The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-30
J0NESTO THE WOMEN
FIVE THOUSAND HEARD HIM AND
INDoRsED WHAT HE SAID.
THE TABERNACLE THRoNGED.
WITH An AUDIENCE REPRESENT
ING EVERY PHASE OF LIFE.

1fentIy, but Lent Their Indorse-
mem 10 what WAS Said-Society
RoundIy Scored-Chrd Playing,
Drinking aud Dancing All Con-
dcmne,I-A Woman's influence the
Theme of the EvanEeIist's story.
She Leads in Good and Evil.
Rev Sam p. Jones preached to an au-
dience of between four and five thou
sand women at the Park Tabernacle yes
terday afternoon. They represented every
grade Of Savannah society, and though
those usually referred to as the middle
and upper middle classes were there in
larger numbers, perhaps. than any other
there was not social grade that lacked
its delegates.
Whatever the motive that brought them
there. curiosity or the desire to be
amused or something better than either,
there they were. and for more than an
hour they listened with breathless atten-
tion and absorbed interest to the words
of the evangelist More than that; when
he had brought his sermon to close, they
arose to their feet, in response to his in
ztation, indorsed what he had said, &C
cepted it as applicable to conditions in
Savannah life and society and took it
home to themselves, agreeing they would
do what in them lay to make of them
selves better mothers better wives, bet
Ter daughters and better sisters.
1t was hen party. sure enough. The
only men in the audience were the pas
tors of the city churches who have as
sisted in the evangelical services and a
pair of newspaper reporters. When 1t
came time to take up a collection there
were no ushers present to perform this
duty and the preachers and the reporters
circulated among the women and passed
the plates for donations. 1t is safe to say
it was an unaccustomed and unusual role
for them all-more unusual for the repor-
tiers, possibly, than for the preachers
Mr. Jones began his talk by congratu-
lating himself on his audience, on the in
terest in the meetings it betokened and
the good to result from the meetings that
il promised Since l have been in Savan-
nah" he said, II have seen the con-
sciences of hundreds of Indifferent,
thoughtless. careless church members
awakened and hundreds of sinners repent
their misdeeds and resolve in the future
20 give themselves and their energies to
God and the right.
There have been held already two SER
vices specially for men. in which what
I had to say was addressed principally
and primarily to the fathers, husbands
and sons Of the city. This IS
the first and only service specially for
women and what I'm going to say this
afternoon is to the mothers. wives. sis
tiers and daughters of Savannah. This is
a marvellous audience. The influence it
might exert is immeasurable; an influence
that might change the whole future his
tory of Savannah. If you will all re-
solve 10 lead in the future a Christian life
the history of Savannah will be changed
rnarvelously for the better.
I'm not going to take any special text
this afternoon. but try to speak to you on
the line suggested by three of the sweet
est words in the language, words, too.
that are always associated together in
our minds. They are Mother, Home and
Heaven.
Three words associated always in our
minds. The best thing on this earth is
a good mother. and what is home with
out a mother, and how may we ever
ind the way to heaven, without the con-
sccrated hand OF a good mother to lead
us?'
ne homes OF our country are almost
absolutely in the hands of the mothers
OF our country. 1t has often been said
that the hand that rocks the cradle is
the hand that rules the world and it is
so. The influence of the mother gives
character to the son and the daughter.
The mother OF Nero was cruel and
bloodthirsty woman. and her son was the
most cruel man and the bloodthirstiest
that ever disgraced the earth. The mother
OF Lord Byron was proud and intellect
ual woman and she gave to the world
son who was the proudest intellectual
pro6igal 1t has known. The mother of
John Wesley was a sainted and Cody wo-
man, and she blessed the world with two
sons. whose lifework changed its religious
history. Dwight L. Moody's mother was
a plain, matter of fact painstaking wo-
man, and her son was the most potent re-
ligious influence of the last century.
so it is. You may search the pages of
history and delve as deep into the for
gotten past as you can reach, and you
will find the same story repeated Who
ever else can afford to be fippant ana
foolish and Christless, there isn't a
mother on earth who can afford to pay
the price.
'I've said before, and | repeat It here,
that woman heads the race heavenward
and hellward. God pity the man who is
son more than another who ought to fight
the devil three hundred and siXty-five
days la the year, II is a mother, for the
devil is after husban nd. and son and
daughter. The mother is the pattern and
the example. the one perfect woman on
earth to the children of the home. No
matter what your life may be. sister
no matter whether it be harmful or help
fGl. you are to your daughter the grand
est woman on earth.
You ought to set your children good
example, sister. The truth is we have
ceased to control our children and Just
now we are trying 10 draw the line where
our children shall stop bossing us. There
never was time when we needed more
the good, old-fashioned mammies and
pappies; we've got nothing now but
mamas and papss and the whole gang Of
you are not worth a rush.
Some Of you say you work too hard
TO look after your children: got too much
10 do. With some OF you there's TOO
much society. your club duties take up too
much OF your time. and you turn your
children over to the nurse and jump in
your carriage and ride down town TO the
club. with a poodle dog sitting In your
lap. ] don't know how in the name of
God some men put up with the things
they've married. It's bad enough and hard
enough TO bear Indifference and heartless
ness. but when a woman starts to club
q man to death. It must be awful.
Whenever a woman gets society IN her