The Penn's Grove record., 1889-10-12

ta,iary, but sne had more power than Al
Philistia armed with sword and spear: she
could carry of the iron gates Of Samsons reso.
luton a easily as he shouldersd the gates q
GAIA The force that had killed the lion when
one dsy plunged out fierce from tho thicket
utterly succumbs to the stlken nst when
Delilah weaves for the giant. He WIG hsd
driven an army In riotots rstreAf VITA M
bleached jaw bone. shifting them nip ana
thigh with great slaughter, now falls cspIye
At the feet Of an unworthy woman. psliiah
in the Bible stands in tie ms1noranls COM
pany Of Adah, and Zi1lah, n BathsneDs,
and Jezebel, and Athaliah, and Herodias
How aeplorable the ~iniuence Of such IN
contrast With Rebecca and Phoebe snd an.-
dab and Tryphona and Jephtha's daughter.
and Mary, the mother of Jesus. While the
latter glitter in the ornament of Gods word
like consultations with steady, cheerful,
holy light, the former shoot like baiefui me.
teors across the fairfield heavens ominous o.
war, disaster and death; Il there Is diy1ne
power in the good mother, her fAce bright
with purity, an unseldsh love beaming from
her eye, a gsntisnsss that By and srfsr-
ings and holy anx{etieB has Sbsen
mellowing and softening for many.
year, uttering itself in every syllable, . dig
the playfulness that win not be checked, her
hand the charm that viii instantly taks pain
out of the child's worst wound, her presence
3 perpetual benediction, her name our do
Tense when we are tempted, her memory an
outgushing well of tears and ongratulation
and thanksgiving, her heaven q palm waving
influence in the opposite direction In the
bad mother, her brow bsclouded with
ungoverned passion, her eye flashing
with unsanctified FIRE, har lips ithe
fountain of fretfulness md depravity,
her example a mildew and q blasting, her
uame a disgrace to coming generations her
eternity a whirlwind and Q suffocation and .
darkness. One wrong headed, wrong hearted
mother may ruin ono child, and that one
child, grown up, may destroy . hundred
people, and the hundred blast Thousand,
and the thousand . million. Tho wife's
unlimited. What . blessing was Sarah to
Abraham, was Deborah TO LApidoth WIS
Zipporah to Moses, was Euldah to ShAluuf-
There are multitudes Of men In the
narts of trade whose fortunes have
neen the result Of wifes frusanty;
estate, two at tho store. two at the
home. The burdens Of life are compare
tivelv light when there are other
hands to help US lift them. The greatest
difficulties have often skunk away because
there were four ayes to 0 them out OF
knocks in the world as long - you have
Ia bright domestic circle for harbori
One cheerful word in the evening tide Is
you come in has silenced the clamor OF
unpaid notes and the disappointment OF poor
Investments, Your table may b quite fru-
gally spread, but it seems more beautiful to
you than many tables that smoke with veni-
son and blush with Burgundy. Peace meets
you at the door, sits beside you ct the table,
lights up the evening stand, and sings In the
nursery. You hav seen an aged couple who
for scores of years ave helped each other on
l. 1.f~s. -.I-..---- -rs-- H. A.. $780,
wears. Long association has made thsm
much alike. They rejoiced at thu same event.
they bent over the same cradle, they wept 1t
the same grave. In the evening they sit
quietly thinking Of thepast, mother Knitting
1t the stand, father in his arm chair at the
fire.
Now and then q grandchild comes and
they look at him with Affection untold anil
come well nigh spelling him with kindnessee.
The life currents beat fesbly In their pulses
and their work will soon be done and the
Master will call. few short days may sep
~parture, they Join each other o N the other
side the flood. Side by side let Jacob and
Rachel be buried. Let ono willow overarch
their graves. Let their tombstones stand
alike marked with the same Scripture. Chill
ireu and grandchildren will come in the
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 ife's
6tful fever they slept well.
But there are, as my subject suggests, do
ito Job and Potiphar were their companions,
to Ahab was Jezebel, to Jehoram was Atha
lliah, to John Wesley was Mrs. Wesley, to
Samson was Delilah. While the most excel
lent and triumphant exhibitions Of character
we find among the women Of history, and the
~toinette and Josephine, and Joan Of Arc and
Maria Theresa and hundreds Of others who
have ruled in the brightest homes
and sung the sweetest cantoe, and en-
chanted the nations with their art and
swayed the mightiest Of scepters,
First Of England, Margaret Of France. Julia
of Rome and Elizabeth Petrowna Of Russia
have scorchsd the eve Of history with their
denominations, and their nance like banished
spirits, have gone shrieking and cursing
through the world. In female biography We
Woman stands nearest the gate Of heaven or
nearest the door Of hall. When adorned by
grace she reaches . point Of Christian elevs-
ton which man cannot attain, n when
blasted of crime she sinlu deeper than man
can plunge. Yet I am glad that the Instance
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 nave / found, 1
saith the preacher, counting one by one to |
find out the account; which yet my soul
thousand have I found; but . woman among
all those have I not 'foundf' Ny answer Is |
that II Solomon had behaved himssf with
common decency and kept out Of infamous
circles he would not Have had 20 much
difficulty In finding integrity OF char
acter among women n never would
childhood I have heard speakers admirinK |
Diogenes, the cynical philosopher who lived
in a tub, for going through tho streets Of
Athens in broad daylight with . lantern, |
and when asked what be did that for, said: |
81 am looking for an honest man." Now /
warrant that that philosopher who had
such hard work to find an honest man was
himself dishonest. I think he stols both the |
lantern and the tub. So, when / hear Z man |
expatiating on the weakness Of women, /
immediately suspect him and say there Is |
another Solomon with Solomon's wisdom
left out. Still, I would not have the illus !
I~trations I have given Of transcending excel |
leacy in female biography lead youto suppose
that there are 10 perils In woman's pathway.
Gods grace alone can make an Isabella
Graham, or q Christina Abop, or . Fideiia
Fiske, or q Catherine Of Siena- Temptations
Turk about the brightest domestic circle. It
was no unmeaning thing when God sat up |
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 the ways In
which strong men get their locks shorn. God,
for some reason best known to himself, made |
the strength of Samson to depend on the
length of his hair; when the shears clipped il
his strength was gone. The strength Of
men is variously distributed. Some
times it lies in physical development,
sometimes in intellectual attainment,
,ometimes in heart force, sometimes
n social position, sometimes in, finan- |
cial accumulation; aAd there is always
!, sharp shears ready to destroy It. Every
lay there are Samsons ungianted- saw a
7oung man startin life under the most cheer
ug advantages. His acute mind was at
,ome in all scientific dominions. He reached
rot only all ruggedAttainments but BY deli
ate appreciation he could catch the tinge of
he cloud and the sparkle Of the wave and
he diapason of the thunder. he walked
'orth in life head and shoulders above others
n mental stature. He could wrestle
With giants in opposing systems Of philosophy
md carry on the gates Of the opposing
.l.rln r-A .uNt<a thn anopnfac ~ truth lfn