The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-16

| gone about with a copy of Petrarch in could be a true Christian exemplar for her servant" That statement is only par tially true. No housewife if she is lead ing an insincere life can have a true spir- itual influence over her servants The nearer you come to the huge piece of rock in the Yellowstone park, which in the dis tance seems to be the face of a man. the more you see it's jagged corners and dis ! torted features. The nearer a servant comes to an insincere mistress the more she Is repulsed by her pretensions to re- lgion; but the nearer a domestic comes to a pure, true, noble woman, who is earnestly and prayerfully trying to follow out the teachings of the Christ love, the more she realizes the importance of liv- ing for eternity and not for time; for Christ, and not for pleasure; for present duty, and not for a transient whim.
 The greatest cause of unfaithfulness and dishonesty In the kitchen Is the fact that your servant girl Is not converted to Christ Perhaps the chief reason why your servant Is not converted is that she does not see you. her mistress, a protesting Christian, living the Christian life you ought to live. My sister, Is 1t not time for you to turn over new leaf and start afresh for Christ? Is 1t not good resolve to try to settle this servant question" once for all by surrendering yourself. body and mind and soul, to the service of your Master?
 The Servant of All.
 The spiritual influence which conse- crated Christian woman can have over the life of her servant was well shown by Rev. Francis E. Clark of the Christian Endeavor society He told this beautiful story soon after his return from China: The wife of an American missionary, who was massacred in the late Chinese upris ing, was one day teaching a Sunday school class among whom was one of her Chinese servants The servant girl by coming in contact win her mistress was not only led to the feet of Christ but also was led to believe that her faithful mis- tress was her true spiritual adviser So this day the young girl looked up into the face of this Christian lady and said: Nils sionary, as you talk about the great joys of heaven. I would like to ask you a question. Will we know each other when we reach heaven? Will you know your father and mother and little children? Will you know me and l know you?' Yes" answered the Christian lady. ''Then, missionary" said the poor Chinese servant, you have been so kind to me that when l get to heaven l am going to ask Jesus to just let me sit by your side and hold your hand forever and ever and ever" Oh mistresses, Oh, housewives and housekeepers, in your dealings with your servants may you reveal the same gentle Christian life that the martyred Christian lady showed to her household. In your prayers. in your conservation. In your family altars in the purity of your life, may you always help your household ser wants to look beyond the grave and to look up. Then, when your domestics, through your Christian example, walk hand in hand with Jesus Christ there will be no servant question" Why? There shall be no unfaithful and slothful domes- ties
 Housewives and housekeepers, heed well the importance of consecrating your lives to Christ not only for your own sake, but also for the sake of your servants. Re- member that it Is far easier for you to commit sin against those whom you suppose 10 be lower than you than 1t is against those whom you suppose are above you. It is easier for parent to sin against a child than for the child to defy a parent It Is easier for king to do an open wrong to a subject than for a sub ject to flagrantly sin against q king. And remember. further, that God Judges our actions just as much by how we treat our cattle as our masters, our underlings as our employers, our servants as our hus- bands and wives. May the spirit inspire every housewife to live such a holy life that her servants can well take her as a spiritual model and can see in her face a reflection of the loving smile of Jesus Christ, who willingly became the servant of all.