The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-07-24
HANNAH'S DEVOTION.
DR.. Talmage Talks Interestingly of
the Old-Fashioned Mother.
Hannah Made Coat for Samuel Every
Year and in Many Ways Showed the
Wisdom of Her Loye-some
Practical Words.

"
I. Dewitt Talmage discussed subject
which will no doubt have it's practical
result in many homes in Christie ndom.
The text was ]. Samuel lille: More
over his mother made him little coat,
and brought it to him from year to
year. when she came up with her hus-
band to offer the yearly sacrifice" DR..
Talmage said:
The stories of Deborah and Abigail
are very apt to discourage woman's
soul She says within herself: ut is
impossible that l ever achieve any
such grandeur of character, and l
don't mean to try;" as though child
should refuse to play the eight notes
because he cannot execute a William
Tell" This Hannah of the text differs
from the persons just named. She
was an ordinary woman, with ordinary
intellectual capacity, placed in ordi-
nary circumstances, and yet, by extra.
ordinary piety. standing out before all
the ages to come, the model Christian
mother. Hannah was the wife of
Elkanah, who was person very much
like herself-unromantic and plain,
never having fought a battle or been
the subject of a marvellous escape.
Neither of them would have been
called 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. Although no 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 an
swer to prayer, Elkanah and all his
family, save Hannah, started up to
Shiloh to offer sacrifices of thanksgiv-
| ing. The cradle where the child slept
was altar enough for Hannah's CRATE
full heart; but when the boy was old
enough she took him to Shiloh, and
took three bullocks and an ephah of
-four and bottle of wine, and made
offering of sacrifice unto the Lord, and
there, according to a previous vow, she
left him; for there he wss to stay all
the days of his life, and minister in
the sanctuary. Years rolled on; and
every year Hannah made with her own
hand a garment for Samuel. and took
it over to him. The lad would have
got along we'll without that garment,
for suppose he was we'll clad by the
ministry of the temple, but Hannah
would not be contented unless she was
all the time doing something for her
darling boy. 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"
Hannah stands before you, then, in
the first place. as an Industrious moth
er. There was no need that she work.
Elkanah, her husband, was far from
poor. He belonged to a distinguished
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. 1 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 ]
see her making that garment and
taking it over to Samuel, know she
is industrious from principle as we'll
as from pleasure. God would not have
a mother become a drudge or a slave;
He would have her employ all the
helps possible in this day in the rear
ing of her children But Hannah
ought never to be ashamed to be found
making a coat for Samuel. Most moth.
ers need no council in this direction.
The wrinkles on their brow, the pallor
on their cheek. the thin ble-mark on
their finger, attest that they are faith
full in their maternal duties. The
bloom and the brightness and the vi
vacity of girlhood have given place tC
the grander dignity and usefulness and
industry of motherhood.
But there is heathenish idea get.
ting abroad in some of the families OF
Americans; there are mothers who
Danish themselves from the home cir
Gle. For three-fourths of their ma.
ternal duties they prove themselves in.
competent. They are ignorant of
what their children wear and what
their children eat. and what their
children read. They intrust to ire
sponsible persons these young immor-
tails, and allow them to be under influ-
ences which may cripple their bodies,
or faint their purity or spoil their man.
ners, 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 chande-
Tiers, and off from imported carpets.
and down the granite stairs. there is
coming great crowd of children in
this day. unframed, saucy. incompe-
tent 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 indolent
and unfaithful children.
You cannot expect neatness and or
der in any house where the daughters
see nothing but slatternliness and up
side-downativeness in their parents.
Let Hannah be idle and most certainly
Samuel will grow up idle. Who are