The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-07-29
ACHRISTIAN MOTHER

u III llelO l. IAN "O = AAhA0
REV. DR.. rALMAGE DRAWS A TOUCH
ING AND FAITHFUL PICTURE.
Hannah. the Mother Of samuel-she Was
an Industrious Mother-she Was Intel
lgent, She Was Christian, and She
Was Rewarded-Ripe For Heaven.
WASHINGTON, July 19.-This radical
discourse will no doubt have its practi-
cal result in many hornesteads through
out Christendom. The text was Sam
uel ii, 10, Moreover his mother made
him little coat and brought it to him
from year to year when she came up
with her husband to offer the yearly
sacrifice. %
The stories Of Deborah and Abigail
are very apt to discourage woman's
soul. She says within herself, "It is
impossible that I ever achieve any such
grandeur Of character, and I don't mean
TO try" as though child should refuse
to play the eight notes because he cannot
execute William Tell" This Han
nah of the text differs from the persons
I Just named. She was an ordinary wo-
man, with ordinary intellectual capac-
ity, placed in ordinary circumstances,
aud yet by extraordinary piety, stand
ing out before all the ages to come the
model Christian mother. Hannah was
the wife of Elkanah, who was person
very much ike herself-unromantic and
plain, never having fought battle or
been the subject of marvellous escape.
Neither Of them would have been called
a genius. just 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. Al
though no star ran along the heavens
pointing down to his birthplace, I think
che angels of God stopped at the coming
of so wonderful a prophet. As Samuel
had been given in answer to prayer, Ell
kanah and all his family save Hannah
started up to Shiloh to offer sacrifices
Of thanksgiving. The cradle where the
child slept was altar enough for Han
nah's grateful heart, but when the boy
was old enough she took him to Shiloh
and took three bullocks and an ephah OF
-four and a bottle Of wine and made Of
fering of sacrifice unto the Lord, and
there, according to a previous vow, she
left him, for there he was to stay all
the days of his life and minister III the
sanctuary.
Years rolled on, and every year Han
nah made with her own hand a garment
for Samuel and took it over to him.
The lad would have got along well
without that garment, for I suppose he
was well clad by the ministry of the
temple, but Hannah could not be con-
tented unless she was all the time doing
something for her darling boy. More
over, his mother made him little coat
aud brought it to him from year to
year, when she came up with her hus-,
band to offer the yearly sacrifice. "
Hannah's Industry.
Hannah stands before you, then, to-
day, in the first place, as an industrious
mother. There was no need that she
work. Elkanah, her husband, was far
from poor. He belonged to a distin-
guished family, for the Bible tells US
that he was the son of Jeroham, the son
of Elihu, the son Of Tohu, the son Of
zuph. "Who were they:' you say. do
not know, but they were distinguished
people, no doubt, or their names would
not have been mentioned Hannah
might have seated herself in her family,
and, with folded arms and disheveled
hair, read novels, from year to year, If
there had been any to read; but, when l
see her. making that garment and taking
it over to Samuel. know she is indus
trious from principle as we'll as from
pleasure. God would not have mother
become drudge or q slave; he would
have her employ all the helps possible
in this day in the rearing OF her chill
6ren. But Hannah ought never to be
ashamed to be found making coat for
Samuel. Most mothers need no counsel
in this direction. The wrinkles on their
brow, the pallor on their cheek, the
thimble mark on their finger, attest that
they are faithful in their maternal du-
ties. The bloom and the brightness and
the vivacity of girlhood have given
place to the grander dignity and useful
ness and industry of motherhood But
there is q heathenish idea getting abroad
IN some Of the families of Americans;
there are mothers who Danish them
selves from the home circle. For three
fourths Of their maternal duties they
prove themselves incompetent. They
are ignorant Of what their children
wear, and what theft children eat, and
what their children read. They intrust
!, to irresponsible persons these young I'M
mortals and allow them to be under
Influences which may cripple their bod
les, or taint their purity, or spoil their
manners, or destroy their souls From
the awkward cut Of Samuel's coat
you know his mother Hannah did not
make it.
Out from under flaming chandeliers,
and off from imported carpets, and down
the granite stairs there is coming a
great crowd of children in this day, un-
trained, saucy, incompetent for all the
practical duties Of life, ready to be
caught in the first whirl of crime and
sensuality. Indolent and unfaithful
mothers will make indoleut and unfaith-
full children You cannot expect neat
ness and order in any house where the
daughters see nothing but slatternliness
and upside downativeness III their par
ents. Let Hannah be idle, and most GER
tainly Samuel will grow up idle. Who
are the Industrious men in all our occu-
patious and professions? Who are they
managing the merchandise of the world,
building the walls, timing the roofs,
t.