The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-09-01
WOMAN'S INFLUENCE.
DR. Talmage Discourses on a Fa-
vorite Subject.
"A Biblical Model-The Virtue of Hospital
Ity-Conquering TrOuble-Appli-
cation to Domestic Duties
Christian Faith.

In late sermon at Brooklyn Rev. T
Dewitt Talmage chose for his subject
one of special interest to the gentlei
sex, the topic being, "a Great
Woman" and the text III. Kings, iv. s
''And it fell on a day that Elisha passed
to Shunem, where was great
woman" DIR. Talmage said:
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, a servant
of the Lord on divine mission and
he must find shelter. A balcony over
looking the Valley of Esdraelon is of
fered him in private house, and it is
especially furnished for his occupancy
"a chair to sit on, table from which
to eat, candlestick by which to read,
and bed on which to slumber. the
whole establishment belonging to a
great and good woman.
Her husband, it seems, was a godly
man, but he was entirely overshadowed
by his wifes excellencies; just as now
You sometimes find in a household the
wife the center of dignity and influence
and power, not by any arrogance or
PRESUMPTION, 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 reason at home why they are sue
cessful.
II man marry good, honest soul, he
makes his fortune If he marry fool.
the Lord help him. The wife NAV be
the silent partner in the firm, there
may be only masculine voices down on
exchange, but there oftentime comes
from the home circle potential and
.elevating influence.
This woman of my text was the SUI
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 modicum of brain, intensely
quiet, sitting a long while in the same
place without moving hand or foot-if
you say YES" responding ''yes"-if
you say mo, responding ''no"-inaue,
eyes half shut, mouth wide open,
maintaining his position in society only
because he has large patrimony. But
his wife, my text says, was a great
woman.
Her name has not come down to Us.
She belonged to that collection of peo-
pie who need no name to distinguish
them. What would title of duchess. or
IrlnnnSS ha4
-escutcheon or cleaning diadem be to
this woman of my text, who by her in
telligence 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 spectacles, and holding the book |
the other side of the light, read to his
grandchildren the story of this great |
woman of Shunem 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 Hospit-
able, and he was said to especially
avenge the wrongs of strangers. Homer
eXtolled 1t in his verse. The Arabs are
punctilious upon the subject, and
among some of their tribes it is not I'M
til 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 bar
barians, how ought it to be honored
among 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 to give any idea that Iapprove of
that vagrant class who go around from
place to race ranging their whole life
time, perhaps under the auspices of
some benevolent or philanthropic So
ciety, quartering themselves on Christ
tian families, with great pile of
trunks in the hall and carpet-bag por-
tentious of tarrying. There is many
SOdANAg llAdl lOOhS Out Week |
by week upon the ominous arrival of
wagon with creaking wheel and lank
horse and dilapidated driver, come
under the auspices of some charitable ,
institution to spend a few weeks and
canvass the neighborhood. Let no
such religious tramps take advantage of
this beautiful virtue of Christian hos |
pitality.
Not so much the sumptuousness of {
your diet and the regality of your s
abode will impress the friend or the -,
stranger that steps across your thresh- 8
old, as the warmth of your greeting, ,
the informality of your reception, the !
by grasp and by look and
by thousand attentions, Insignificant s
of your earnestness of well I
come. There will be high appreciation S
of your welcome, although you have t
nothing but brazen candlestick and z
the plain chair to offer Elisha when he i
comes to Shunem =
Most beautiful is this grace of hos a
pitality when shown in the house of .
God am thankful that am pastor r
OF a church where strangers are al
ways welcome, and there is not state e
Of the union in which l have not heard a
the affability of the ushers of our S
church complimented But l have en- u
tered churches where there was no b
stranger would stand a
in the vestibule for awhile and then t
make pilgrimage up the long aisle. II
No door opened to him, until flushed f
and excited and embarrassed he started
back again, and coming to some half f