Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-07-28


should refuse TO
lay the eight notes because ne cannot
execute civilian Tell" Thls HAN
tGh of the text differs from the persons
just named She was an ordinary W.
man, with ordinary intellectual capa-
city, placed in ordinary circumstances
Ind yet, by extraordinary piety, s'ahu-
ne out before all the ages to come
lie model Christian mother. hannah
was the wife of Elkanah. VINO was
person very much like hersell-ui-
romantic and plain never haNihs
fought a battle or been the subject Oh
a marvellous escape. Neither or them
would have been called genius. JUS.
what you and | might be, that was
Elkanah and Hannah. The brightest
time in all the history of that family
was the birth of Samuel. Although 40
star ran along the heavens pointing
down to his birthplace, think the Angels
of God stopped at the coming OF so
wonderful prophet. AS Samuel had
been given in answer to prayer FL
kanah and all his family, save Hannah,
started up to Shiloh to offer sa"rlflces
of thanksgiving. The cradle where
the child slept was altar enough Tor
Hannahs grateful heart; but when the
boy was old enough she took him TO
Shiloh, and took three bullocks and an
ephah of flour and bottle OF Wlne'
and made offering of sacrifice unto me
Lord. and there, according TO previous
vow, she left him; for there he was to
stay all the days of his life, and MIN
lister in the sanctuary. Years rolled
on and every year Hannah made with
her own hand garment for Samuel,
and took it over to him. The lad would
have got along we'll without that gar
ment, for | suppose he was well clad
by the ministry of the temple; out Han
nah could not be contented unless she
was all the time doing something Tor
her darling boy. Moreover his mother
made him little coat, and brought 1t
to him from year to year, when she
came ND with her husband TO offer the
yearly sacrifice"
Hannah stands before you, then, to-
day. in the first place, as an industri-
Gus mother There was no need that
she work. Elkarah, her husband, was
far from poor. He belonged to dis
tinguished family; for the Bible tells
Z us that he was the son of Jeroham,
tie son Of Elihu. the son of Tohn, the
son Of Zuph. N..'Who were they?" you
say. do not know; but they were dis
tinguished people, no doubt, or their
names would not have been mentioned.
4, n
her family, and, with folded arms, and
dishevelIed hair, read novels from year
10 year. if there had been any TO read;
but when / see her making that gar
ment and taking it over to Samuel,
know she is industrious from principle
as well as from pleasure. God would
not have a mother become drudge or
a slave: he would have her employ all
the helps possible in this day IN the
rearing of her children. But Ham IN
ought never to be ashamed TO be found
making a coat for Samuel. Most moth
ers need no counsel in this direction.
The wrinkles On their brew, the pallor
on their cheek, the thimblemark on
their finger attest that they are faith
full in the maternal duties. The bloom
and the brightness and the vivacity of
girlhood have given place to the grand
er dignity and usefulness and industry
of motherhood. But there is a heath
enish idea getting abroad in some Of
the families of Americans: there are
mothers who Danish themselves from
the home circle. For three-fourths of
their maternal duties they prove them
selves incompetent. They are ignorant
of what their children wear, and what
their children eat, and what their chill
dren read. They entrust to irresponsi-
bic persons these yong immortal;,
anG allow them to be under influences
which may cripple their bodies, or
faint their purity or spoil their man
ners, CT destroy their souls. From the
awkward cut of SamuePs coat you
know his mother Hannah did not make
IT, Out from under flaming chande-
Tiers, and off from imported carpets,
and down the granite stairs, there is
coming a great crowd of children in
this day, unframed, saucy, incompetent
for all the practical duties of life,
ready to be caught in the first whirl
Of crime and sensuality. lndolent and
unfaithful mothers will make indolent
and unfaithful children. You cannot
expect neatness and order in any house
where the daughters see nothing but
Slatternliness and pside-downative-
ness in their parents. Let Hannah be
idle. and most certainly Samuel will
grow up idle. Who are the industri-
Gus men in all our occupations and pro-
fesSions? Who are they managing the
merchandise of the world, building the
walls, timing the roofs, weaving the
Sarpets, making the laws, governing
the nations, making the earth to quake
and heave and roar and rattle with the
tread of gigantic enterprises? Who are
they? For the most part, they descend
ed from industrious mothers, who, in
the old homestead, used to spin their
own yarn, and weave their own car
pets, and plat their own doormats,
and flag their own chairs. and do their
own work. The staiwart men and the
influential women OF this day, ninety
nine out of hundred Of them. came
from such an illustrious ancestry OF