The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-05-12
TALMAGE
SERMON

Sabteef: The Needles Havoc-An Appeal
For Mercy For Oppressed Womanhood
Let Her Have an Equal Chance With
Man in the Struggle OF Life.
Copyright 1901
WASHINGTON, D. C.-This discourse OF
DR., Talmage is an appeal for mercy in be-
half OF oppressed womanhood and offers
encouragement to those struggling for a
livelihood; text, Ecclesiastes, w., l, "Be-
hold the tears OF such as were oppressed,
and they had no comforter"
Very long ago the needle was busy. 1t
was considered honorable for women to
toll in olden times. Alexander the Great
stood in his palace showing garments made
by his own mother. The finest tapestries
at Bayeux was made by the queen of Will.
lam the Conqueror: Augustus, the en-
peror, would not wear any garments ex-
cept those that vera fashioned by some
member OF his royal family. So let the
tofler everywhere be respected.
The needle has slain more than the
sword. When the sewing machine was in
vented, some thought that Invention would
alleviate woman's toll ana put an end to
the despotism Of the needle. But no.
While the sewing machine has been great
blessing 10 well-to-do families in many
cases 1t has added to the stab OF the needle
the crush OF the wheel, and multitudes OF
women, Notwithstanding the REINFORCE
ment OF the sewing machine, can only
make. work hard as they will, between %
and So week.
The greatest blessing that could have
happened to our first parents was being
turned out OF Eden after they had done
wrong. Adam and Eve, In their perfect
state, might have got along without work
or only such slight employment as a per-
feet garden with no weeds in 1t demanded.
But as soon as they had sinned the best
thing for them was to be turned out where
they would have to work. We know what
a whitening thing 1t is for q man to have
nothing to do. OF the.thousand prosper
GUS and honorable men that you know 999
had to work vigorously at the beginning.
But am now to tell you that industry Is
just as important for a woman's safety and
happiness. The most unhappy women in
our,communlties to-day are those who have
no engagements to call them up In the
morning; who, once having risen and
breakfasted, lounge through the dull FORE
noon In slippers down at the heel and with
disheveled hair, reading the last novel,
and vino, having dragged through a
wretched forenoon and taken their after
noon sleep and having passed an hour and
half at their toilet, pick up their card
case and go out to make cells, and who
pass their evenings waiting for somebody
to come In and break up the monotony.
Arabella Stuart never was imprisoned In
SO dark dungeon as that.
There Is no happiness 10 an idle woman.
1t may be with hand, 1t may be with brain,
1t may be with foot, but work she must or
be wretched forever. The little girls of
our families must be started with that
idea. The curse OF American society is
chat our young women are taught that the
first. second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth,
seventh, tenth, flftieth. thousandth thing
In their life is to get somebody to take care
Of them. Instead OF that the first lesson
should be how under God they may take
care Of themselves. The simple fact Is
that a majority OF them do have to take
care of themselves, and that, too, after hav-
Ing through the false notions OF their par
snts wasted the years In which they ought
to have learned how successfully to main
tain themselves. We now and here declare
the inhumanity, cruelty and outrage of
that father and mother who pass their
daughters into womanhood, having given
them no faculty for earning their liveli-
hood.
Nine. de Stael said, ''It Is not these
writings that am proud of, but the TACT
that have facility In ten occupations, in
any one Of which I could make a liveli-
hood" You say you have fortune to
tOuNC tuChs Ou, luhA hnu WOmdu, nitS0
you not learned that. like vultures, like
hawks, like eagles, riches have wings and
fly away2 Though you should be success
full in leaving a competency behind you,
the trickery OF executors may swamp 1t in
q night or some Official in our churches
may get up mining company and induce
your orphans to put their money into a
hole In Colorado and II by the most skillful
machinery the sunken money cannot he
brought up again prove to them that it
was eternally decreed that that was
the way they were to lose 1t aud that
1t went In the most orthodox and heav-
emily style. Oh, the damnable schemes that
professed Christians will engage In until
God puts His fingers into the collar OF the
hypocrites robe and strips 1t clear down
to the bottom! You have no right, because
you are we'll of. to conclude that your chill
dren are going to be we'll off. A man died
leaving large fortune. His son fell dead
in Philadelphia grogshop. His old com.
rades came In and said as they bent over
his corpse, "What is the matter with you,
Boggsy?" The surgeon standing over him
said: "Hush vel He is deadl'' "Oh, he Is
deadl" they said. Come, boys; let US go
and take drink In memory of poor
Boggsy" Have you nothing better than
money to leave your children? II you have
not, but send your daughters into the
world with empty brain and unskilled
hand, you are guilty OF assassination,
homicide, infaDticide.
There are women toiling In our cities for
90 or So a week who were the daughters OF
merchant princes. These suffering ones
now would be glad to have the crumbs
that once fell from their fathers table.
That worn out broken shoe that she wears
Is the lineal descendant Of the 5l2 gafter in
which her mother walked aud that torn
and faded calico had ancestery OF magnifl-
cent brocade that swept Pennsylvania av-
enue and Broadway clean without any ex-
pense to the street commissioners. Though
you live In an elegant residence and fare
sumptuously every day, let your daughters
feel 1t Is a disgrace for them not to know
how to work. denounce the idea prev
alent in society that, though our young
women may embroider slippers and crochet
and make mats for lamps TO stand on with
out disgrace, the idea OF doing anything
for livelihood Is dtshonorable. 1t is
shame for young woman belonging to a
large family to be inefficient when her
father tolls his life away for her support.
1t Is shame for daughter to be idle
while her mother tolls at the washtub. 1t Is
as honorable to sweep house, make beds or
trim hats as it is to twist watch chain.
SO far rs can understand the line OF re-
spectabIlity lies between that which Is USE
full and that which Is useless. II women
do that which is OF no value, their work Is
honorable. If they do practical work, 1t is
dishonorable. That our young women
may escape the censure OF doing dishonor-
able work shall particularize. You may
knit tidy for the back OF an armchair,
but by no means make the money where
with to buy the chair. You may with a
delicate brush beautify mantel orna-
ment, but die rather than earn enough to
buy a marble mantel. You may learn