The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-19
WIVES AND MOTHERS.
Their Duties and Influence in the
Home Discussed by Rev. C. II.

Their Duties and Influence in the
Home Discussed by Rev. C. H.
Strong.
Homes, the Wife and Mother" was
the subject discussed by Rev. Chas. H.
Strong in St Johns Church last night
as the subject of one of his series of
sermons on Homes and Happiness, His
texts were selected from Peter, III: 1,
Likewise, We wives, be in subsection
to your own husbands; that, if any
obey not the word, they also may with
out the word be won by the converse
ton of the wives" And from Isaiah,
LXVI: 10, LAS one whom his mother
comforteth, so will comfort you; and
We shall be comforted in Jerusalem"
Rev. Mr.. Strong said in part, and
by way of introduction, that in at
tempting to present the place of the
wife and mother in the home he would
endeavor to avoid sentiment and would
try to speak only the sober words of
truth, though even in such presen-
tatiOn woman takes on the hue of
moonlight. Sentiment he said is
strong fact in the composition of
every one and it must be a poor kind
of man who does not thrill at the name
of his mother or the mention of his
wife.
To the Imagination of man, he said,
woman is always mystery; it some
times seems as though she were a
creature of another world. The plum
met of mans mind cannot sound the
depths of her nature and yet without
this knowledge he comes into strong
faith in her, so that nothing in the
world compares with "a mans feelings
for his wife and the mother of his
children. David said, speaking of
Jonathan, "Thy love to me was won
derful, passing the love of women
David was simply mistaken. The love
of wife stands alone in the world;
blessed is the man who passes from
the love of a pure mother into the love
of pure wife. Woman is set, as the
old vestal virgins of Rome, to keep
the fire in the homestead.
Il am not going to argue that wom-
an has a larger sphere" said the
speaker "but expressing the views of
at least one man l say that whatever
she can do with her brain or her
strength she is fitted to do, but wheth-
er she has another sphere or not her
true sphere is near the altar of inspir-
alton as it stands in the home first as
a wife, though she should understand
the balance of her duties as wife and
mother"
Mr. Strong pictured the home after
the arrival of the young stranger who
usually usurps for the time being the
first place of the husband in the af-
lection of the wife. IF the husband
be WISE" the speaker said, "he will
let his wife alone, it is simply the
pendulum swinging for awhile too far
to one side. Don't notice the change,
only surround her with more tender
ness, adapt yourself to her and she
shall soon fall back into the strong
arms of your protection" AS a word
of counsel to wives, the speaker said,
10 not let the mother for too long a
time engross and swallow up the
wife"
Discussing the question of obedience
Mr.. Strong said there is nothing de-
grading in the Biblical conception of
the obedience due from wife to hus-
band; if it appear degrading it is only
because our conceptions of obedience
are too low. There is no need" he
continued, of womans emancipation
from the sphere in which God has
placed her. Fanatics and philosophers
can't lead her to higher place than
God has placed her..
Before closing, Mr.. Strong impress
ed on mothers the necessity of their
teaching their children ito go to God"
Don't leave it to teacher or clergy
man" he said, ito do what you should
do; there are sermons in mothers
eyes that will still be potent when
teacher and preacher are gone to dust
and oblivion"