The Burke County news. [volume] (Morganton, N.C.) 1899-1901, 1899-02-03
FAMILY F|RES|DE SERMON.
PREPARED ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG
AND OLD.
Eubiect: The Value of Good Wives'-
Qualities Which Crown Noble NOman-
hooi-W Christianity Has Done
For the Weaker Sex.

was : great Tomau.'-U Kings ~, S.
The hotel Of our time had no counterpart
In any entertainment OF Olden time. The
vast majority Of travellers must then be en-
tertained at private abode. Here comes
Elisha, asctvaut Of the Lord, on a divine
mission, and he must find shelter. \ bal
couy overlooking the valley OF Esdraelon
is offered him IN a private house, and it is
especially furnished for his occupancy-a
chair to sit on, a table from which to eat, a
candleStick by which to read and a ted on
which to s%iumber, the whole establishment
belonging 10 a great and good woman. Her
husband, it seems, was a SOdly man, but
he Was entirely OyerohadOWed by his Wife'S
excellences; just az now YOU sometimes
find in Il household the wife the centre OF
dignity and influence and power, not by
any ARROGANCE or presump tlon, but by su-
perior intellect aud force OF moral nature,
WELDING domestic AFFAIRS and at the same
time supervising all financial ana business
affairs-the wite'5 hand on the shuttle or
the banking house or the worldly business.
You see hundreds OF men who are sue
cessful only because there Is a reason at
home why they are so successful. If a man
marry q good, honest soul, he makes his
fortune. II 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 Exchange, but there often
times comes from the home circle a IOten-
tial aud elevating influence. This woman
OF my text was the superior of her husband.
He, as far as | can understand. was what
We often see III our day, a man of large for
tune and only u modicun OF brain, intense
~ quiet, sitting a Ion: while in the same
place without moving Land or foot, il you
say Yes responding Yes" if you say
NO" responding "No'-inane, eyes half
shut, mouth wide open, maintaining his
position in society only because he has a
large IHfrirnOnV Bur his wife my tpNt
says. was Il 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 inteliig ence
and her behavior challenges the admira-
ton Of all ages? Long after the brilliant
women OF the court CT Louis " have been
forgotten and the brilliant women of the
court OF Spain have been forgotten and
the brilliant women who sat Oh the throne
OF Russia have beenaforgotten some grand
father will put on his spectacles, and hold
ing 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.
In the first place. she was great in her
Inequalities. Cncivilized and barbarous
nations have this virtue. Jupiter had the
surname of tho Hospitabie, aud he was
said especially to avenge the wrongs OF
strangers. Homer extolled it in his verse.
Ihe Arabs are punctilious on this subject.
and among some of their tribes it is not un-
I'll the ninth day IF tarryinS that the occu-
pant has u right 10 ask his guest, "Who
and whence art thouI' II this virtue is 50
hOnorcd among barbarians, how ought it
to be honored among those Of US who be-
Vl1,a -. go IN -l:
use hospitality ono toward another with
out I~rudgingi
vi course l 10 nCt mean under this cover
TO give any idea that | approve o. that
ragrant class who so around from place
TO place, ranging their whole lifetime, per-
maps under the auspices OF some peGevO-
lent or philanthropic society, Cuartering
themselves on Christian families with a
great pile OF trunks i'll the hall and CARPET
bag Iortentous OF tarrylnS. There is many
country parsonage that looks out week
by week upon the ominous arrival OF
wagon with creaking wheel ana ianh horse
anu dlIapiiatet driver, come under the
auspices OF some charitable institution to
spend u few weeks and canvass the neigh.
borhoo!. Let 10 such religious tranps
take advantage OF this beautiful virtue Of
Christian hospitality. Not 30 much the
sumltuousnesS OF Your diet and the
reSality OF Your abode will imprpsS fha
friend or the stranger that stems across
your threNAo.d as the warmth OF YOUR
greeting; the lniornality Of Your recep-
tlon. the reiterAtion by grasp. aud bv
look. and ny a thousand attentions. in
significant attentions, Of Your earnest
ness OF welcome. There Will be hicl
appreciation Of your welcome. thou.a
you nay" nothing but the lrazeu eau
dlestIcS aud The plain chair to offer
Elisha when he comes 10 Shuuem. Mos.
beautiful Is this grace OF hospitauty
when shown in the house Of God. an
thankful that have alway, been Yasto,
OF churches where stranger, are vel
come. But | have entered church..
where there was 70 hospitality. A
stranger would stand in the yestihnl,
for a while and than -ral , ,;l,.-