The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-02-11
A NOBLE WOMANHOOD.
DR.. Talmage Draws Lessons from an
Unnamed Bible Character.
Her Good Qualities Set Forth - The
Hand ON the Shuttle-The Great-
ness of Christian Char
acteristics.
Copyright,


not given becomes the subject Of DR..
Talmage's sermon, in which he sets
forth the qualities of good and noble
womanhood; text, Ii Kings AS, Elisha
passed 10 Shunem, where was a great
woman"
The hotel of our time had no counter
part In any entertainment Of olden
time. The vast majority of travellers
must then be entertained at private
abode. Here comes Elisha, servant
OF the Lord. OF Divine mission, and he
must find shelter. A balcony overlook.
ing the valley of Esdraeion is offered
him in a private house, and it is espe-
cially furnished for his occupancy-a
chair TO sit on, a table from which to
eat, a candlestick by which to read and
bed on which to slumber the whole
establishment belonging to great and
good woman. Her husband. it seems.
was cody man. but he was entirely
overshadowed by his wife'a excellences,
just as now you sometimes find in a
household the wife the center of dig
nifty and influence and power, not by
any arrogance or presumption, but by
superior intellect and force of moral
nature welding domestic affairs and at
the same time supervising all financial
business affairs. The wife's 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 reason at
home why they are successful. If man
marry 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 en- exchange,
but there oftentimes comes from the
home circle potential and elevating in
fuence. 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. a man Of large fortune
and only modicum of brain, intensely
quiet, sitting long while in the same
place, without moving hand or foot; II
you say "Yes," responding YES" if
you say NO responding "No"-lnane,
eyes half shut, mouth wide open, main
tanning his position in society only be-
cause 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 dis
tinguish them. What would title Of
duchess or princess or queen-what
would escutcheon or cleaning diadem
be to this woman of my text, wLo. by
her intelligence and her behavior. cha.-
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 court of
Spain have been forgotten, and the bril-
liant woman who sat on the thrcne of
Russia have been forgotten, some
grandfather 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.
In the first place, she was great in her
inequalities. Uncivilized and barbar-
Gus nations have this virtue. Jupiter
had the surname of the Hospitable, and
he was said especially to avenge the
wrongs of strangers. Homer eXtolled
II in his verse. The Arabs are punctili-
Gus on this subject, and among some of
their tribes it is not until the ninth day
of tarryihg 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 an
other without grudging?
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 benevolenst or philanthropic So
ciety, quartering themselves on Chris
tian families with great pile of trunks
in the hall and carpetbag portentous of
tarrying. There is many country
parsonage that looks out week by week
upon the ominous arrival of wagon
with creaking wheel and lank horse and
dilapidated driver, come under the aus
pieces Of some charitable institution to
spend q few weeks and canvass the
neighborhood. Let no such religious
tramps take advantage Of this beauti-
full 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 infor-
nality Of your reception, the reitera-
ton by grasp and by look and by a
thousand attentions, Insignificant at
tentions, OF your earnestness of well
come. There will be high appreciation
Of your welcome though you have moth
ing but the brazen candlestick and the
plain chair to offer Elisha when he
comes to Shunem. Most beautiful js
this grace Of hospitality when shown in
the house of God. ! am thankful that
| have always been pastor of churches
where strangers are welcome. But /
| L - L 4 l.