The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1893-08-25
WIFELY INFLUENCE.
IT MAKES OR MARS THE FORTUNES
OF MANY MEN.

|
and Resignation.
BROOKLYN. Aug. a0,--Rev. DIR. Tai
mage chose for his subject today one of
special interest to the gentler sex, the
announced topic being "a Great Wom-
an" and the text II Kings iv, 8, 'And
it fell ON day that Elisha passed to Shu-
mem, where was great woman"
The hotel of our time had no counter
part in any entertainment of olden time.
The vast majority of travellers must
then be entertained at private abode,
Here comes Elisha, servant of the
Lord, ON divine mission, and he must
| find shelter. A balcony overlooking the
| valley of Esdraelon is offered him in a
private house, and it is especially fur
nished for his occupancy--a chair to sit
on, table from which to eat, candle
stick by which to read and bed on
which to slumber-the whole establish
ment belonging to great and good wo-
man.
Her husband it, seems, was a godly
man, but he was entirely overshadowed
by his wife's excellencies, just as now
you sometimes find in household the
wife the center of dignity and influence
and power, not by any arrogance or pre-
sumption, but by superior intellect and
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 bank
ing house, on the worldly business. You
see hundreds of men who are successful
only because there is reason at home
why they are successful.
If man marry good, honest soul, he
makes his fortune. If he marry fool,
the Lord help him! The Wife may be
the silent partner in the firm, there may
be only masculine voices down on ex-
change, but there oftentime comes from
the home circle a potential and elevating
influence.
A SUPERIOR WOMAN.
This woman of my text was the su-
perior of her husband. He, as far. as
can understand, was what we often see
in our day-a man of large fortune and
only a modicum of brain, intensely quiet,
sitting a long while in the same place
without moving hand or foot-if you
say Eyes" responding Eyes," if you say
mo-" responding "no"-inane, eyes half
shut, mouth wide open, maintaining his
position in society only because he has a
large patrimony. But his wife, my text
says, was great woman.
Her name has not come down to us.
She belonged to that collection of people
who need no name to distinguish them.
What would title of duchess OF princess
or queen-what would escutcheon or
cleaning diadem-be to this woman of
my text, who, by her intelligence and
her behavior, challenges the admiration
of all ages? Long after the brilliant
women of the court of Louis XIV have
been forgotten, and the brilliant women
of the court of Spain have been forgot
ten, and the brilliant women who sat on
mighty thrones have been forgotten.
some grandfather will put on his spec
tacles, and holding the book the other
side the light read to his grandchildren
the story of this great woman of Shu-
mem who 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 surname of the hospitable, and he
| was said especially to avenge the wrongs
OF strangers. lomer extolled it in his
verse. The Arabs are punctilious upon
this subject, and among some of their
tribes it is not until the ninth day OF
tarrying that the occupant has right to
ask his guest, "Who and whence art
thou? If this virtue is so honored even
among barbarians, how ought it to be
honored among those of us who believe
in the Bible, which commands us to use
hospitality one toward another without
grudging?
OF course do not mean under this
cover to give any idea that approve of
that vagrant class who go around from
| place to place ranging their-who life.
time perhaps under the auspices Of
some benevolent or philanthropic socie-
ty, quartering themselves on Christian
families, with great pile of trunks in
the hall and carpetbag portentous OF
tarrying. There is many a country par.
sonage that looks out week by week
upon the ominous arrival of wagon with
creaking wheel and lank horse and di-
lapidated driver, come under the aus
pices of some charitable institution to
spend few weeks and canvass the
heighborhood. Let no such religious
| tramps take advantage of this beautiful
virtue Of Christian hospitality.
| GRACEs OF HOSPITALITY.
Not SO much the sumptuousness Of
| your diet and the regality of your abode
will impress the friend or the stranger
that steps across your threshold as the
warmth of your greeting, the informal.
ity of your reception, the reiteration by
grasp and by look and by thousand
attentions, insignificant attentions, OF
your earnestness Of welcome. There
will be high appreciation of your wei
come, although you have nothing but
the brazen candlestick and the plain
chair to offer Elisha when he comes tc
| Shunem.
Most beautiful is this grace of hospital
! ity when shown in the house of God.
am thankful that am pasecr of church
where strangers are always welcome
and there is not a state in the Union in
which l have not heard the affability Of
the ushers of our church complimented
But have entered churches where there
was no hospitality. A stranger would
stand in the vestibule for awhile and
then make pilgrimage up the long aisle
No door opened to him until, flushed
and excited and embarrassed, he started
back again, and coming to some half filled
pew with apologize air entered it, while
the occupants glared on him with looi
which seemed to say, well, if must,
must" Away with such accursed in
decency from the house of Godl LIE
every church that would maintain larg'
Christian influence in community cul
ture Sabbath by Sabbath this beautiful
grace of Christian hospitality.
A good man travelling in the far west
in the wilderness, was overtaken b.
night and storm, and he put in at |
| cabin, He saw firearms along the beam