Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-10-11

to the coaxine. and there is carnival in
he'll that night among the Phillstlnes.
and they shout: "Ha! ha! we've got
him."
Those who have the kindest and most
sympathetic natures are the most III dan
ger. Your very disposition to please
others will be the very trap they set III
you were cold and harsh and severe in
your nature YOU would not be tempered
with. People never fondle hedgehog.
The most sentimental Greenlander
never kisses an iceberg. The warmth
and susceptibility of your nature will
encourage the siren. Though strong rs
giant, look out for Delilah's scis-
sors. Samson. the strongest man who
ever lived, was overcome by coaxing.
Again, this narrative teaches 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 Well as men. Delilah's
picture belongs to the rogues' gallery
but she had more power than all Phills-
could carry off the iron gates of Sam
sons resolution as easily as he should
cred the gates of GAIA. The force that
had killed the lion which one day
plunged out fierce from the thicket ut
terly succumbs to the silllen net which
Delilah weayes for the giant. He who
had driven an army in riotous retreat
with the bleachcd jaw bone, shifting
them hip and thigh with great slaughter,
now falls captive at the feet of an I'M
worthy woman. Delilah in the Bible
stands in the memorable company of
Adah, and Iillah, and Bathsheba, and
Jezebel. and Athaliah, and Herodias.
How deplorable the influence Of such in
Huldah and Tryphona and Jephtha's
daughter and Mary, the mother of Jesus
While the latter glitter in the armament
of Gods word like consultations with
steady, cheerful, holy light, the former
shoot like baleful meteors across the
terrified heavens, ominous of war, dis
aster, and death. If there is divine
power in the good mother, her face
bright with purity, an l,nselfsh love
beamlng from her eye, a gentleness that
by pangs and sutferings and holy anx-
ieties has been mellowing and soften
ing for many a year, uttering itself in
every syllable, dignity that cannot be
dethroned, united with the playfulness
that will not be checked, her hand the
charm that will instantly take pain out
of the child's worst wound, her presence
Il perpetual benediction, her name our
defense when we are tempted, her men,
DRY an outgushlng we'll of tears and
ngratulation and Thanksgiving, her
heaven palm waving and coronal;
then there is just as great an influence
in the opposite direction in the bad
mother, her brow beclouded with ungov-
erned passion, her eye flashing with I'M
sanctiticd fire, her lips the fountain of
fretfulness and depravity, her example
mlldew and q blasting. her name a
disgrace to coming generations, her
memory a signal for bitterest anathema,
her eternity whirlwind and sutfoca-
ton and darkness.
One wrong headed, wrong hearted
mother may ruin one child, and that
one child, grown up, may destroy hun
dred people, and the hundred blast
thousand, and the thousand million.
The wife's sphere is realm of honor
blessing was Sarah to Abraham, was
Deborah to Lapidoth, was Zipporah to
Moses. was Huldah to Shallum. There
are multitudes of men in the marts of
trades whose fortunes have been the re-
suit of wife's frugaiity. Four hands
have been achieving that estate two at
the store, two at the home. The bur-
dens 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 counte-
nance. What care you for the hard
knocks in the world as long as you have
bright domestic circle for harbor?
One cheerful word in the evening
tide as you come in has silenced the
clamor of unpaid notes and the disap-
polntment of poor investments. Your
table may be quite frugally spread, but
1t seems more beautiful to you than
many tables that SIN oke with venison and
blush with Burgundy. Peace meets you
at the door, sits beside you at the table,
lights up the evening stand and sings
in the nursery. You have seen an aged
couple who for scores of years have
helped each other on in life's pilgrim
age going down the steep OF years
Long association has made them much
alike. They rejoiced at the same ad-
vent. they bent over the same cradle,
they weptt at the same grave. In the
evening they sit quietly thinking of the
past, mother knitting at the stand,
father in his armchair at the fire.
Now and then a grandchild comes
nome and they look at him with affec-
ton untold and come we'll nigh spoil
ing him with kindnesses. The life
currents beats feebly in their pulses
and their work will soon be done and
the Master will call, few short DAYS
may separate them, but, not far apart in
time OF departure, they join each other
on the other side of the food. Side bv
side let Jacob and Rachel be buried.
Let one willow overarch their graves.
Lettheir tombstones stand alike marked
with the same Scripture. Children and
grandchildren will come in the spring
time to bring flowers. The patriarchs
of the time 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 ftful fever thew
slept we'll.
but there are. as my subject suggests,
domestic scenes not SO tranquil. What
a curse to Job and Potiphar were their
companions, to Ahab was Jezebel, to
Jehoram was Atha]iah, to John Wesley
was Mrs Wesley, to Sans on was Delilah.
While the most excellent and trium-
phant exhibitions Of character we find
among the women of history, and the
world thrills with the names of Marie
Antolnette and Josephine and Joan of
A 1,f ,,.1 II