Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-08-26
WOMAN'S INFLUENCE.
DIR Talmage Discourses on a Fa-
vorite Subject.
A Biblical Model-Thc Virtue OF Hospital
ity-Conquering Trouble -Appii-
cation to Domestic Duties
Christian Faith.

one OF Speclal interest 10 tne gentier
sex, the topic being, "A Great
Woman" and the text ii. Kings, iv. s.:
And it fell on 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 ut private
abode. Here comes Elisha, u 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, u 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 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
presumtion, but by superior intellect
and the force of moral nature welding
domestic affairs, and ut 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 ut home why they are sue
cessful.
If man marry a 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
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, man of large fortune
and only a modicum of brain, intensely
quiet, sitting II long while in the same
place without moving hand or foot-if
you say yves" responding 'yes"-if
you say mo-" responding ''no"-inane,
eyes half shut, mouth wide open,
maintaining his position in society only
because he has large patrimony. But
his wife, my text says, was great
woman.
Her name has not come down to u.s.
She belonged to that collection OF peo-
pie who need no name to distinguish
them. What would title of duchess, or
princess, or queen-what would
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 spectaclcs, 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 it 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 vagraut class who go around from
place to race ranging their whole life
time, perhaps under the auspieces of
some benevolent or philanthropic so
ciety, quartering themselves on Christ
tian families, with a great pile of
trunks in the hall and a carpet-bag por-
tentious of tarrying. There is many
country parsonage that looks 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 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 tho regality of your
abode will impress the friend or the
stranger that steps across your thresh-
old, as the warmth OF your greeting,
the iuformalitv of vOur reception, the