Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-01-20
NOBLE WOMANHOOD.
DR.. TALMAGE TELLS OF THE VALUE
OF GOOD WIVES.

Hundreds of Men Are Successful only
because OF Wise HeIPmate--Great
In Piety, Kindness and Hospitality.
rCopyright. 1899, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
WASHINGTON. Jan. 15-A 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 a 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-a
chair TO sit on. a table from which to
eat. q 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
overshadowed by his wife's excellences;
lust as now you sometimes find In a
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 OF
the worldly business
You see hundreds Of men who are
successful only because there is reason
at home why they are successful If a
man marry a good. honest soul. he
makes his fortune If he marry fool,
the Lord help him The wife may be
the silent partner in the firm. there may
be only masculine voices down on Ex-
change, but there oftentimes comes from
the home circle q potential and elevat'
ing influence This woman OF my text
was the superior Of her husband He
as far as | can understand. was what
we often see in our day, man OF large
fortune and only a modicum OF brain.
intensely quiet, sitting long while IN
the same place without moving hand OF
foot, il you say "Yes responding
Yes" if you say mo, 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 n great woman Her name has not
come down to uS She belonged to thai
collection Of people who need no name
TO distinguish them What would title
of duchess or princess or queen--wha'
would escutcheon or cleaning diadem
be to this woman Of my text, who by
her intelligence and her behavior chal
lenges the admiration Of all agesf Long
after the brilliant women Of the couri
of Louis XIV have been forgotten anc
the brilliant women Of the court o.
Spain have been forgotten and the bril-
liant women who sat on the throne o.
Russia have been forgotten some grand
father will put on his spectacles, ant
lbolding the book the other side th'
light read to his grandchildren the story
of this great woman OF Shunem wh'
was so kind and courteous and Christian
to the good prophet Elisha Yes sh'
was a great woman
Practice Hospitality.
In the first place, she was great II
her hospitalities Uncivilized and bar
barous nations have this virtue Jupite
had the surname Of the Hospitable, an'
he was said especially to avenge tn
wrongs of strangers Homer e1tolled
in his verse. The Arabs are punctiliou
on this subject, and among some o
their tribes it is not until the ninth da.
of tarrying that the occupant has
right to ask his guest. "Who an
whence art thouH' II this virtue is 8
honored among barbarians, how ough
II 70 be honored among those OF US VIII
believe in the Bible. which command
us to use hospitality one toward anotn
er without grudgingl
OF course do not mean under thi
cover to give any idea that approve 9
that yaerant class who go around froT
place to place. ranging their whole life
time. perhaps under the auspices 9
some benevolent or philanthropic SOC
ety. quartering themselves on Christia
families with q great pile OF trunks
the hall and carpetbag portentous
} tarrying. There Is many q country pa
sonage that looks out week by week NJ
ON the ominous arrival Of wagon wit
crealing wheel and lank horse and d
e ,apidated driver. come under the auspic'
of some charitable institution to spend
few weeks and canvass the neighbo
j. hood Let no such religious tranps tai
i advantage of this beautiful virtue I
/ Chris'g~n hospitality. Not 50 much q
sumptucusness Of your diet and Il
regaiity Of your abode win impress 81
/, friend or the stranger that steps zero
!. vour threshold a. the warmth OF yo'
| greeting. the iaformAlsty ef your recel
, ton, the reiterstiQn By grasp. and
}, look and By q thousand attentions, Il
salRatRd teatlons oEy0ur games