The Brookhaven leader., 1891-11-12

rolled shut against the Egyptian pur-
suers. 1t was about two o'clock in the
morning when the interlockcd axle
trees of the Egyptian chariots could not
move an inch either way. But the Red
sea unhitchcd the horses and unhel-
mctcd the warriors, and left the proud
host wreck on the Arabian sands.
But before forgot it must put more
emphasis upon the fact that the last
outrage that resulted in the liberation
of the Hebrews was their being com
peeled TO make bricks without straw.
That was the last straw that broke the
camels back God would allow the
despOtism against His people to go no
further Making bricks without straw!
That oppression still goes on. De-
mand of your wife appropriate ward
robe and bountiful table without pro.
viding the means necessary. Bricks
without straw. Cities demanding in
the public school faithful and success
full instruction without giving the
teachers competent livelihood. Bricks
with straw. United States govern
ment demanding of senators and con.
gressmen at Washington full attend
ance to the interests of the peo-
pie, but on compensation which
may have done we'll enough
when twenty-five cents went as
far as a dollar now, but in these times
not sufficient to preserve their intlu'
ence and respectability-bricl without
straw. In many parts of the land
churches demanding of pastors vigor.
Gus sermons and sympathetic service on
starvation salary, sanctificd Ciceros on
four hundred dollars a year-bricks
without straw. This is one reason why
there are 50 many poor bricks. In all
departments, bricks not even, or bricks
that crumble, or bricks that are not
bricks at all. Work adequately paid
for is worth more than work not paid
for More straw and then better bricks.
But in all departments there are
Pharoahs! Sometimes capital Pha-
roah, and sometimes labor a Pharoah.
When capital prospers, and makes
large percentage on its investment, and
declines to consider the needs of the
operatives, and treats them as SO many
human machines, their nerves no more
than the bands on the factory wheels
then capital is a Pharoah. On the
other hand, when workmen, not re-
garding the anXietieS and business
struggles of the firm employing them,
and at a time when the firm are doing
their best to meet an important con.
tract and need all the hands busy to
accomplish it, at such time to have
his employees to make strike and put
their employers into extreme perpleXity
and severe losS-then labor becomes a
Pharoah of the worst oppression, and
must look out for the judgments of
God.
Some of the worst of them are on
small scale in households as when a
man, because his arm is strong and his
voice loud, dominates his poor wife into
a domestic slavery. There are thou
sands of such cases where the wife is
lifetime serf, her opinion disregarded,
her tastes insulted. and her existence a
wretchedncsS, though the world NAV
not know it. 1t is a Pharaoh that
sits at the head of that table,
and Pharaoh that tyrannizcs that
home. There is no moro abhCrrcnt
Pharaoh than a domestic Pharaoh.
There are thousands of women to whom
death is passage from Egypt to Canaan,
because they get rid of a cruel taskmas-
ter. What an accmsed monster is that
man who keeps his wife in dread about
family expenses, and must be cautions
how she introduces an article of millin-
cry, or womanly wardrobe without
Illuminating consultation and apology.
Who is that man acting so? For
six mon ths-in order to win that wOm-
ans heart, he sent her every few days
bouquet wound with white ribbon, and
an endearin9 cOuplct, and took her to
concerts and lheaters, and helped her
into carriages as though she were o
princess, and ran across the room tG
pick up her pOckeI handkerchief with
the speed of an antelope, and on the
marriage day promised all that the
liturgy required, saying Il will" with
an emphasis that excited the admiration
of all spectators. But how he Gegrudges
her two cents for a postage stamp
and wonders why she rides across
Brooklyn bridge when the foot passage
costs nothing. lie thinks now she IS
awfully plain, and he acts like the
devil, while he thunders out: "Where
did you get that new hat from? That's
where my money goes. Where's my
breakfast? Do You call that coffeei
Didn't | tell you to sew on that button?
Want to see your mother, do you? You
are always going to see your mother!
What are you whimpering about?
Hurry up, now, and get my slip
pers! Where's the newspapers"
The tone, the look, the impatience
the cruelty of a Pharaoh. That is
what gives so many wones a cowed-
down look. Pharaoh! you had better
take your iron heel oft that woman's
neck or God will help you remove your
heel. She says nothing. For the sake
of avoiding scandal she keeps silent;
but her tears and wrongs have gone
into a record that you will have to
meet as certainly as Pharaoh had to
meet hail, and lightning, and dark
ness, and the death angel. God
never yet gave to any man the right to
tyrannize a woman, and what sneak
you are to take advantage of the mar
ried vow, and because she can not help
herself, and under the shelter of your
own home out-pharaoh the Egyptian
oppressor. There is something awfully
wrong in household where the wcz.ao
is not considered as of much Importance
as the man. No room in this world for
any more Pharaohs.