The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-05
DR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
BY TIE REV. FRANK DE WITT TALMAoE. D. D.

 of being seen on the stairs by some par teular friend when your hair Is unkempt and your dress Is disordered from work ing in the store room or from packing or from putting up lace curtains or from canning peaches or making eurrant jel- lies for the next winters supply
 The housekeeper's little annoyances would not amount to much if there were only a few of them and if these annoy ances came but seldom. But the trouble with the burden of the grass hoppers is that this insect always travels in multi tudes. They advance by swarms. by hundreds, by thousands, by millions. They travel in such great numbers that they make the huge monsters in the Af- riean forests turn and flee in wild terror for their lives. They win destroy every harvest Tn their tracks and eat bare ev- cry tree branch. Their advent Is a curse, and their departure nearly always leaves complete desolation. In the life of Sir Thomas Graham, the great financier who built the Royal Exchange of London, we read that he was left a founding in a country field His mother was a poor woman, who deserted him. Sir Thomas, as a baby. was discovered In that field, and his life was saved through the chlrp- ing of a grasshopper. which attrActed a boy to the place where the child was ly- ing. But that Is the only instance in all history which we remember where life was saved by grasshopper. As a rule the locusts travel in such swarms that their mission seems to be to destroy life and not to save it.
 Solomon's Advice.
 It Is the accumulation of little insect annoyances in the home that w'recks tho nervous systems and mental happiness of our wives and mothers and sisters not the individual annoyances which may only come once in 8 week, a month or in year Many woman could bravely meet a great trouble in life. Many a wo- man could contemplate her execution as calmly and self-possessed as did Nathan Hale, the revolutionary martyr, who, un- der the scaffold, with the moose about his neck, said, '"rhe only regret I have is that I have but one life to give to the service of my country" Yet woman who could calmly meet a great trouble would have her patience and her nerv- ous system sorely tried and her happiness wrecked by the sewing machine breaking a needle, by the dough refusing to bake in the oven and by the children tearing their clothes.
 Wives and mothers and sisters, what you need today is the advice Solomon gave to the young men of his time. You need the grace of God in your hearts to be able to overcome the burden of the grasshoppers. As Jesus Christ turned to the angry and quick temepered house. keeper when she rushed into his presence crying, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?" and gently said Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful,' so Christ says to every living housekeeper today, You need the grace in your heart to overcome the ..ttle annoyances as well as your great trials" O, woman, how different life would be if you would ask Jesus to stand by your side at the Sitch- en stovei How different if you would only ask his help when you are mending baby's frock. How different if you would only ask Christs help when you hunt for the missing silver spoon-if you would only ask him to help you bear the burden of the grasshopper
 One day a minister was visiting an in- valid who was noted for her great Chris tian piety and her exalted happiness, even though she had been bedridden for some years. He asks her, Betty, how is 1t that you can lie here in bed and be so happy when once you were so full of physical life and energy?" Well pas tor" answered the Christian woman, it is only because I am leaning hard upon the omnipotent and sustaining arm of God. When I was strong and physically well I used to have a lot to do. I had a large family, you know, sir, of little children. Then I used to hear God keep saying to me, Betty, you do this; Betty, you do that; Betty, you do the other thingr And so, of course. I did what God wanted me to do But now sir, as I am lying in bed I hear Gods voice just the same-the same sweet voice of the di- vine love. I hear it saying to me every day, Betty, you just lie here. And here I stay, because 1t Is Gods will. and I am happy, very happy" Yes. the divine grace is sufficient to help every tired wife and mother triumphantly to bear the lit tie annoyances as well as the great. 1t