The Russellville Democrat., 1889-10-10

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 more power than all Philistia
armed with sword and spear. She could
carry off the iron gates of Samson's
resolution as easy as he shouldered the
gates of GAIA. The force 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 bleaehed jaw
bone, shifting them hip and thigh with
great slaughter, now falls captive at the
feet of en- unworthy woman. Delilah in
the Bible stands in the memorable COM
pany OF Adah, aud Zillab, 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.
While the latter glitter in the armament
OF Gods world like consultations with
steady cheerful holy light, the former
terrified heavens, ominous Of war, dis
aster and death. Ii there is a Divine
power in the good mother, her face
bright with purity, an unself1sh love
beaming from her eye, gentleness that
by pangs and sufferings and holy ankle
ties has been mellowing and softening
for many year, uttering itself in every
syllable, dignity that can not be de-
throned, 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
a perpetual benedietion, her name our
defense when we are tempted, her men,
ory an outgushing well OF tears and con-
graduation 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 ungoverned pas
sion, her eye flashing with unsanctifed
fire, her lips the fountain of fretfulness
and deprayity, her example mildew and
a blasting ler name a disgrace to COM
ing generations, her memory n signal for
bitterest anathema, her eternity whirl-
wind and a suffocation and darkness.
One wrongheaded. wronghearted mother
may ruin one child, and that one child,
grown up, may destroy hundred people
and the hundred blast o thousand, and
the thousand a million. The wife's
sphere is a realm of honor and power al
most unlimited. What blessing was
Sarah to Abraham, was Deborah to Lapi-
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 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 slurk 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 grandchild comes, and
they look at him with affection untold and
come ell-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 food
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
iren and grandchildrentwill come in the
spring time to bring flowers. The 'patri-
archs of the town will come and drop a
tear over departed worth. Side by side
At the marriage altar. Side by side in
ihe long journey. Side by side in their
graves. After life's ftful fever they slept |
we'll.
But there are, as my subject suggests, |
domestic scenes not so tranquil. What |
A curse to Job and Potiphar were their |
to Ahab was Jezebel, to Je-
loram was Athaliah. TO John Wesley |
was Mrs. Wesley, to Samson was Delilah. |
While the most excellent and triumphant |
exhibitions Of characters we find among |
he women OF history, and the world |
4, NI,.., tot
nette and Josephine aud Joan Of Arc and |
Maria Theresa and hundreds OF others, |
who have ruled in the brightest homes |
md sung the sweetest cantos, and en-
,hanted the nations with their art aud |
swayed the mightiest scepters, on |
The other haud the names OF Mary |
he First Of England, Margaret OF France, |
Julia of Rome, and Elizabeth Petrowna |
Of Russia, have scorched the eye of his. |
tory with their abominations, aud their |
names, like banished spirits, have gone |
aud cursing through tho world. |
In female biography we find the two ex-
Lremes OF excellence and crime. Woman
stands nearest the gate of Heaven or
nearest the door of hell. While adorned
by'grace she reaches 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
paratiyely rare.
But, says some cynical spirit, what do
you do with those words in Ecclesiates
where Solomon says:
Behold, this have found saith the preacher.
one By one TO flnd out the account;
which yet my soul seeketh, but lind not; one
man among a thousand have found; but "a
woman among all those have not foundl
My answer Is that Il solomon had be-
hayed himself with common decency and
kept out of infamous circles he would not
have had so much difficulty in finding in
tegrity of character and never would
have uttered such TRADE. Ever since
my childhood have heard speakers ad-
miring Diogenes. the cynical philosopher
who lived in tub, for going through the