Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-07-04

ing is silk and purple Mark well
these words: \ true wife ''perceiveth
that her merchandise is good not a
slattern. not female doll, not paint
ed millinery establishment. l am
speaking of such wife as the book of
Proverbs describes. 1t is a faithful
portrait. the fidelity of which many
man in this church could attest by his
own experience.
Power Behind the Throne.
ooh. no." says the masculine egotist.
woman is not the breadwinner of the
family. 1t is the husband, who. as
lawyer, wins fees in the courtroom; as
a physician, gains money from pa
tents; as a soldier fights his country's
battles; as a legislator, enacts laws,
which the male executive enfOrces; he
is the merchantmen. who sells the
goods; he is the foundryman, who
manufactures the steel rails. Man,
man, everywhere is man the bread
winner. We find that man tills the
fields, and man rules the money mar
kets, and man sits upon the judicial
bench and the professional chairs" Is
that a fact, my brother? IT'S true,
man is the visible breadwinner. But
when you are looking for the driving
force which produces results in society
do not make the mistake of suppOsing
that there is no power but what you
see.
The power behind the throne is some
times greater than the throne itself.
If this be not true, how can you &C
count for the wonderful results which
come into many mems lives at the
marriage altar and end with the deaths
Of or the separations from their female
silent partners. Who was Napoleon
Bonaparte? The greatest military
strategist of the ages? Yes. But aft
or all you can find his wonderful sue
cess flanked by two incidents in his
life They started with his MARI age
to Josephine. They ended with his
divorce. Had Josephine's partnership
nothing to do with NapOleOn's success?
Who was William E. Gladstone? That
Statesman whose energy and COM
manding genius were the wonder of
his countrymen, acknowledged that
the reverence and trust of his devoted
wife had been source of inspiration
and stimulus to him all through his
long career, and that to have her sit
ting by him on the political rostrum or
looking down at him from the gallery
of the house of commons quickened
all his powers. Who was John Bright,
the great cOmmOner? He also was the
husband of q woman his equal in per-
sonality. On the day of their mar
rage she turned and said to him,
John, attend to thy business and thy
public affairs, and l will provide for
the home and relieve thee from all
cares at home" And so great is the
value Of a true wife in relation to her
husbands success that nearly all great
men are ready to testify to this fact
| and declare that they can never repay
| the obligations which their wives have
| placed upon them.
l was taught the obligation which a
true husband owes to a true wife some
| years ago by an eastern minister whom
| | consider one of the greatest pulpit
| ceniuses of his age. | was about to be
! married, and was talking with him,
when he gave to me this characteristic
advice: Always love your wife. But
! more than that, always learn to respect
and follow her judgment, because she
can be your best adviser When l was
a Young man | started out with some
success. l knew l could speak, and
| could also write. And often when l
would write something l thought very
! fine | would take it down to my wife
| and read it. Sometimes she would look
| up from her sewing and say, John,
! don't say that With that l would
! throw down my manuscript and stalk
! I'D and down the room in disgust.
why do you say that? l would ask.
DO YOU know how to preach? Are you
| a better judge Of preaching than my
self? Haven't l spent four years in
college and three years in the semi
nary? What business have you to tell
me what to 90? You are nothing but a
woman anyway But after a long eX-
perlence found that my wifes iudg-
ment could always be depended uDOn
When l followed her judgment l al.
ways came out right and when l fol
lowed my own against hers l always
came out wrong. And, though l an
now an old man and one of much eX
perience, vet whenever | am in dOub
about anything l have ever written
always so to her. And when she says
John, don't say that l take my pei
and scratch out the whole page NJ!
success is due in a great measure t.
my wife's judgment and not to my
own"
Susan TaImage's Influence.
l know that the world honors m!
fathers memory. But personally
know 7. De Witt Talmage's success.
was due to a great extent to SusaI
Talmage, who was his wife and ny
mother. What most of us can say il
reference to our fathers successes W,
can say in reference to our own. 1t il
20 the good advice, the loving intuition
the sound Judgment of the wife whom