Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-09-25

| winch may only come once In week
a month or - year. Many a woman
could bravely meet n great trouble in
life. Many woman could contem-
plate her execution as calmly and self
possessed as did Nathan Hale, the Rev
dictionary martyr, who, under the scat
fold, with the moose about his neck,
said, THE only regret have is that I
have but one life to give TO the service
Of my country" Yet the woman who
could calmly meet great trouble
would have her patience and her nerv-
GUS system sorcly tried and her happi-
ness wrecked by the sewing machine
breaking a needle by the dough re-
fusing 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 bur
den of the grasshoppers. AS Jesus
Christ turned to the angry and quick
tempered housekeeper when she rushed
into his presence crying Lord. dost
thou not care that my sister hath left
me to serve aloneT' 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 over
come the little annoyances as we'll as
your great trials" o woman, how
different life would be If you would
ask Jesus to stand by your side at the
kitchen stove! How different II you
would only ask his help when you are
mending baby's frock. How different
II you would only ask Chrst's help
when you hunt for the missing silver
spoon-if you would only ask him to
help you to bear the burden of the
grasshoppcr!
One day a minister was visiting an
invalid who was noted for her great
Christian piety and her exalted happi-
ness. even though she had been bed
ridden for some years. He asked her,
Betty, how is it that you can lie here
in bed and be so happy when once you
were so full of physical life and ener-
gy?" well, pastor" answered the
Christian woman, 'it is only because |
am leaning hard upon the omnipotent
and sustaining arm Of God. When !
was strong and physically well, used
to have lot to do. ! had n large fam
lily, you know, sir, Of little children.
Then ! used to hear God keep saying
to me, Betty, you do this; Betty, you
do that; Betty, you do the other thing
pf I hot
wanted me to do. But now, sir as |
am lying in bed hear Gods voice Just
the same-the same sweet voice Of the
divine love. l hear it saying to me ev-
cry day, Betty, you just lie here And
so here l stay because 1t is Gods will,
and l am happy, very happy" Yes,
the divine grace Is sufficient to help
every tired wife and mother triumph
antly to bear the little annoyances as
we'll as the great. 1t Is sufficient to
help woman to bear the painful
stitches In her side as we'll as to help
her in her domestic duties. It is suf-
iicient even to enable her to bear the
nagging and tantalizing and continu-
Gus burden Of great swarm of buzz
ing locusts.
Divine Reinforcement.
If 1t is important for wives and
mothers to have the grace of God in
order to overcome the inflntesimal bur
dens of the multitudinous locust, it is
also important for husbands and ia
theirs and brothers TO have the same
kind of divine reinforcement to meet
the burdcnsome insectilc annoyances
that atilict them in turn. 1t is not the
drOughts and the frcshetS and the
mortgage upon the land that wear out
the patience of the farmer. 1t is the
annoyance of the neiChbors borrowing
his tools and not returning them. 1t is
the annoyance of the farm hand getting
drunk in the midst of the harvest. 1t
is the stupidity of the same farm hand
in giving the best horse cold water to
, drink when overheated, so that the an
imal becomes foundered.
| once heard of a prominent New
York merchant who was sneered at by
his business associates and called &C.
centric because every morning before a
yard of cloth was taken down from
any Of the shelves or the front door of
the store was opened to admit the Gus
toners he used to call into one room
all of his employees He summoned
them together, the highest as well as
the lowest, the heads of departments
as well as the cashgirls and errand
boys. Then in that room this great
city merchant used to plead at the
throne Of mercy for spiritual help to
meet the little trials and annoyances
of the coming day. Surely if family
altar is needed in each home around
which father and n mother and the
children every morning and evening
may gather, such an altar ought to be
erected in every factory and store and
office and study. Such an altar ought
to be raised by every father and hus-
band aI6 brother and son at which to
plead daily for divine grace, SO that
they may overcome the little annoy
ances that course about every active
life like the burden of the buzzing To-
Gusts.
Many unjust and contemplate crit
icisms which are daily made against
us and our work can aptly be classed
as among the inseCtile armies of the
multitUdinous locusts. A good honest,
vehement, healthy criticism ought to
be spiritually helpful to the average
man. 1t ought to act upon the ambi.