The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-20
AN oLD-FASHIoNED MOTHER.
HANNAH OF THE BIBLE An OBJECT
LESSON FOR THE NEW WOMAN.


triOus-Parents should set Their
Children a Good Example in shun-
ming IdIeness and SIovcnliness.
Hannah Also an Intelligent
Mother and n Christian Mother.
Every Child n Bundle of Immense
Possibilities.
Washington. D. c., July 1s.-This radical
discourse viii no doubt have its practical
result in many homesteads throughout
Christendom. The text was samuel
2.ls: Moreover his mother male him a
little coat ana brought 90 10 him from
year 10 year. when she came up with hei
husband to offer the yearly sacrifice"
The stories OF Deborah and Abigail are
very apt 10 discourage 4 woman's soul
She says within herself. 1T IS impossible
that I ever achieve any such granduer OF
character. and ] don't mean 10 try as
though a child should refuse 20 play the
eight notes because he cannot execute
"William Tell This Hannah OF the text
differs from the persons / just named.
She was an ordinary woman, with ordi-
nary Intellectual capacity, placed IN Ordi-
nary circumstances. and yet, by eXtraor-
binary piety. standing out before an the
ages TO come, the model Christian mother.
Hannah was the wife OF Eikanah, who
was a person very much like herself--un-
romantic and plain. never having fought
a battle or been the subject OF a marvel
Gus escape. Neither Of them would have
been called a genius. Just what you and
/ might be. that was Elkanah and Han
nah. 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. l think the
angels of God stopped at the coming
OF so wonderful a prophet As Samuel
had been given in answer to prayer. FL
kanah and all his family, save Hannah,
started up to Shiloh to offer sacrifices and
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 to Shiloh. and took
three bullocks and an ephah OF flour and
a bottle OF wine. and made Offering Of sac
rif1ce unto the Lord and there, according
10 a previous VOW she left him; for there
he was 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 1t over to him The lad would have
got along we'll without that garment for
] suppose he was well clad by the min
not be contented unless she was All the
time doing something for her darling boy
Moreover his mather 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 to-day,
In the first place as an Industrious moth
er. There was no need that she work Eli
kanah, 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. do not know: but they
We're distinguished people, no doubt, or
their names would not have been mem
toned. Hannah might have seated her
self 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 1 see her making that gar
ment ana taking II over to Samuel, 1
know she Is industrious from principle as
well as from pleasure. God would not
nave mother become a drudge or a
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 coat
for Samuel Most mothers need no coun-
sci In this direction. The wrinkles on their
fhimble-mark on their finger attest that
they are faithful in their maternal duties
The bloom and the brightness and the
Nlvacity or girlhood have given place to
dustry OF motherhood. But there is a
heathenish idea getting abroad in some of
the families of Americans; there are
mothers who Danish themselves from the
nome circle. For three fourths of their
maternal duties they prove themselves in
competent. They are ignorant of what
Ihelr children wear and what their chill
0Ieh eat, and what their children read
Ihey entrust to irresponsible persons
these young fmmortals and allow them 10
De uhuer influences which may cripple
their Dodles, or faint their purity or spoil
Inelr manners, or destroy their souls
FROM the awkward cut of Samuels coat
you know his mother Hannah did NOT
make It. Out from under flaming chande-
hers, ana or from imported carpets and
aown the granite stairs, there is coming a
great crowd of children in this dav. I'M
trained, saucy, incompetent for all the
practcal duties OF life, ready to be caught
In the nrst whirl of crime and sensuality
1ndolent and unfaithful mothers will
make indolent and unfaithful children
1ou cannot expect neatness and order In
any mouse where the daughters see no.
thing but slatternliness and upside-down-
ativeness in their parents Let Hannah
be Idle, and most certainly Samuel will
grow up idle. Who are the industrious in
all our occupations and professions? Who
are they managing the merchandise Of
the world building the walls, timing the
roofs, weaving the carpets, making fhe
laws, governing the nations, making the
earth to quake ana heaye and roar and
rattle with the tread of gigantic enter
prises? Who are they? For the most
part, they decended from industrious
mothers, who, in the old homestead. used
TO spin their own yarn, and weave their
own carpets, and plait their own door
mats, and flag their own chairs, and do
their own work. The stalwart men and
the influential women of this day. ninety
nine out of a hundred of them, came from
such an illustrious ancestry of hard
knuckles and homespun. And who are
these people in society, light as froth,
blown every whittier of temptation and
fashion-the peddlers of filthy stories, the
dancing-jacks of political parties, the
scum of society, the tavern-lounging.
store-infesting, the men of low wink and
filthy chuckle, and brass breastpin and
rotten associations? For the most part,
they came from mothers idle and disgust
ing, the scandal-mongers of society, going
form house to house attending TO every
body's business but their own; believing
in witches and ghosts, and horse-shoes to
keep the devil out of the churn, and by a
goddess life setting their children on the
very verge of hell. The mothers of Sam
uel Johnson, and of Alfred the Great and
of Isaac Newton, and of st. Augustine
and of Richard Cecil, and of President
Edwards, for the most part were indus
trious, Woodworking mothers. Now, while
/ congratulate all Christian mothers upon