Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-08-21
A GRAND WOMAN.
THE SUBJECT OF DR.. TALMAGFS TABERNACLE
SERMON YESTERDAY.
She Was Great in Hospitality, Great in Godli-
ness Great in Faiih Great in COntsnment
Womans Condition Improved BY Christianity.

BROOKLYN, August 2O.-Rev. DR..
Talmage chose for his subject to-day
one Of special interest to the gentler
sex, the announced topic being "a
Great Woman" and the text q. Kings
&: S, And 10 fell on a day that Elisha
passed 20 Shunem, where was a great
woman"
The hotel OF our time had 40 counter
part In any entertainment Of olden
time The vast majority OF travellers
must then be entertained at private
abode. Here comes Elisha, q servant
OF the Lord, on divine mission, and he
must ind shelter. A balcony overlook
ing the valley OF EsdraelOn is offered
him, 10 a private house, and IL is eSpe-
cially furnished for his occupancy
chair TO sit on, table from which 70
eat, candleStick by which 20 read, and
a bed on which 70 slumber, the whole
establishment belongs TO a great and
good woman
Her husband, 1t seems, was a godly
man, but be was entirely OvershadOWed
by his wiie's eXCellencies; just as now
you sometimes find in a household the
wife the centre 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 az the same time supervising
ali 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 sue
cessiul only because there is reason at
home why they are successful.
III man marry a good, honest SOUL
he makes his fortune. II he marry a
fool, the Lord help him! The wife may
be the silent partner ia the firm, there
may be only masculine voices down on
exchange, but there ofteutime comes
from the home circle a potential and
eleyating influence.
THIS WOMAN OF MY TEXT
was the superior OF her husband. He,
as far as I can understand, was what
we often see 10 our day, man OF large
fortuneand only a mOdicum OF brain,
intensely quiet, sitting long while Ia
the same place without moving hand or
foot-if you say Eyes" responding
''yes"-if you say "nO," responding
''no"-inane, eyes half shut, mouth
wide open, maintaining his position in
society only because he has q large pa
trimony. But his wife, my text says,
was a great woman.
Her name has not come down TO US
She belonged 20 that collection Of people
who need no name 90 distinguish them.
What would title OF duchess, or princess
or Queen-What would escutcheon or
cleaning dladem be to this woman Of
my text, who by her intelligence apt
her behavior challenges the admica-
ton Of all ages? Long after the Drill
liant women Of the court Of Louis Nv.
have been forgotten, and the BRILLIANT
women OF the court Of Spain haV5 been
FORGOTTEN, aud the brilliant women who
sat on mighty thrones have been for
gotten, some grandfather will put on his
spectacles, aud holding the book the
other side the light, read 20 his grand
children the story OF this great woman
os-Shunem who was so Kind and court
---hn.ssii-l-l-se4ssi, ne GOOD prophet
elisha. Yes, she was a great woman.
In the first place. she was great In
her hOspitalities. UnciviliZed and bar
barous nations honor this virtue. Jup-
tier had the surname OF the HOspitOble,
and he was said especially 20 aYenge
the wrongs OF strangers. Homer eX-
tolled il in his verse. The Arabs are
punctillous upon this subject, and
among some Of their tribes IL is not IN
I'll the ninth day of tarrying that the
occupant has right to ask his guest:
"Wbo. and whence art thou?" II 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 10 use hos
pitality one toward another
WITHOUT GRUDGING?
OF course, / do not mean under this
cover 20 give any idea that approve
OF that vagrant class who 20 around
from place 70 place ranging their whole
lifetime, perhaps under the auspices OF
some benevolent or philanthrOpic So
clety, Quartering themselves on Chris
tian families, with great pile OF trunks
in the hall and carpet-bag portentous OF
tarrying. There is many country
parsonage that looks out week by week
upon the OmiDOuS arrival OF wagon with
creakng wheel and lank horse and dill
apidated driver, come under the aus
Dices OF some charitable institution TO
spend a few weeks and canvass the
neighborhood. Let 20 such religious
tramps take advantage Of this beauti
ful virtue Of Christian hospitality.
Not so much the sumptuouSess of
your diet and the regality OF your abode
will impress the friend or the stranger
that steps across your threshold, as the
warmth OK your greeting, the Informal
ity OF your reception, the reiteratiOn by
grasp and BY look and by thousand at
tentiOns, Insignificant attentions, OF
your earnestnesS Of welcome. There
will be high appreciation OF your well
come, 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 hospi |
taliIy when shown IN the house OF God. |
I am thgRkful that l am pastor Of a /
church where strangers are always wei
.-sf7e, and there is not State or the |
Union In which I have not heard the /
affability OF the ushers OF our church /.
But I have entered /
churches where there was no hOSpitali
". A stranger would stand in the YES
tibule for awhile and then make pill
primaee I'D the long aisle. No door
opened TO him until flushed and excited
and embarrassed he started back again
and coming to some half-flled pew,
with apologize air, entered it, while
the occupants glared On him vita
look which seemed to say; "Well, II l
must. must" Away with such &C
cursed indecency from the house OF
God. Let every church that would
maintain large Christian influence in a