Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1898-01-20

Mary is in the parlor with Christ. Martha
is in the kitchen. 1t would have been bet
ter If they had divided the work. and then
they could have divided the opportunity OF
listening to Jesus: but Mary m~onopolizes
Christ while Martha swelters at the fire.
1t was a very important thing that they
should have a good dinner that day. Christ
was hungry, and He did not often have u
luxurious entertainment. Alas. me! II the
duty had devoived upon Mary. what a re-
past that would have been. But something
went wrong in the kitchen. Perhaps the
fire would not burn, or the bread would
not bake, or Martha scalded her hand. or
something was burned black that ought
only to have been made brown and Martha
lost her patience, and forgetting the pro-
prieties OF the occasion, with besweated
brow, and, perhaps. with pitcher in one
hand and tongs in the othor, she rushes
out OF the kitchen into the presence OF
Christ. saying. Lord. dost Thou not care
that my sister hath left me to serve alone!'
Christ scolded- not a word. II it were scold-
ing, l would rather have His scolding than
anybody else's blessing. There was moth
ing acerb. He knew that Martha had al
most worked herself to death to get Him
something to eat, and so He throws aworld
OF tenderness into His intonation as He
seems TO say: My dear woman, do not
worry, let the dinner CO.: sit down on this
ottoman beside Mary, your younger sister.
-4hlt tot 1tIka 1So ~ AdN
troubled about man things, but one thing
is needful.' AS Martha throws open that
kitchen door l look III and see q great many
household perplexities and anxieties.
First. there is the trial OF non-apprecia-
ton. This is what made Martha SO mad
with Mary. The younger sister had no esti-
mate of her older sisters fatigues. AS
now, men bothered with the anxieties Of
the store. the office and shop, or coming
from the stock Exchange, they say when
they get home: "Oh, you ought to be In
our factory a little while: you ought to
nave to manage eight, or ten. OR twenty
subordinates, and then you would know
what trouble and anxiety are" Oh, sir,
the wife and the mother has to conduct at
the same time a university, II clothing es-
Enlistment, q restaurant, a laundry, a Ii
brary. while she is health Off Ger, police
and president OF her realm! She must do
q thousand things. and do them we'll, in
order to keep things going smoothly: and
SO her brain and her nerves are taxed to
the utmost know there are housekeep-
ers who are so fortunate that they can sit
in an arm chair i'll the library. or lie on the
belated pillow and throw of all the care
upon suoOrdinates who, having large
wages and great experience, can attend to
all OF the affairs of the household. Those
are the exceptions. l am speaking now OF
the great mass OF housekeepers-the TO-
men to whom life is a struggle, and who.
at thirty years OF age. LOOK as though tHcV
were forty, and at forty look rs though
they were fifty. and at fifty look as though
they were sixty
You think, O, man Of the world! that you
have all the cares and anNieties. II the
cares and anXieticS Of the household
should come upon you for one week, you
would be fit for the Insane Asylum. The
haif-rested housekeeper arises in the
morning. She must have the morning re-
past prepared at an irreyOcable hour.
What if the fire will not light; what II the
marketing did not come; what if the clock
has stopped-no matter, she must have the
morning repast at an irrevocable hour.
Then the children must be got off to school.
What II their garments are torn; what il
they do not know their lessons: what if
they have lost a hat or sash-~they must be-
ready. Then you have all the diet of the
day, and perhaps Of several days, to plan;
but what if the butcher has sent meat I'M
masticalla or the grocer has sent articles
OF food adulterated. and what II some piece
OF silver be gone. or some favorite chalice
be cracked. or the roof leak. or the plumb
ing fall, or any one Of a thousand things
occur-you must be ready. Spring weather
comes, and there must be a revolution in
the family wardrobe; or autumn comes,
and you must shut out the northern blast;
but what If the moth has preceded you to
the chest; what if, during the year. the
children have outgrown the apparel Of last
year; what if the fashions have changed.
Your house must be an apothccarvS shop:
it must be Il dispensary: there must be
medicines for all sorts Of ailments. You
must be in half a dozen places at the sam .
time, or you must attempt to be. Ii,
under all this wear aud tear Of life. Martha
makes an impatient rush upon the library
or d~rawinS-room be patient. be lenient!
oh. woman. though may fail to stir up
an appreciation in the souls Of others IN
regard to your household tolls. let me as
sure you. from the indness with, which
Jesus Christ met Martha. that he appre-
ciates all your work from garnet to cellat;
and that the God ofDeborah. and Hannah.
and Abigail. and Grandmother Lois. and
Elizabeth Fry, and Hannah More is the
God OF the housckeeper. Jesus was never
married. that he might be the especial
friend and confident of n whole world o!
troubled womanhood. / blunder: Christ
was married. The Bible says that the
Church is the Lambs wife, and that makes
me know that all Christian women have Il
right to 90 to Christ and tell Him Of their
annoyance and troubles. since by His OATH
OF conjugal fidelity He is sworn to SYM
lathize. &.
Again there is The trial Of severe econ.
omy. Nine hundred and n%inety-nine
households out Of a Thousand are subjected
to it-some under more and some under
less stress Of circumstances. Especially i
Il man smoke very expensive cigars, anC
take very costly dinners ut the restaurants
he will be severe in demanding domesti,
economies. This is what kills tens of thou
sands Of Notwithstanding to make five
e dollars do the work of seven. 4 young
woman about to enter the married state
said to her mother: How long does thu
/ HONEYMOON last?f The mother answered
/ The honeymoon lasts until you ask. YOU
I husband for money
How great are the responsibilities o
hOusekeepers. Sometimes an indigestion
: article of food. by its effect Tpon n king
has overthrow an empire. distinguished
statistician SAYS that Of one thousand IN
married men there are thirty-eight Grim
; inals. and Of one thousand married ner
only eighteen are criminals. What q sug
gesti0n Of home influence, Let the nos
: be made Of them. Housekeepers. by TIL
. food they provide. by the conches the
spread. by the books they Introduce. b,
the influences they bring around thei
homes. are deciding the physical. intellec
, tual. moral. eternal destiny of the race