The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-03-01
DIR, TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.

Subject: "The Housewives Perpiexities''
Lessons Drawn From the Episode OF
Martha and Iary-Daily Trials Pre-
pare One For Future Blessings.
TEXT: "Lord, dost Thou not care that
nv sister hath left me to serve alcne? Bid
her therefore that she help me. e."-Luke K,
40.
Yonder is a beautiful village homestead.
The man OF the house Is dead and bis
widow has charge OF the premises. It Is
Widow Martha, OF Bethany. Yes, will
show you also the pet OF the household. It
is Mary, the younger sister, with a book
under her arm, and in her face no sign OF
care or a, ,iety about anything. Company
has come. Cbrist's appearing at the outside
of the door makes some excitement inside
the door. The sisters set back the disar-
ranged furniture, arrange their hair. and
In fash preppre to open the door. They
do not keep Christ waiting outside until
they have newly appareled themselves or
elaborately arranged their tresses, and
then with affected surprise come out and,
pretending not to have heard the two or
three previous knockings, say, "Why, Is
that you2" No, they were ladies, and al
ways presentable, although perhaps they
had not on their best. None OF US always
have on our best. Otherwise very soon
our best would not be worth having on.
They throw open the door and greet Christ.
They say: "Good morning, Master! Come
in and be seated" Christ brought a COM
pany OF friends with Him, and the In fux
Of so many city visitors, you do not won
der, threw the country home into some
perturbation. Isuppose the walk from the
city had been keen appetizer The
kitchen department that day was very
important department, a1d think as soon
as Martha had greeted her guests she went
to that room. Mary had no anxiety ABOUT
the dinner. She had full confidence that
her sister Martha could get up the best
dinner in Bethany, and she practically
said: "Now, let US have n division Of labor.
Martha, you cook and I'll sit down and
learn"
The same difference you now sometimes
dustrlous, painstaking. a good manager,
ever inventive OF some new pastry, discov-
erlng something IN household affairs.
Here Is Mary, fond OF conversation, liter
ary, so full OF questions Of ethics she has
no time to discuss questions OF household
welfare. It is noon. Mary Is In the par.
lor. Martha 10 In the kitchen. 1t would
have been better for them to have divided
the toll, and then they could have divided
the opportunity of listening to Christ. But
Mary monopolizes Christ, while Martha
swelters before the fire. It was very i'm
portant that they have good dinner that
day, for Christ was hungry, and He did not
often have luxurious entertainment. Alas,
me, II all the responsibility Of that enter
tainment had rested with Mary! What a
repast they would have hadl But some
thing went wrong In the kitchen. Either
the fire would not burn or the bread would
not bake or something was turned black
that ought to have been only turned
brown, or Martha scalded herself, and,
forgetting all the proprieties OF the occa-
sion, with besweated brow she rushed out
OF the kitchen into the parlor, perhaps
with tongs in one hand and pitcher In the
other, and she cried out: 'Lord, dost Thou
not care that my sister has left me to serve
alone? Bid her therefore that she help
me-" Christ scolded not q word. II It
were scolding, would rather have Him
There was nothing aeerb In The Sayiour's
reply, He knew that Martha had been
working herself almost to deathto get Him
something to eat, but He appreciated her
kindness, and He practically said: my
dear woman, do not worry. Let the din
ner go. Sit down here on this couch be-
side your younger sister, Mary. Let US
talk about something else. Martha, Mar
tha, thou art careful and troubled about
many things, but one tnIng is needful."
As Martha throws open the door look
In to-day, and I see a great many
household anxieties, perplexities, fatigues
and trials, and about them am going to
speak II the Lord OF Mary and Martha and
As I look into that door, in the first
place, see the trial OF nonappreciation.
That was what made Martha 80 re1ed at
Mary. Mary, the younger sister, had no
proper estimate OF the elder sisters IA
tigue. Just as now men having annoy.
ances OF store and factory and shop, or a:
the Stock Exchange, come home at night
and hear of some household annoyance,
and they say, sob, that's nothing! You
ought to be in factory day and have ten
or fifteen or twenty or 100 subordinates.
Then you would know something about
annoyance and trouble" Oh, man, let me
tell you that wife and a mother has to
conduct at the same time university, q
clothing establishment, n restaurant, a
laundry, library, and has to be health
officer, police and president OF the whole
realm! She has to do thousand
things, and to do them well, In order to
make things 90 smoothly. and that Is what
puts the awful tax on q woman's nerves
md O woman's brain. know there are
exceptions to the rule. Sometimes you
will lind woman who can sit In the arm
chair of the library all day without any
anxiety, or tarry on the belated pillow,
and all the cares OF the household are
thrown upon servants who have large
wages and great experience; but that Is
the exception. Ispeak OF the great masses
Of housekeepers, to whom life is q strug.
gle, and who at thirty years OF age look as
though they were forty. The fallen at Cha
Ions and Austeritz and, Gettysburg and
Waterloo are small number In comparison
with those who have gone down under the
Armageddon Of the kitchen. Go out to the
country and look over the epitaphs on the
tombstones. They are all beautiful and
poetic, but if the tombstones could tell the
lies woman who was killed by too much
mendine and sewing and baking and scour-
Ing and scrubing," and the weapon with
which she was killed was broom or
sewing machine or ladle.
The housewife rises in the morning hall
rested. At an irrevocable hour she must
haye the morning repast ready. What IL
the fire will not burn, what II the clock
stop, what II tho marketing has not been
sent in2 No matter that; 1t must be ready
at the irrevocable hour. Then the chill
dren must be got ready for school. But
what II the garments be torn2 What II
they do not know their lessonsp What II
the hat or sash is lost? They must be
ready. Then you have the duty OF the day,
or perhaps several days, to plan out. But
what IL the butcher sends meat unmastt-
cable? What If the grocer furnishes your
articles Of food adulterated? What II the
piece OF silver be lost, or favorlte chalice
be broken, or the roof leak, or the plumb
Ing fail, or any one Of thousand things
occur? No matter. Everything must be
ready. The spring is coming and there
must be a revolution in the family ward
robe, or the autumn is at hand, and you
must shut out the northern blast. But