Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-08-24

BROOKLYN, Aug. 20-Rev. DR.. Talma9e
those for his subject today one of special in
terest to the gentler sex, the announced
topic being "A Great Woman" and the
text III Kings iv, S. And it fell on day
that Elisha passed to Shunem where was
great woman"
The hotel of our time had no counterpart
In any entertainment of olden time. The
vest majority of travellers must then be en-
tertained 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 private house, and it is
especially furnished for his occupancy-a
chair to sit on, table from which to eat, a
candlestlck by which to read and bed on
which to slumber, the whole establishment
belonging to 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 some-
times find in u household the wife the cen
ter of dignity and influence and power, not
by any arrogance or prcsumption but by
superior intellect and force of moral nature
welding domestic affairs and at the same
time supervising all financial and business
affairs. The wifes hand on the shuttle, on
the banking house, on the worldly bust
ness. You see hundreds of men Tho are
successful only because there is reaaon at
home why they are successful.
THE WIFELY INFLUENCE.
If man marry - good, honest soul, he
makes his fortune. If he marry fool the
Lord help himl The wife may he the silent
partner in the firm, there may be onlymas-
culine voices down on exchange, but there
oftentime comes from the home circle DO
tential and elevating influence.
This woman of my text was the superior
Of her husband. lie, as far as | can under
stand, was what we often see in our dav n
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 mo-
lnane, eyes half shut, mouth wide omen.
maintaining his position in society only be
cause he has large patrimony. But his
wife, my text says, WAS a great womon
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 or princess or queen
what would escutcheon or cleaning dia-
dem 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 woin-
Pm 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 spectacles, and
holding the book the other side the light
read to his grandchildren the story of this
great woman of Shunem who was so kind
and courteous aud Christian to the good
prophet Elisha. Yes, she was 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 hospitablc, and he was
said especially to avenge the wrongs Of
strangers. Homer eXtolled it in his verse
The Arabs are punoti!ious upon this sub
lect, and among some OF their tribes it is
not until the ninth day of tarrying that the
occupant has right to ask his guest
wv ho and whence art thou" If this viz
tue is SO honored even among barhasians
how ought it to be honored among those
of us who believe in the Bible, which COM
mands US to use hospitality one toward
another without grudging?
RELIGIOUS TRAMPS.
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 whole life time perhaps
under the auspices of some benevolent or
philanthropic society, quartering them
selves on Christian families, with great
pile OF trunks i'll the hall and carpet bag
portentous of tarrying. There is many a
country parsonage that looks out week by
week upon the ominous arrival of wagon
tyit Ii ina laal
1ilapidated driver, come under the auspices
Of some charitable institution to spend a
few weeks and canvass the neighborhood.
Let no such religious tramps take advan-
tage of this beautiful virtue of Christian
hospitality.
Not so much the sumptuousness of your
diet and the regality of your abode will i'm
press the friend or the stranger that steps
across your threshold as the warmth of your
greeting, the informality of your reception,
the relteratlon by grasp and by look and
by thousand attentions, Insignificant at
tentions, of your earnestness of welcome.
There will be high appreciation of your
welcome, although you have nothing but
the brazen candlestick and the plain chair
TO offer Elisha when he comes to Shunem
Most beautiful is this grace of hospitality
when shown in the house of God ] am
thankful that am pastor of "A church where
strangers are always welcome, and there is
not state of the Union in which | 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
a look which seemed to say, well, if |
must, must" Away with such accursed
indecency from the house of God! Let ev-
cry church that would maintain large
Christian influence in community culture
Sabbath by Sabbath this beautiful grace of
Christian hospitality,
CHRISTIAN HOSPITALITY.
A good man travelling in the far west in
the wilderness was oyertaken by night and
storm and he put in at cabin. He saw
firearms along the beams of the cabin, and
he felt alarmed. lie did not know but that