The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-01-16

On TAIMAsE DISC uRsEs ON FEM
NINE ATrMsUTEs.

/ ciationH
WASHINGTON, Jan. ia Scripture
character whose name Il not given becomes
tho subject Of DR.. TAlmase's sermon, In
which he sets forth tho qualities Of good
and noble womanhood; text II Kings Nv,
8, elisha passed to Shunem, where was
Q great woman"
| The hotel Of our time had no counterpart
in any entertainments Of olden time. The
vast majority Of travellers must then be
entertained at private abode Here comes
| Elisha, q servant Of the Lord, on divine
mission, and he must find shelter. A bal
oony overlooking the valley of Esdraelon
| Is offered him In private house. and 1t Ia
especially furnished for his occupancy-a
chair to sit on, table from which to eat,
candlestick by which to read and bed
on which to slumber, the whole establish
ment belonging to great and good wom-
an. Her husband, 1t seems, was godly
man, but he was entirely overshadowed by
his wifes excellenoes, just as now you
sometimes find In household the wife the
center OF dignity 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
and 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 arc successful. II man
marry good, honest soul, he makes his
fortune. n he marry u fool, the Lord help
himl The wife may be 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 elevating influence This woman
Of my text was the superior Of her hus-
band. 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; il you say "Ycs," responding
Eyes; If you say no." responding
"No"-inanc, eyes hal. shut, mouth wide
open, maintaining his position in society
only because he has a large patri1nony.
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 no name to distinguish them.
What would title of duchess or princess or
queen-what would escutcheon or gleam-
ing diadcm be to this woman Of my text,
who, by her intelligence and her behavior,
challenges the admiration of all agesf
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 brilliant wo.
men who sat on the throne of Russia have
been forgotten, some grandfather will put
on his spectacles and, holding the book the
other side the light, read to his grandchil.
dren the story Of this great woman OF
Shunem who was SO kind and courteous
and Christian to the good prophet Elisha.
Yes, she was Il great woman.
The Hospitable Woman.
In the first place, she was great In hel
hospitalities. Uncivilized and barbarous |
nations have this virtue Jupiter had the |
surname of tho Hospitable, and he was
said especially to avenge the wrongs OF |
strangers Homer extollcd it in his verse.
The Arabs are punctilious on this subject,
and among some Of their tribes 1t is not
until tho ninth day of tarrying that the
"Who and whence art thouf" If this vir
tue is SO honorod among barbarians, how
ought it to be honored among those Of us
us to use hospitality one toward another
without grudging?
OF course, I do not mean under this
cover to give any idea that I approve Of
that vagrant class who 70 around from
place to place, ranging their whole life.
time perhaps under the auspices Of some
benevolent or philanthropic society, quar-.
tering themselves OIL Christian families
with great pile of trunks in the hall and
carpetbag portcntous of tarrying. There
Is many a country parsonage that looks
out week by week upon the ominous ar.
rival of wagon with creaking wheel and
lank horse and dilapidated driver come
under the auspices of some charitable in
stitution to spend few weeks and canvass
the ncighborhood. Let no such religious
tramps take advantage of this beautiful
virtue Of Christian hospitality. Not Is
much the sumptuousness of your diet ano
the rcgality 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, tho reiteration by grasp and by look
and by thousand attentions, insignif.
cant attentions, of your earnestness OF
welcome. There will be high appreciation
of your welcome though YOU have moth
ing but tho brazen candlestick and the
plain chair to offer Elisha when he como
to Sh,Inem. Most beautiful ia this era.
Of hospitality when shown in the house o,
God. I am thankful that have always
been pastor Of churches where strangers
are welcome But have entered churches
where there was no hospitality. A stranger
would stand in the vestibule for awhile
md then make pilgrimage up the Ions
ISLE No door opened to him until flushed
md excited and embarrassed, he started
,ack again, and coming to some half filled
Jew with apologetic air entered 1t, Will.
he occupant glared on him with look
nmSt Awav " 1v;th s,o T'n aoo,r.oa G isso
ON sv fro,n thc bonso Nv noJI ~ a .muu
hnro,, thnt wo,,Id r,a,n+a,u ,.r.o 10y C 49,
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ND stnrm anS W. was w. v' i o. ~ nigIs
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nd he felt alarmed, He did not know i