The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1894-06-08


Talmage, who is now on his round the
world journey, has chosen as tho subject
for TO-DAY "Martyrs of the Needle" the
text being Matthew xix, "a, ut is
easier for camel to go through the eye
of a needle
Whether this "eye Of the needle" be
the small gate at the side of the big
gate at the entrance of the wall of the
ancient city, as is generally interpreted,
or the eye of a needle such as is low
handled in sowing garment l do not
say. In either case it would be tight
thing for camel to go through the eye
of needle. But there are whole cara
vans of fatigues and hardships going
through the eye of the sewing woman's
needle.
Very long ago the needle was busy.
1t was considered honorable for women
to toll in oldon time. Alexander the
Great stood in his palace showing gar
ments made by his own mother. The
finest tapestries at Bayeux were made
by the queen of William the Conqueror.
Augustus, the emperor, would not wear
any garments except those. that were
fashioned by some member of his royal
family. So let the toiler everywhere be
respected!
The greatest blessing that could have
happened to orr first parents was be-
ing turned out of Eden after they had
done wrong. Adam and Eve, in their
perfect state, might have got along
without work or only such slight EN-:
ployment as a perfect garden, with no
weeds in it, demanded. But as soon as
they had sinned the best thing for them
was to be turned out where they would
have to work. We know what a wither-
ing thing it is fora man to have moth
ingto do. Good old Ashbel Green, at
fourscore years, when asked why he
kept on working, said, 81 do SO to keep
out Of mischief. We see that man
who has large amount Of money to
start with has no chance. Of the thou.
sand prosperous and honorable men that
you know, 500 had to work vigorously
at the beginning.
The Idle Woman.
But am now to tell you that indus
try is just as important for woman s
safety and happiness The most unhap-
py women in our communities today are
those who have no engagements to call
them up in the morning; who, once
having risen and breakfasted, lounge
through the dull forenoon in slippers
down at the heel and with disheveled
hair, reading the last novel, and who,
having dragged through wretched
forenoon and taken their afternoon
sleep, and having spent an hour and a
half at their toilet, pick up their cardcase
and go out to make calls, and who pass
their evenings waiting for somebody to
come in and break up the monotony.
Arabella Stuart never was imprisoned in
SO dark a dungeon as that.
There is no happiness in an idle WON
an. 1t may be with hand, it may be
with brain, it may be with foot, but
work she must or be wretched forever.
The little girls Of our families must be
started with that idea. The curse Of
our American society is that our young
women are taught that the first, second,
third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh,
tenth, fiftieth, thousandth thing in Their
life is to get somebody to take care Of
them. Instead of that the first lesson
should be how, under God, they may
| take care of themselves The simple
| fact is that a majority Of them do have
to take care Of themselves, and that,
too, after having, through the false no.
/ +ic.'~ - +l,nir narnnts wastad the wears