a curse
to job and Potiphar were their companions.
10 Ahao was Jezebel, TO Jehoram was Atha-
hah, TO John Wesley was Mrs. Wesley, 10
Samson was Delilah. While the most excel
lent and triumphant exhibitions OF character
we md among the women of history, and the
world thrills with the names of Marie An
tolnette and Josephine, and Joan OF Arc and
Maria Theresa and hundreds OF others, who
nave ruled in the brightest homes
and sung the sweetest cantos, and en-
chanted the nations with their art and
swayed the mightiest of s~cepters.
on the other hand the names of Mary the
First OF England, Margaret of France. Julia
OF Rome and Elizabeth Petrowna of Russia
nave scorched the eye OF history with their
denominations, and their names, like banished
spirits. have gone shrieking and cursing
through the world. In female biography we
ind the two extremes of excellence and crime.
Woman stands nearest the gate Of heaven or
nearest the door Of hell. When adorned by
grace she reaches a point OF Christian eleva-
ton which man cannot attain, and when
blasted OF crime she sinks deeper than man
can plunge. Yet am glad that the instances
IN which woman makes utter shipwreck of
character are comparatively rare.
But, says some cynical spirit. what do you
DO with those words in Ecclesiastes where
Solomon says: Behold. this have L found.
saith the preacher, counting one by one to
find out the account; which vet nv soul
seeketh, but l find not: one man among n
thousand have l found; but a woman among
all those have / not foundT' MY answer Is
that If Solomon had behaved himself with
common decency and kept out OF Infamous
circles he would not have had so much
dihiculty in finding integrity of char
acter among women and never would
have uttered such a TRADE. Ever since my
childhood / have heard speakers admiring
Diogenes, the cynical philosopher who lived
in n tub, for going through the streets of
Athens in broad daylight with a lantern.
and when asked what he did that for, said:
Il am looking for au honest man." Now /
warrant that that philosopher who had
such hard work to find an honest man was
himself dishonest. / think he stole both the
lantern and the tub. So, when I hear a man
eKnaftaffnR on, III IL
Immediately suspect him and say there is
another Solomon with Solomon's wisdom
left out. Still, | would not have the illus
trations i have given OF transcending excel
lency in female biography lead you to suppose
that there are no perils in woman's pathway.
Gods grace alone can make an Isabella
GrahaJn, or n Christina AlsOp, or n Fidelfa
F1ske, or a Catherine Of Siena. Temptations
Turk about the brightest domestic circle. IL
was no -unmeaning thing when God sat lin
amidst the splendors OF His word the charac-
ter Of Infamous Delilah.
Again, this strange story OF the text
leads me TO consider some OF tho WAYS in
which strong men get their locks shorn. God.
FOR some reason best known 10 himself. made
the strength OF Samson 70 depend on tho
length OF his hair; when the shears clipped 10
ms strength was gone. The strength Of
men Is variously distributed. Some
times it lies in physical development.
sometimes In intellectual attainment
sometimes in heart force. sometimes
~ social position, sometimes in Gnan-
clal accumulation; and there is always
n sharp shears ready TO destroy IL. Every
day there arc Samsons ungianted. saw n
Young man startin life under the most cheer
ing advantages. His acute mind Was at
home In ali scientific domiuions. He reached
not only all rugged attainments. but by deli
cate appreciation nc could catch the tfnge OF
inc cloud and the sparkle OK the wave and
me .diopason Of the thunder. He walked
Iorth IN life head and shoulders above others
IN mental stature. lie could wrestle
with giants i'm opposing systems of philosophy
ana carry OF the gates of the Opposing
schools and snite the enemies OF truth his
aud thigh with great slaughter. But he be
gan 70 tamper with brilliant free-thinkinr.
Modern theories OF the soul threw over
him their Establishments Skeuiicism was
the Deltlah that shore his locks Off. and
gl the Philisttnes Of doubt and darkness and
despair were upon him. Ee died iu % very
prleou o. unbelief. HE eyes out
far back On the country districts-fret
where j purpgsely omit % say-thare aas
born one whose fame win last o. long n.
American institutioua His name was tle
terror N al eue-uies of FREQ Government
He stood. the admired W millions fhs nation
uncovered ln Die presence end when hs spoke
henatea at brcarhless undef the spell. In