The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-07-18

Gl0rleS OF tie EgyptlaH court
And hereI would like to sing the
praises Of the sisterhood who remain
unmarried that they might administer
to aged parents. The brutal world
calls these self sacrificing ones peculiar
or angular, but if you had had as many
annoyances as they have had Aantippe
would have been an angel compared to
you. It is easier to take care OF
five rollickiDg, romping children, than
Of one childish old Dlan. Among the
best woman are those who allowed the
bloom of life to passaway while they
were caring for their parents. While
other maiden5 were sound asleep they
were soaking the old mans feet or
tucking up the covers around the in
valid mother. While other maidens
were in the cotillon they were dancing
attendance upon rheumatism, and
spreading plaste1s for the lame back
Of the septenarian, and heating catDip
tea for insomnia.
In almost every circle Of our kindred
there has been some queen OF self
sacrifice to whom jeWeled hand after
ieweled hand was offered in marriage,
but who staid on the old place because
of the sense of lilial obligation until
the health was gone and the attract
iveness of personal presence had
vanished. Brutal society may call such
one by a nickname. God calls her
daughter, and heaven calls her saint,
and l call her domestic martyr
A half dozen ordinary woman have.
not as much nobility as could be found
in the smallest joint Of the little finger
Of her left hand. Although the world
has stood 5000 years, this is the first
apotheosis of maidenh0od, although IN
the the long line Of those who have de,
clined marriage that they might be
qualified foy some especial mission are
the names of Anna Ross and Margaret
Breckenridge and Mary Shelton and
Anna Etheridge and Georgiana Will
let's, the angels OF the battletields OF
Fair Oaks and Lookout Mountain and
Charlottesville, and though single life
has been honored by the fact that the
three grandest men Of the Blble-John
and Paul and Christ-Were cellbates.
Let the ungrateful world sleer at
the maiden aunt, but God has throne
FURNISHED for her arrival, and one side
Of that throne in heaven there is avase
containing TWO jewels, the one bright
er than the Kohinoor of London Tower,
and the other larger than any diamond
ever found IN the districts Of Golconda
the one Jewel by the lipidary Of the
palace cut with the words, "1nasmuch
as ye did it to father" the other jewel
By the lapidary of the palace cut with
the words. "Inasmuch as ye did 1t TO
mother" "Over the Hills to the Poor
house" is the exquisite ballad Of Will
Carleton, who found an old woman
who had been turned off by her pros
porous sons, but l thank God | may
find in my text cover the hills to the
palace"
AS if to disgust US with unf!ial con-
duct. the Bible presents US the story Of
Micah, who stole the 1,100 shekles from
his mother, and story of Absalom, who
tried to dethrone his father. But all
history IS beautiful with stories OF hllal
fidelity. Epaminondas, the Warrier,
found his chief delight il recitlng to
his parents his victories. There goes
Eneas from burning Troy, on his
shoulders Anchises, his farther
The AtheniaDs punished with
death uDfilial conduct. There goes
beautiful Ruth escortjng veneer
able Naomi across the desert amid the
bowling Of the wolves and the barking
of the jackals. John Lawrence, burn
ed at the stake in Colchester, was cheer
ed in the flames by his children, who
said, 80 God, strengthen thy servant
and keep thy pormise!" And Christ ii
the hour of eXcruciation provided for
bis old mother. Jacob kept his resolu-
tion, twill 90 and see him before L
die and little while after we find them
walking the tesselated floor OF the
palace, Jacob and Joseph, the prime
minister proud of the shepherd.
| may say in regard to the most of
you that your parents have probably
visited you for last time or will soon
pay you such visit, and l have won
dered if they will ever visit you IN the
kings palace. "Oh." say, Il am ID
the pit of SIM Joseph was in the pit.
ooh" you say, II am in the prison OF
mine iniQuityw Joseph was once IN
prison. "Oh," you say, 81 didn't have
a fair chance. was denied maternal
kindnessw Joseph was denied maternal
attendance. "Oh," you say, | am tar
away from the land Of my nativity
Joseph was far from home. ooh" you
say, 81 have been betrayed and exas-
peratedT' Did not Joseph's brethren
sell him to a passing Ishmaeiltlsh car
ayan? Yet God brought him to tnat
emblazoned residence, and if you will
trust his grace in Jesus Christ you, too
will be empalaced.
On, what a day that will be when the
old folks come from an adjoining man
sion in heaven and find you amid the
aIabaster pillars of the throneroom and
living with the King. They are com,
ing up the steps now, and the epauleteo
guard Of the palace rushes IN and says
your fathers coming, your mothers
coming And when under the arches
of precious stones and on the pavement
of porphyry you greet each other the
scene will eclipse the meeting on the
Goshen high Eay, when Joseph and ia,
cob fell on each others neck and Wep'
a good while.
But, oh, how changed the old folks
will be! Their cheek smoothed into
the flesh of little child. Their stopped
posture lifted into immortal symmetry
Their foot now so feeble, then with the
sprightlines of a bounding roe, as they
shall say to you, "a spirit passed thl:
way from earth and told US that you
were wayward and diss!pated after we
left the world. but you have repented
our prayer has been answered, and you
are here. And as we used to visit you
on earth before we died now we visit
you in your new home after cur ascen
SION" And father will say, Mother
don't you see Joseph is yet aliVe?" and
mother will say, eyes, father, Josheph
is yet alive" And then they will talk
over their earthly aD1leties in regard
to you, and the midnight suppl1cations
in your behalf, and they will recite tc
each other the old Scripture passage
with which they used to cheer thelE
staggering faith, II will be a God to
thee aud thy seed after thee" Oh, the
palace, the palace, the palace! That Is
what Richard Baxter called "the saints
everlasting rest" That is what JOIN
Bunyan called the celestial City
That is Young's might Thoughts,
turned into morning eXultationS. That