Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-03-10
Calr,nase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase, d. d.

that gratitude and fidelity To friends
and 10 religious principles are essential
parts OF the ideal character The text
Is Ruth /. Ii, "Whithcr thou goest. |
will go.'
The mothcrs-lnlaw from time Inn
memorial have been an object the
cheap and coarse wits of the day have
never tired of ridiculing. We do not
know why this Is. but as soon as we
mention the name Of mOthcrin law al
most every ones face begins To smile
as though he were expecting joke.
sunset" COX. the famous wit Of con.
grcss. used Ia say that his audiences
would never take him seriously. When
ever lie arose 10 speak the men and
women sitting before him generally
began To- laugh. And" said james
\. Garfield to II friend many years
ago. "'SunSct' Cox never got the credit
which belonged to him as farScelng
statesman because the world always
looked upon him simply as funny
nan" As the world looked upon sun
law II considers the subject simply
one to tickle our risbiliiics and to
start forth whole chorus Of cachnna.
tiOns and outlaws. But. though cheap
wits may make fun of our mothcrS-in-
law. for one am not To he classcd
among these satiriStS. for of all peo-
pie do not know any who are nobler
and trtcr and more self sacrificing as
u class and who can rise to higher
heights of inspiration than these same
women whom some of us may sheer ut
with the derogatory appcllation OF
mothcrs.in-law.
Of course some mothers do object to
their SONS and daughters marrying
But in nincty-uinc eases out of hun
drcd this objection Is not based on
selfish grounds. When the subtle life
companion for the boy comes along.
inevitably the mother will say: My
son. ! want to see you married to n
good wife Helen is II good girl. | am
glad you are going TO wed her OF
course it Is awfully hard for me To
give you up. You have always been
my baby. Your room has always been
just on mine. Night after night
would sit up waiting 10 hear your step
and To have our little talk and feel the
good night kiss. That must all end
NOW. Iut. my boy. | know il Is for
your good To marry. Helen Is a good
girl Be good to her. my son. and re-
member, ! will always love her rs Il
daughter for your sake" Was not that
the way your mother did when YOU
started ont in life: Was not that the
way your wifc's mother did when she
gave her daughter To you at the mar
riagc altar:
Then there Is the charge that our
mothers in-law are always mcddling.
OF course some of them may Mothers
in-law are no more perfect rs class
than we are perfect But for one
have never looked upon mothers in-law
as vicious mcddlcrs | have always
looked upon them rs IL great reserve
corps. ready to come To the worlds
help whenever they are needed Look
back into your past life Was your
mothcr-in-la vicious meddler? Did
she hang around your house until she
became Il nuisance: Nay She never
bothered you in that way. When that
awful sickness came into your house
she came as II ministerng angel. Day
after day and night after night she
lowered about that sickroom. Don't
talk To me about mothers in-law as Il
clnss being pests They are the noblest
and the most self sacrificing women
on earth In the first place, they say
to the world: Here Is my son. Here
| is my daughter. Take them. Let 9th
ers 20 and live with them ana liz first
In their affections" Then after these
mothers n-law have cffaced them
selves. when trouble heads toward our
homes. they are the first to come to our
rescue All. that WAS II sad day In
your life when your mother in-law
died. There would not have been the
difficulties which have since separated
you and your wife from her relatives
had your mothcr-in-law not been car
rled ont to sleep among the flowers.
A Perfect Mother-in-law.
Well. all that perfect mother in-law
ought To hc Naomi was She had rear
ed two fine boys. She had given these
two sons as husbands 10 two young
Ihai,lrns in the land of Moab Then 10y
a strange series Of fatalities Naomi
not only lost her husband. but her two
SONS. There were three widows alone
Ia face the struggle Of life Naomi
| said 10 the two girls. II will 60 back
10 my own country. | hear that the
famine IN the land of Iudaea Is over.
/ | will 90 back there aud live and strng-
gle ON, but you two girls go back TO
your mothers houses ana marry new
/ husbands and all will he we'll" Orpah.
one of the girls wept over her mother
I in.lnw She kissed her and left. But
! Ruth. the heroine Of my text. would
not do this She came near Ia Naomi
and said. "Whither thou gocst | will
20" And she not only said this, hut
She stayed 10y Naomi's side. Such Is
the simple story of this perfect mother
IA law Nuuuti In her rplnt inn shin tn