The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-09


But there are, as my subject suggests,
domestic scenes not so tranquil What
curse to Job and Potiphar were their COM
panions, to Ahab was Jezebel, to JohOram
was Athaliah, to John Wesley was Mrs.
Wesley, to Samson was Delilah. While
the most excellent and triumphant eXhi-
billions of character we find among the
women of history, and the world thrills
with the names of Marie Antoinette and
Josephine, and Joan of Arc and Maria
Theresa, and hundreds of others who have
ruled in the brightest homes and sung the
sweetest cantOs, and enchanted the ma
tons with their art and swayed the might
lest OF scepters, On the other hand the
names OF Mary | of England, Margaret OF
France, Julia OF Rome, and Elizabeth Pc
trowna of Russia have 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 find the two eX-
tremes Of excellence and crime. Woman
stands nearest the gate of heaven or near
est the door of he'll. When adorned by
grace she reaches point OF Christian ele-
walton 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 ut
ter shipwreck of character are compare
lively rare.
But, says some cynical spirit, what do
you do with those words in Ecclesiastes
where Solomon SAYS: Behold, this have
1 found, saith the preacher, counting one
by one to find out the account: which yet
my soul seeketh, but l find not one man
among thousand have I found; but
woman among all those have 1 not
foundY My answer is that Solomon mad
behaved himself with common decency
and kept out of infamous circles he would
not have had so much difficulty in finding
integrity of character among women and
never would have uttered such a TRADE.
7 Ever since my childhood l have heard
speakers admiring Diogenes, the cynical
philosopher who lived in tub for going
through the streets of Athens in broad
daylight with lantern, and when asked
what he 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 dishon-
est. / think he stole both the lantern and
the tub. So when l hear a man expatiat-
ing upon the weaknesses of women l i'm
mediately suspect him and say there is an
other Solomon with SolomOns wisdom
left out. Still, would not have the Illus
trations have given of transcending ex-
cellency in female biography lead you to
suppose that there are no perils in wo-
mans pathway. Gods grace alone can
make an Isabella Graham, or a Christina
Alsop, or Fidelia Fiske, or a Catherine
of Siena. Temptations Turk about the
brightest domestic circle. 1t was no I'M
meaning thing when God set up amidst
the splendors of His word the character 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 him
self, made the strength Of Samson TO de-
pend on the length of his hair; when the
shears clipped it his strength was gone.
The strength of men is variously distrib-
uted. Sometimes it lies in physical devel-
opment, sometimes in intellectual attain
ment, sometimes in heart force, sometimes
in social position, sometimes in financial
I accumulation; and there is always a sharp
shears ready TO destroy it. Every day
there are Samsons ungianted. / saw a
Young man start in life under the most
cheering advantages. His acute mind was
at home in all scientific dominions He
reached not only all rugged attainments,
but by delicate appreciation he could
catch the tinge of the cloud and the
sparkle of the wave and the diapasOn of
the thunder. He walked forth in life
head and shoulders above all others in
mental stature. He could wrestle with
giants in opposing systems OF philosophy
and carry off the gates OF opposing schools
and smite the enemies of truth hip and
thigh with great slaughter. But he began
to tamper with brilliant free thinking.
NTnIaru fhnnriaS NJ the GOr1l fhravv
him their Establishments Skepticism
was the Deliah that shore his locks off,
and all the Philistines of doubt and dark
ness and despair were upon him. He
died in very prison of unbelief, his eyes
out.
Far back in the country districts-just
where | purposely omit to say-there was
born one whose fame will last as long as
American institutions. His name was the
terror OF all enemies of free government.
He stood the admired of millions; the
nation uncovered in his presence, and
when he spoke senates sat breathless I'M
der the spell. The plotters against good
government attempted to bind him with
green withes, and weave his locks in a
web, vet he walked forth from the en-
thrallment not knowing he had burst
bond. But from the wine-cup there arose
a destroying spirit that came forth to cap
ture his soul. He drank until his eyes
grew dim and his knees knocked together
and his strength failed. Exhausted with
lifelong designations he went home to die.
Ministers pronounced eloquent eulogiums,
and poets sung. and painters sketched,
and scuptors chiseled the majestic form
into marble, and the world wept, but ev-
ervwhere il was known that it was strong
drink that came like the infamous Deli
lah and his locks were shorn.
From the island of Corsica there started
forth nature charged with unparalleled
energies to make thrones tremble and con-
vulse the earth. Piedmont Naples, Bava-
ria Germany, Italy, Austria and England
rose up to crush the rising man. At the
plunge of his bayonets bastiles burst open.
The earth groaned with the agonies Of
Rivoli, Austerlitz, Saragossa and Eylau.
Five million men slain in his wars.
/ Crowns were showered at his feet and
kingdoms hoisted triumphal arches to let
him pass under, and Europe was lighted
up at the confiagration OF consuming
cities. He could almost have made
a causeway of human bones between
Lisbon and Moscow. No power short
OF omnipotent God could arrest him. But
/ out of the ocean of human blood there
arose a spirit in which the conqueror found
more than a match. The very ambition
that had rocked the world was now to be
| his destroyer. 1t grasped for too much
| and in its effort lost all. He reached up
| ofta- tho scaptar of universal dominion