The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-06-09
W0MANLY EXCHANGE
Ia What the EscelIance Of Woman Does Not
and In What Il Does Consist.
NO ADMIRATION FOR THE NEW WOMAN.
Thoughtful and Eloquent Racealau-
reatc Sermon by Rev. DR.. N. B.
Baptist Church Before the Norfolk
College for Young Ladies, June 2.

Rev. NJ. B. Wharton, d. D., preached
the Baccalaureate sermon of the Norfolk
College for Young Ladies at the Freema-
son Stmet Baptist Church last Sunday
morning. and 1t Is needless to say that
he was listened ITO by q very large con-
gregation.
DR.. Wharton's subject was woman
~ Excellence" and he handled 1t in q
masd.Tly manner. DR.. Wharton also
preached the Baccalaureate sermon of
Ryland Institute at the Berkeley Avenue
Baptist Church Sunday evening. making
two se.mons of the' kind delivered on the
same day. In compliance with the de-
sires of the Freemason Street congre-
CATION The Virginian takes pleasure in
publishing the sermon delivered at that
church In the mor1ing, which was as
follows:
Proverbs 81, 90 MANY daughters have
done virtuously, but thou excellest them
ALL"
Though Eve. the first woman that
adorned our earth. failed to keep her
pun;' and lofty estate. yet 1t may be
truthfully said OF her daughters, MANY
have done vtutuously." When we look
upon woman as She stands on the page
of sacred history In the role of maiden,
wife. mother, prophecies ruler, we are
constrained to eXclaim. Many daugh-
have been but types of thousands and
hundreds of thousands OF good and true
women who have SHE'D lustre on the
world in all ages. Some, of course, have
excelled others. In the bright galaxyies
of female comelness "One star differeth
from another star in glory" But of one
in particular, it has been declared that
she stands pre-eminent, and TO whom in
spiratDbn points as It eXclaims, MANY
daughters have done virtuously, but
thou eXcelleSt them ALL" Who Is this
wondrous character? i answer 1t is not
one whose name adorns the annals of
either sacred or profane history: T. is
one whose portrait has been drawn from
fancy, but whose counterpart has, in
many respects. been often found among
the sex which she represents. This pic
ture Is found In the chapter from which
| the text is taken-"Who can find Vir-
tuous woman for her price is above
fub!:S; tina heart Of her husband doth
safely truss In her that he shall have
| no need of spols; she will do him good
and not evil all the days of his life: she
worketh willingly with her hands; she is
Ike tha merchants ships. she bringeth
her food from far: she viseth also while
II Is vat night; she strc,cheth out her
hands of the needy; yea. she
needy; her husand is known in
the gates when H. sitteth among
the elders of the land; strength
and honor are her clothing; sha openeth
hsV mouth wish wisdom, and In her
| tongue is the law of kindness: she look
eth well to the ways of her household
| and eateth not the bread of idleness;
her children rise up and call her blessed
| her husband also, and he praiseth her;
favor is dectitful and beauty is vain but
a woman that feareth the Lord she shall
be praised; many daughters have done
| Nirtuously, but thou excellest them all"
| The desire to excel is as common TO
woman as 20 man. 1t was implanted in
our moral constitution by our Heavenly
FathSr. Nothing is more commenda BILE
IN either sex than laudable ambition
to be either great or good. II is owing to
this ambition that the world has been
blessed with its heroes, statesmen philo-
sophers and writers; with its world-re-
nowned men and women. The subject,
! therefore, which bring 20 your attsn-
lion is Womanly Excellence and I shall
endeavor 10 show first. In what 1t does
not. and secondly, in what it does con-
sist.
lit does not consist in the mere pos
SESSION OF beauty. We hear much of her
beauty of woman. and nature made her
to be beautiful. There is nothing in ma
ture comparable TO the face OF a beauti-
ful woman. hence in the Bible we so
often read of woman of a beautiful
coullteilaEcc. says Addison, 1.-The
head has the most beautiful appearance
as well as the highest station in Il huma
figure. Mature has laid out all her art
In identifying the face: she has touched
1t with ver:nillion, planted in 1t q double
row of ivory. made 1t the seat of smiles
and bushes, lighted 1t up, and enlivened
1t with the brightness of the eyes; hung
1t on each side with curious organs OF
stnse, given 1t airs and graces that can.
not be described, and surrounded II with
such a flowing shade of hair as sits all
Its beauties in the most agreeable eight
In short, she seems to have designed the
head as the cupola 10 the most gloriou,
OF her works" But after all. the wise
mothth' of Lemuel says. Favor is deceit
full and beauty is vain" Beauty ha,
been called a fatal gift. and some o.
the most beautiful of women have beer
the worst. Cleopatra, mistress of tn,
hearts of Kings. seemed to have bear
los: to every sen,a of virtue
2. Neither do:s this excellence consis
In mere intellectual pre- eminence. In
tellect is certainly desirable in woman
and WEI should rejoice in such institu
lions for training the mind as that under
| whose auspices we are assembled 10
day. Woman has often shown
herself 10 be quite the peer
intellectually, of the stronger sex
Whsrs will you find greater genius
than George Eliot, the novelist; Agne!
Strickland, the historian. and Mrs
Browning, the postess? Hundreds o
other names might be added. but some o
the most intellectual, as in the case o
| men. have bsIm the most