The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1889-10-10

lived, was overcome by coaxtng.
Again, this narrative teaches rs the
power Of an i'll disposed woman. In the
portrait gallery of Bible Queens we find
Abigail and Ruth and Miriam and vashti
and Deborah, but in the rogues' gallery
Of police station you find the pictures
Of women as we'll as men. Delilah's
picture belongs to the rogues' gallery,
but she had moro power than all Philistia
armed with sword and spear. She could
carry of the iron gates ef Samson's
resolution as easy as he shouldered the
gates Of GAIA The forcs that had killed
the lion which one day plunged out fierce
from the thicket utterly succumbs TO the
silken net which Delilah weaves for the
giant. He who had driven an army in
riotous retreat with the bleached jaw
bone. shifting them hip and thigh with
great slaughter, now falls captive at the
feet OF an unworthy woman. Delilah in
the Bible stands in the memorable COM
pany OF Adah, and Zillah, and Bath
sheba, and Jezebel, and Athaliah, and
Herodias.
How deplorable the influence OF such
in contrast with Rebecca and Phoebe and
Huldah and Tryphona and Jephtha's
daughter, and Mary the Mother of Jesus.
Of Gods world like consultations WITH
steady cheerful holy light the former
shoot like baleful meteors across the
terrified heavens, ominous Of war, dis =
aster and death. Ii there Is Divine
power in the good mother, her face
bright with purity, an unselfish love
beaming from her eye, geutleness that
by pangs and sufferings and holy ankle
haO hnnn I'M N N
for many a year, uttering itself in every
syllable, dignity that can not be de-
throned, united with the playfulness
that will not be checked, Der hand the
charm that will instantly take pain out
of the child's worst wound, her presence
perpetual benediction, her name our
defense when we are tempted, her men,
DRY an outgushing we'll of tears and con-
graduation and Thanksgiving. her heaven
a palm-waving and a coronal; then there
Is just as great an influence in the
opposite direction in the bad mother, her
brow beclouded with ungoverned pas
sion, her eye flashing with unsanctified
fire, her lips the fountain of fretfulness
and depravity, her example mildew and
blasting, her name a disgrace to COM
ing generations, her memory signal for
bitterest anathema, her eternity q whirl-
wind and a suffocation and darkness.
One wrongheaded, wronghearted mother
may ruin one child, and that one child,
grown up, may destroy O hundred people
and the hundred blast a thousand, and
the thousand million. The wife's
sphere is a realm Of honor and power al
most unlimited. What blessing was
Sarah to Abraham, was Deborah to I.api-
doth, was Zipporah to Moses, was Huldah
to Shallum.
There are multitudes OF mon in the
marts Of trade whose fortunes have been
the result of a wife's frugality. Four
hands have been achieving that estate,
two at the store, two at the home. The
burdens Of life are comparatively light
when there are other hands to help US
lift them. The greatest difficulties have
often skunk away because there were four
eyes to look them out Of countenance.
What care you for the hard knocks in
the world as long as you have bright
domestic circle? One cheerful word in
the evening tide as you come in has
silenced the clamor of unpaid notes
and the disappointment of poor invest
ments. Your table may be quite frugal
ly spread, but it seems more beautiful
to you than many tables that smoke with
venison and blush with Burgundy. Peace
meets you at the door, sits beside you at
the table, lights up the evening and sings
in the nursery. You have seen an aged
couple who for scores of years have
helped each other on in life's pilgrimage
going down the steep Of years. Long
association has made them much alike
They rejoiced at the same advent they
bent over tho same cradle, they wept at
same grave. In the evening they sit
quietly thinking of the past, mother knit
ting at the stand, father in his armchair
at the fire.
Now and then a grandchild comes, and
they look at him with affection untold and
come well-nigh spelling him with kind
nesses. The life currents beat feebly in
their pulses, and their work will soon be
done, and the Master will call. A few
short days may separate them, but, not
far apart in time Of departure, they join
each other on the other side the Il )od.
Side by side let Jacob and Rachel be
buried. Let one willow overarch their
graves. Let their tombstones stand alike
marked W it'll the same Scripture. Chill
dren and grandchildrenlw will come in the
spring time to bring flowers. The ratri-
archs of the town Will come and drop
tear over departed worth. Side by side
at the marriage altar. Side by side in
the long journey. Side by side in their
graves. After life's fitful fever they slept
we'll.
But there are, as my subject sugges is,
domestic scenes not so tranquil. What
a curse to Job and Potiphar were their
companions, to Ahab was Jezebel, to Je-
horam was Athaliah, to John Wesley
was Mrs. Wesley, to Samson was Delilah.
While the most excellent and triumphant
exhibitions of characters we find among
the women of history, and the world
thrills with the names of Marie Antoi-
nette and Josephine, and Joan of Are and
Maria Theresa and hundreds of others,
who have ruled in the brightest homes
and sung the sweetest cantos, ami en-
chanted the nations with their art and
swayed the mightiest scepters, on
the other hand the names of Mary
the First of England, Margaret Of France,
Julia Of Rome, and Eiiz Abeth Petrowna
of Russia, have scorched the eye of his
tory with their denominations, and their
names, like banished spirits, have gone
shrieking aud cursing through the world.
In female biography we find the two ex-
tremes of excellence and crime. Woman
stands nearest the gate of Heaven or
nearest the door Of hell. While adorned
byigrace she reaches q point of Christian
elevation which man can not 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 COM
paratively rare.
But says some cynical spirit, what do