Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-01-19


tCopyright, 1899, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
WASHINGTON, Jan ia Scripture
character whose name is not given becomes
Che subject of DR.. Talmage's sermon, in
which he sets forth the qualities of good
and noble womanhood; text, III Kings iv,
&, Elisha passed to Shuncm, where was
great woman"
The hotel of our time had no counterpart
An any entertainment of olden time The
vast majority of travellers must then he
entertained at private abode. Here comes
Elisha, u servant of the Lord, on divine
mission, aud he must find shelter. A bal
oony overlooking tho valley of Esdraclon
Is offered him in private house, and 1t Is
especially furnished for his occupancy-a
chair to sit on, table from which to cat
a candlestick by which TO read and bed
ON which TO slumhcr, the whole establish
ment belonging to great and good wom-
an Her husband, it seems, was u godly
man. but he was entirely overshadowed by
his wife's excclcnces, just as now you
sometimes find in a household the wife the
center of dignity and influence and power,
mot by any arrogance or presumption, but
Ivy superior intellect and force of moral
nature welding domestic affairs and mt
the same time supervising all financial
and business affairs The wife's hand on
the shuttle, or tho banking house, or the
worldly business.
You see hundreds OF men who are sue
cessful only because there IL n reason nj
homo why they arc successful. If n mat
marry good, honest soul, he makes his
fortune. If he marry fool, the Lord help
him. Tho wife may he the silent partner
In the firm there may be only masculine
voices down on Exchange, but there often
time comes from the home circle poten
tial and clevatina influence. This woman
of my text was the superior of her hus
band He, as far as | can understand
was what we often see in our day, IA man
of large fortune and only a modicum a.
brain, intensely quiet, sitting long WhiI'
In the same place. without moving hand
Dr foot, II you say Yes, responding
ayes; 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 peo
pie who need 10 name to distinguish them
What would title of duchess or princess or
ing diadcm he to this woman of my text
who, by her intell gcnce and her behavior,
challenges the admiration of all ages:
Long after the brilliant women Of the
court of Louis Ky have been forgotten, and
the brilliant women of tho court of Spain
have been forgotten, and the brilliant wo.
men who sat on the throne of Russia have
been forgotten, some grandfather will put
on his spectaclcs and, holding the book tho
other side the light, read to his grandchil-
dren the story Of this great woman of
Shuncm who was so kind and courteous
and Christian to the good prophet Elisha.
Yes she was a great woman
The Hospitabie Woman.
In the first place, she Yas great in her
hospitalitics Uncivilized and barbarous
nations have this virtue Jupiter had tho
surname Of the Hospitablc, and he was
said especially TO avengc the wrongs OF
strangers Homer cx.ollcd it in his verse
The Arabs are punctilious on this subject
ana among some of their tribes it is no,
until the ninth day of tarrying that tn,
occupant has a right to ask his guest
"Who and whence art thou If this vir
tue is so honorcd among barbarians, how
ought it to be honorcd among those of u!
who believe in the Bible, which command,
ms to use hospitality one toward another
without Rrudging;
OF course | do not mean under this
cover to give any idea that ! approve o
that vagrant class who go around from
place to place, ranging their whole life
time perhaps under the auspices of som'
benevolent or philanthrOpc society, quar-
foring themselves on Christian familie
with great pile of trunks in the hall ant
carpetbag portcntous of tarrying. Their
IL many a country parsonage that look
out week by week upon the ominous ar
rival of wagon with creaking wheel ant
lank horse ana dilapidatcd driver, com
under the auspices of some charitable in
etitution to spend few weeks and canvas
tho neighhorhood. Let no such religion
tramps take advantage of this beautiful
virtue of Christian hospitality Not S
much the sumptuousncss Of your diet an
the regalty Of your abode will impress tn
friend or the stranger that steps acros
your threshold as the warmth Of you
greeting the informality of your reccI
ton, the rciteration by grasp and by loo
and by thousand attentions, insignit
can't attentions, of your cnrnestncss Z
welcome, There will be high appreciate
of your welcome though you have notl
ing Dut the DraXen CaDulcStlck ana IN
plain chair TO offer Elisha when he come
TO Shunem Most beautiful is this graC
OF hospitality when shown in the house
God. ! am thankful that ] have alway
been pastor of churches where stranger
are welcome. But have entered churcht
where there was no hospitality. A strang,
would stand in the yestibule for awhi
and then make IA pilgrimage up the Ion
aisle No door opened to him until, fiushe
and excited and embarrassed, he startt
back again, and coming to some half file
pew with Apologize air entered it, viii
the occupant glared on him with n loo
which seemed 10 say, Well If i must,
must" Away with such accursed ind
cency from the house Of God Let cvel
church that would maintain large Chri
tan influence In community culture Sa
bah by Sabbath this beautiful grace
Christian hospitality.
A good man travelling in the far west
the wilderness was overtakcn by mig
and storm and he put in at n cabin.
saw firearms along the beams of the cabi
and he felt alarmed. He did not kno
but that he had fallen into n den of thiev,
He sat there greatly perturbed Aft
awhile tho nan of the house came hon
with p,,r '-' hi shoulder and set