Milford chronicle., 1903-08-14
TALNAGE
SERMON
By Rev
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the much veXcd servant question
which should appeal to housekeepers
and heads Of families everywhere. The
text is Psalm cxxiii. >. "As the eyes
of a maiden unto the hand of her mis-
tress."
Two weeks ago "The Privilege of Be
ing a C0nsecrdted Domestic" was my
subject. Today l preach from another
standpoint of this vitally important
theme-namely. "The Relations Of
Wives, Mothers and Housekoepers to
Their Servants" We would try to
show that the antagonisms and diff
cultes and estrangements existing
between the parlor and the kitchen are
due to faults upon both sides. 1t is
easy enough for the complaining
housewife to develop such keenness Of
censoriOus vision that she can see in
Vulnerable imperfections in her serv-
ants life, but when plucking the
notes from out of her humble sisters
eyes it is not always so easy for the
mistress to perceive the beam, the
huge destructive beam, projecting from
under her own overarching eyebrows
That the housekeeper as well as the
servant can be negligent in her dlty
there is no doubt. The psalmist, as
spiritual diagnostician of the hearts
weaknesses, asserts it. He iguratively
seems to place the mistress as a proto-
type before her dOmestics. Then, as
young artist crosses the seas to study
at the feet of the Old masters and sits
day in and day out copying a Raphaers
"Sistine Madonna" or a Paul Vero-
nese's Last Supper or a Rubens'
Descent From the Cross" or a Michael
Angeles Last Judgment" the psalm
ist raises the mistress upon a pedestal
as q model for her servants. Day i'm
and day out the actions of the parlor
are being duplicated in the kitchen. I
Adam Clark, the great commentator. /.
interprets these words of my text in .
the following way: "As servants look .
TO their masters and mistresses to see ,
how they do their work, that they may .
do it I'm the same way" so may we cor
rect some of the evils found in the
kitchen by exposing the evils practiced
in the parOr All virtues are not
clothed in broadcloth All feminine un-
faithfuIness and injustice do not warm
themselves near kitchen stove or
center in a stupid and stolid head with
a waitress cap or nestle in the selfish
heart of the girl who. wearing
nurses apron. pushes the baby's car
riage along the avenue. If the head Of
the house wishes her servants to be
faithful and true to her then she must
first set an example of faithfulncss.
She must be true and kind ana loving
and Chrstianlike to her servants and
TO all the people with whom she comes
in contact in her domestice walk of
daily life.
Inculcate Honesty by Prece2t.
The housckeeper is her servants
model. That implies that the mistress
must be honest if she wants her serv-
ants to be honest. Plato. the philoso-
phcr, cncc tried to convey the idea
that an evil mans deeds could be con
ceuled at least for time. He illns-
trated this thought by the story Of the
tabled Gyges' ring. which could make
the false actions Of It's wearer invisible
10 the naked eye. THUS" wrote
Plato the Greek, the truly honest man
IS the one who would be honest at all
times when he could be dishonest and
lis dishonesty never be found out" But
S such contingency possible? Who
,an ever be sure that his dishonesty
S safely hidden? The eyes Of rivals.
" suhordinates, of employees. are keen
md see more than we know. They
IRE apt to initiate too, both the good
md the bad, so that one wrOngdoer
nay cause deterioration through ;
Whole circles of his social interiors. In {
e home. as in business. the example /
4 dishonesty has always the tendency Z
o racoil on the wrongdoer. The mer- l
Liant who conniyes at his clerks 5
heating Of the customers in his in [
erests must not be surprised if the q
Jerks cheat him in their own interest. e
farmer knowingly sends false D
7eights to market, and when he is 9
acking barrel of apples places the h
ood apples upon the top Of the barrel $
nd lower grade Of fruit beneath. v
hat farmer is teaching his farm hands W
be deceitful in their relations to him Il
hen they are gathering the fruit He
teaching his men to lie as he has
ed and be dishonest as he was dis
onest. II the bank officials criminally n
lispace the Institutions trust funds. "
lere is likely to come a time when one f,
those bank employees will default. II
nd in the emptied safe Of that bank :,
le sins OF that financial institution G
I'll. like the proverbial chickens. come y,
)me to roOst II
A step further! II a housewife will n,
d her waiting maid answer the front n,
'or bell and tell the would be caller h,
at she is out, when she is in. that w
lstreSs is teaching her servant to be w
liar in al things as well as in part. n.
wife IS false in her dealings with 81
r grocer and butcher and washer co
oman ana false in her financial deal in
gs with her servants. she need not 20
surprised If the laundress steals n,
2 stray handkerchiefs and cOllars Il,