The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-01-18
NOBLE WOMANHOOD.
DR.. TALMAGE TELLS OF THE VALUE
OF GOOD WIVES.


copyright, 1899. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
WASHINGTON, Jan. ia Scripture
character whose name is not given be-
comes the subject of DR.. Talmase's SER
mon in which he here sets forth the
qualities of good and noble womanhood;
text. II Kings iv, s, elisha passed to
Shunenl, where was q 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 a private house, and it is espe-
cially furnished for his occupancy-a
chair to sit on, table from which to
eat candlestick by which to read and
a bed on which to slumber, the whole
establishment belonging to great and
good woman. Her husband, it seems,
was a godly man, but he was entirely
overshadowed by his wife's excellences;
just 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 afairs-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 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 a 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, man of large
fortune and only modicum Of brain.
intensely quiet, sitting long while in
the same place without moving hand or
foot. if you say Yes responding
YES" if you say mo" responding
"No"-inane. eyes If shut, mouth
wide open. maintaining his position in
society only because he has 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-
lenges the admiration of all ages? Long
after the brilliant women of the court
of Louis XIV have been forgotten and
the brilliant women Of the co1rt 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 great woman.
/. Practice Hospitality.
In the first place. she was great in
her hospitalities. UnciVilized and bar
barous nations have this virtue. Jupiter
had the surname of the Hospitable, and
he was saio especially to avenge the
wrongs of strangers Homer extolled 1t
in his verse. The Arabs are punctilious
on 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 thou?'' If this virtue is so
honored among barbarians. how ought
it to be honored among those Of Us who
believe in the Bible. which commands
US to use hospitality one toward anoth-
er without grudgingl
Of course do not mean under this
cover to give any idea that 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 socl-
ety, uuartering themselves on Christian
families with a great pile of trunks IN
the hall and carpetbag portentous OF
tarrying. 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 dl-
lapidated 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-
ton, the reiteration by grasp. and by
look, and by thousand attentions, in
significant attentions, of your earnest
ness of welcome. There will be high
appreciation of your welcome. thougl
YOU have nothing but the brazen can
d,estick and the plain chair to offer
Elisha when he comes to Shunem. Most
beautiful is this grace of hospitality
when shown in the house Of God. am
thankful that have always been pastor
of churches where strangers are vel
come. But l have entered churches
where there was no hospitality. A
stranger would stand in the vcstlbule
for awhile and then make pilgrimage
up the long aisle No door opened to
him until. flushed and excited and en-
barrassed, he started back again and
coming to some half filled pew, with
apologetic air entered it, while the oc-
cupant glared on him with a look which
seemed to say. We'll if / must, |
must. Away with such accursed in
decency from the house Of God. Let ey-
cry church that would naiDtaln large
Christian influence in community cui-
turc Sabbath by Sabbath this beautlfni
,l,tv