The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-12-01

call Il n drama. Now they believe all
the miracles, but at your next inter
view They try 10 show how these
scenes had nothing in them supernat-
ural, but can be accounted for by nat
ural causes. Gadding about among re-
ligious theories and never satisfied. An
the evidence is put before them. and
why do they not render a verdict2 II
they canno make up their mind with
all the data put before them, they
never Will. There are all the archaeo-
logical combinations of the Bible
brought 70 view by the Palestine Ex-
ploration society" there are the bricks
Of Babylon, The letter IN" impressed
upon them-"N" for Nebuchadnezzar.
showing that he was not a highland
the farther the shovel of the antigua.
rian goes down the more is revealed Of
that most wonderful city Of all time.
Prof. Heilprecht Of the University Of
Pennsylvania, presents ms tablets found
in the far east ratifying and explain
ing S%criptural passages which were be-
fore in mystery. As the builders in
Jerusalem to-day dig for the founda-
ton Of new houses they turn up with
their pickaNes the ashes of the ami
mails that were used for burnt offer
ingsinthetemple ages ago, demonstrate
ing the truth of the Bible story about
the sacrifices Of lambs and heifers and
pigeons. There is the history by Jo-
sephus, described on unlnspiring pages
scenes which the Bible depicts. On the
banks Of the Dead sea there are pieces
Of the very birthstone that fell in the
s%ulphurous storm that destroyed Sodom
and Gomorrah. Make up your mind
whether the Bible is a glorious revela-
ton Of God or the worst imposition Of
the centuries. Why 20 gadding about
among inidels. atheists and deists ask
ing questions and surmising and guess
ing about the authority and value of a
book which involves the ininities? 1;
is either a good book OF a bad book.
II il be a bad book. you do not want
II in YOUR house nor have our children
contaminated with its teachings. II
il is q good book, your eternal happl-
ness depends upon the adoption of its
teachings, Once and forever make up
your mind whether II is the book OF
God or the book Of villainous pretend
ers.
My text also addresses those who
in search Of happiness are going
hither and yonder looking for that
which they find not. Their time is all
taken up with ''m~usicnies," and 'pro-
gresslve euchres," and teas, and yell
low luncheons, and Eat homes" and
dances, and operas, and theaters; and,
instead OF finding happiness, they get
pale cheeks. and insomnia, and indi.
g~estion, and neuralgia, and exhaus-
ton. and an abbreviated lifetime.
There Is more splendid womanhood
sacrificed IN that way in our cities
than In any other way. The judg-
ment day only can reveal the awful
holocaust Of tangled nerves and the
suicidal habits OF much Of our social
life. The obituary Of such reads well,
for the story is suppressed about how
they got their death while standing
in attire Of gauze, waiting for the
carriage IN q raw night, on the front
steps. While In their lifetime they
possessed all the ability for the relief
of pain and Impeachment, yet they
have no time for visitation of the
poor, or TO win the blessing OF such
as comes upon those who administer
to those who are ready to perish.
Enough flowers in their dining halls
TO bewitch a prince. but not one tuft
OF heliotrope to perfume the room Of
that rheumatic on the back street, TO
whom the breath Of one flower would
be like the opening of the front door
\ of Heaven. Find me one man or one
woman who IN all the rounds Of pleas
ure and selfshness has found a piece
of happiness as large as that half dol
lar which the benevolent and Christ
like soul puts into the palm Of the
hand of that mother whose children
are crying for bread. Queen Victoria
riding in triumph through London at
her jubilee was not so sublime a fig
ure as Queen Victoria in a hut near
Balmoral castle reading the New Tes-
lament to a poor dying man. Let all
the gadabouts for happiness know
that in Kindness and usefulness and
self-abnegation are to be found a sat
isfaction which all the gayeties of the
world aggregated cannot afford.
Among the race of gadabouts are
hose who neglect their homes in order
hat they may attend to institutions
that are really excellent and do not
% much ask for help as demand IT.
am acquainted. as you are, with wom-
IN who are members Of so many boards
of direction of benevolent institutions,
and have 20 stand at a booth In so many
fairs, and must collect funds for so
many orphanages, and preside at 80
many philanthropic meetings. and are
expected to be in so many different
places at the same time that their chill
iren are left TO the care Of irrespon-
sible servants, and II the little ones
waited TO say their prayers at their
mothers knee they would never say
their evening prayers at ell. Such
a woman makes her own home so unat-
%tractite that the husband spends his
evenings at the clubhouse OF. the tav-
ern. The children OF that house are
as thoroughly orphans as any OF the
fatherless and motherless little ones
gathered in the orphanage for which
that gadabout woman is toiling so in
1ustriously. BY all means let Chris
tian women foster charitable institu-
tons and give them as much Of their
time as they can spare, but the first
duty Of that mother is the duty she
owes to her home.
But no one can take q mothers
place. and II is an awful mistake that
that mother makes who sacrifices
home duties for any church meeting,
however important, or any hospital,
however mercifnl. or any outside bereh-
cence, however glorious and grand.
Not understanding this, we mistake
when We try TO give statistics as 70 how
many Christians there are in our
churches and in the world. We un.
dersiate the facts. We look oyer our
church audiences on the Sabbath or
our week service and conclude that
they represent'+he amount OF piety In
that neighborhood. Oh, mol There are
many most consecrated souls that are
not found in churches. Look into
those houses with large families Of
children and little or no hired help.
For much Of the year there Is some
4 III, and a special guardian care
Is requisite. How much time can that
mother give TO churches and prayer
meetings when most Of the family are
down With scarlet fever or have colds
that threaten now one kind OF dis.
EH