Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-01-16
NOBLE WOMANHOOD.
DR.. TALMAGE TELLS OF THE VALUE
OF GOOD WIVES


copyright. 1892 by American Press Asso-
! ciation.l
; WASHINGTON, Jan. ia Scripture
character whose name is not given be-
comes the subject of DR.. Talmage's ser
mon in which he here sets forth the
qualities of good and noble womanhood;
text, II Kings iv, 8, elisha passed to
Shunem, where was great woman.
The hotel of our time had no coun-
terpart in any entertainment of olden
time The vast majority of travellers
must then be entertained at private
abode Here comes Elisha, a servant of
the Lord, on divine mission, and he
must find shelter. A balcony overlook
ing the valley OF Esdraelon is offered
him in private house, and it is espe-
cially furnished for his occupancy
chair to sit on, a table from which to
eat, a candlestick by which to read and
a bed on which to slumber, the whole
establishment belonging to a great and
good woman. Her husband, it seems,
was a godly man, but he was entirely
overshadGwed by his wife eXcellences;
Just as ROW you sometimes find IN
household the wife the center Of dignity
and influence and power, not by any
arrogance or presumption, but by su-
perior intellect and force of moral ma
ture, welding domestic affairs and at
the same time supervising all financial
and business affairs-the wife's hand
on the shuttle or the banking house or
the worldly business.
You see hundreds of men who are
successful only because there is a reason
at home why they are successful Ii
man marry a good, honest soul, he
makes his fortune IF he marry a fool
the Lord help him. The wife may be
the silent partner in the firm, there may
be'only masculine voices down on Elk
change, but there OftentimeS comes from
the home circle potential and elevat-
ing influence. This woman Of my text
was the superior of her husband. He,
as far as I can understand, was what
we often see in our day, a man of large
fortune and only a modicum of brain.
intensely quiet. sitting long while In
the same place without moving hand or
foot. if you say Eyes responding
eyes, if you say ''No," responding
'<No'-inane, eyes half shut, mouth
wide open. maintaining his position in
society only because he has a large
patrimony. But his wife, my text says,
was great woman. Her name has not
come down to us. She belonged to that
collection of people who need no name
TO distinguish them. What would title
of duchess or princess or queen-what
would escutcheon or cleaning diadem
be to this woman of my text, who by
her intelligence and her behavior chal-
tho a61OiratiOY1 of all Tnrc
after the brilliant women of the court
of Louis XIV have been forgotten and
the brilliant women of the court of
Spain have been forgotten and the bril-
liant women who sat on the throne of
Russia have been forgotten some grand
Father will put on his spectacles, and
holding the book the other side the
light read to his grandchildren the story
of this great woman of Shunem who
was so kind and courteous and Christian
to the good prophet Elisha. Yes, she
was a great woman.
Practice Hospitality.
In the first place, she was great in
her inequalities Uncivilized and bar
barous nations have this virtue. Jupiter
had the surname of the Hospitable, and
he was said especially to avenge the
wrongs of strangers. Homer extolled it
i'm his verse The Arabs are punctilious
an this subject, and among some of
their tribes it is not until the ninth day
of tarrying that the occupant has a
right to ask his guest, "Who and
whence art thou2" If this virtue is SO
Aonored among barbarians, how ought
1t to be honored among those of US who
believe in the Bible, which commands
us to use hospitality one toward anoth-
er without grudgingl
l. OF course do not mean under this
cover to give any idea that I approve of
that vagrant class who go around from
place to place, ranging their whole life
time, perhaps under the auspices of
some benevolent or philanthropic soci-
ETY., duartering themselves on Christian
families with great pile of trunks in
the hall and carpetbag portentous of
carrying. There is many country par
sonage that looks out week by week up
ON the ominous arrival of wagon with
creaking wheel and lank horse and di-
aapidated driver, come under the auspices
of some charitable institution to spend
few weeks and canvass the neighbor-
hood Let no such religious tramps take
advantage Of this beautiful virtue of
christian hospitality. Not so much the
sumptuousness of your diet and the
regality of your abode will impress the
friend or the stranger that steps across
your threshold as the warmth of your
greeting, the informality of your recep-
zion. the reiteration by grasp, and by
look, and by thousand attentions. in
significant attentions, of your earnest
mess of welcome. There will be high
appreciation of your welcome, though
you have nothing but the brazen can
dlestick and the plain chair to offer