The Red Cloud chief., 1893-09-01
WOMAN'S INFLUENCE.
DR. Talmage Discourses on n Fa-
vorite Subject. q
A Biblical Model The virtue OF Hospital
ity -Conquering Trouble Apple
cation to Domestic Duties
Christian Faith.

Dewitt lalinage hos Tor his subject
one of special interest to- the gcntlcr
sex, the topic being, ~ Great
Woman and the text II. Kings. iv. y:
"And it fell on a day that Elisha passed
to Shunen. where was a great
woman" Dr. Talmagcasaid:l sS &
The hotel of our time had no counter
part in any entertainment of oldcn-
time. The vast majority Of travellers
must then lie entertained at private
abode. Here comes Elisha. u servant
of the Lord, on n divine mission, and
he must find shelter. A balcony over
looking the Valley OF Esdraelon Is Of
fcrcd him in a private house, and il is
especially furnished for his
"a chair to sit on. u table from which
to eat, a candlcstick by which to read.
and "a bed on which To slumbcr, the
whole establishment belonging to "a
great and good woman.
Her husband, it. seems, was a godlv
man, but he was entirely ovcrshadow"d
by his wife's eXccllencios; just as low
you sometimes find in II household the
wife the center of dignity and influence
and power, not by any arrogance or
presumtion, but by superior intellect
and the force of moral nature welding
domestic affairs, and at the same time
supervising all financial and business
affairs. The wife's hand on the shuttle,
on the banking house. on the worldly
business. You see hundreds of men
who are successful only because there
Is Il reason at home why they are sue.
,cessful. ...y 90. D
~ Il man marry a good honest soul. he
makes his fortune. If he marry "a fool,
the Lord help HIM The wife may be
the silent partner in the firm. there
may be only masculine voices down on
exchange, but there oftcntimc comes
from the home circle Il potential and
elevating influence.
This woma Of my text was the su.
perior Of her husband. He. a. far a.
can understand, was what we often
see in our day. a man Of large fortune
and only Il modicum of brain. intensely
quiet, sitting a long while in the same
place without moving hand or foot-if
You say YES" responding ''ycs"-if
you say no" responding 'no'-inane.
eyes hal. shut, mouth wide open,
maintaining his position in society only
because he has a large patrimonv. But
his wife, my text says, was "A great
t.t't ~
Her name has not come down to MS
She belonged to that collection OF PEG.
Pile who need no name To distinguish
them. What would title of duchess, or
princess, or queen-what would
escutchcon or cleaning diadem be To
this woman of my text, who by her In.
tc!ligence and her behavior challenges
the admiration of all ages? Long
after the brilliant women of the
court of Louis Nv have been forgot
ten, and the brilliant women of
the court of Spain have been for.
gotten, and the brilliant women who
sat on the mighty thrones have been
forgotten. some grandfather will put
on his spcctaclcs, and holding the book
the other side of the light. read tn his
grandchildren the story of this great
woman of Shunem VINO was so kind
and courteous and Christian to the
good prophet Elisha. Yes, she was "A
great woman.
In the first place, she was great in
her Inequalities, uncivilized and
barbarous nations honor this virtue.
Jupiter had the of the IIospit-
able, and he was said to especially
avenge the wrongs of strangers. Homer
extollcd it in his verse. The Arabs are
punctilious upon the subject, and
among some of their tribes it is not un-
til the ninth day Of t%arrying that the
occupant has a right to ask his guest:
"Who, and whence art thou?" II this
virtue is so honored even among bar.
barians, how ought it to he honorcd
anon those of us who believe in the
Bible, which commands us to use hos
pitality one toward another without
grudging?
OF course. | do not mean under this
cover tn give any idea that approve of
that vagrant class who go around from
place 10 race ranging their whole life
time, perhaps under the auspices Of
some benevolent or phi,anthropic 50.
ciety, quartering themselves on Christ.
tian families, with n great pile of
trunks in the hall and a carpet-bag por-
tentt,u,s of tarrying. There is many n
-couptrS parsonage that looks out week
by wcsit upon the ominous arrival OF
wagon with creaking wheel and lank
horse and diiapidated driver, come
under the auspices of some charitable
institution to spend n few weeks and
canvass the ncighborhood. Let no
such religious tramps take advantage of
this beautiful virtue OF Christian hos.
pitality.
Not so much the s~umptuousness of
your diet and the regality Of your
abode will impress the friend or the
stranger that steps across your thresh-
old, as the warmth of your greeting,
the informality OF your reception, the
reiteration by grasp ana by look and
by "A thousand attentions, insignificant
attentions, of your earnestness of wei
come. There will be high appreciation
of your welcome, although you have
nothing but a brazen cand.estick and
the plain chair to offer Elisha when he
comes to Shuncm.
Most beautiful is this grace of hos
pitality when shown in the house of
God. am thankful that | am pastor
Ag a ahnp.b yyhara Strn ntraps me- nj.