The Yale expositor., 1896-07-24


play the eight notes because ne canho'
execute a William Tell. lhls fl"n
nah of the text differs from the perso"e
lust named. She was an ordinary W.
man. with ordinary intellectual capa-
city, placed in ordinary circumstances
and yet, by extraordinary plety, slahu
ing out before all the ages 10 cohie'
the model Christian mother. Hahiiah
was the wife Of Elkanah. who was
person very much like herselt-uh-
romantic and plain, never haVins
fought battle or been the supJec' VI
a marvellous escape. Neither OF thehi
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 famlly
was the birth of Samuel. Although no
star ran along the heavens pointing
down to his birthplace, think the Angels
of God stopped at the coming OF so
wonderful q prophet. AS Samuel had
been given in answer to prayer, FL
kanah and all his family, save Hannah,
started up to Shiloh to offer sarrihces
of thanksgiving. The cradle where
the child slept was altar enough for
Hannah's grateful heart but when the
boy was old enough she took him 10
Shiloh, and took three bullocks and an
ophah of -four and a bottle of wine,
end made Offering of sacrifice unto the
Lord, and there, according TO previous
vow, she left him; for there he was to
stay all the days of his life, and min
h. Years
on: and every year Hannah madeeWlth
her own hand a garment for Samuel,
and took it over to him. The lad would
have got along we'll without that gar
ment, for l suppose he was well clad
by the ministry of the temple; but Han
nah could not be contented unless she
was all the time doing something for
her darling boy. Moreover his mother
made him a little coat, and brought 1t
TO him from year to year, when she
came NJ with her husband to offer the
yearly sacrifice"
Hannah stands before you, then, to-
day, in the first place, as an industrl-
Gus mother. There was no need that
she work. Elkarah, her husband, was
far from poor. He belonged to a dis
tinguished family; for the Bible tells
us that he was the son Of Jeroham,
| the son of Elhu. the son of Tohu. the
son OF Zuph. "Who were they?" you
say. do not know; but they were dis
tinguished people, no doubt, or their
| names would not have been mentioned
| Hannah might have seated herself in
| her family, and, with folded arms, and
| dishevelleA hair, read novels from year
| to 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
| q slave he would have her employ all
| the helps possible in this day in the
| rearing of her children. But Hannah
| ought never to be ashamed to be found
making a coat for Samuel. Most moth
crs need no counsel in thi6 direction.
| The wrinkles on their brow. the pallor
| on their cheek, the thimble-mark 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
| err dignity ard usefulness aid industry
| of motherhood. But there is 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
| nf u,hn boi oh nd W. n
their children eat, and what their chill
dren read. They entrust to irresponsi-
bic persons these yoGrg immortal ),
and allow them TO be under influences
which may cripple their bodies, or
faint their purity or spoil their man
ners, or 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,
end 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 upside-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
carpets, 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 stalwart men and the
influential women of this day, ninety
nine out of hundred of them. came
from such an illustrious ancestry Of