Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-03-10
Calrn1age
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, D. d.


mothers-ln-law in general and shows
that gratitude and fidelity to friends
and to religious principles are essential
parts Of the ideal character. The text
is Ruth /, 10, "Whither thou goest l
will 60"
The mOthcrs-in-law from time inn
memorial have been an object the
cheap and coarse wits Of the day have
never tired Of ridculng. We do not
know why this is, but rs soon as we
mention the name Of mOther-in-law al
most every ones face begins to smile
as though he were expecting a joke.
"Sunset" Cox. the famous wit Of con-
gress, used to say that his audiences
would never take him seriously. When
ever he arose to speak the men and
women sitting before him generally
began to laugh. "And," said James
A. Garfield to Il friend many years
ago, "'Sunset' Cox never got the credit
which belonged to him as a farseeing
statesman because the world always
looked upon him simply as a funny
man" As the world looked upon Sun
set Cox, SO it looks upon mothers-in-
lasv. 1t considers the subject simply
one to tickle our risibiities and to
start forth whole chorus Of cachinna-
tions and outlaws. But, though cheap
wits may make fun Of our mothers-in-
law, | for one am not to be classed
among these satirists, for Of all peo-
T.e l do not know any who are nobler
and truer and more self sacrificing as
a class and who can rise to higher
heights Of inspiration than these same
women whom some Of us may sneer at
with the derogatory appellatiOn of
mothers-in-law.
OF course some mothers do object to
their sons and daughters marrying.
But in ninety-nine cases out of hun
dred 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
good wife. Helen Is a good girl. am
glad you are going to wed her. or
course it is awfully hard for me to
give you up. You have always been
nv baby. Your room has always been
lust off mine. Night after night
would sit up waiting to hear your step
and to have our little talk and feel the
good night kiss. That must all end
ss, hut, my boy -iznowTit is for
vour good to marry. Helen Is good
girl. Be good to her, my son, and re-
member. | will always love her as a
daughter for your sake" Was not that
the way your mother did when you
started out in life? Was not that the
way your Wife's mother did when she
gave her daughter TO you at the mar
riage altar!
Then there is the charge that our
anethers-in-law are always meddllng.
Of course some of them may. Mothers
in.lay are no more perfect as a class
than we are perfect But l Tor one
have never looked upon mothers-in-law
as vicious meddlers. / have always
looked upon them as great reserve
corDs. ready 70 come TO the world
help whenever they are needed. LOOK
back into Your past life. Was your
! mother-in-law vicious meddlerF Dld
she hang around your house until she
became a nuisance? Nay. She never
,bothered you in that way. When mat
| .awful sickness came into your mousse
she came as a ministering angel. Day
after day and night after night she
hoyered about that sickroom. Don [
talk TO me about mothers-in-law as
c,,xx being pests. They are the noblest
and 1he most self sacrificing women
on earth. In the first place, they say
to the world: '.Here is my son. Here
is nv daughter. Take them. Let otn,
ers 20 and Give with them and be hrs'
in their affections" Then after these
| nothers-iu-law have effaced them
solves. when trouble heads toward our
homes. they are the first 10 come TO our
rescue. All. that was a sad day III
vos,r life when your mother'in'iaW
| die6 There would not have been lpe
9if6onities which have since separated
= ON and your wife from her relatives
no vour motder-in-law not been car
rIeG out 10 sleep among the flowers
A Perfect qother-in-lnw.
Well all that perfect mother-ln-law
i,o Naomi was. She had rear
cd two fine boys. She had given these
two sons as husbashs to two young
moidons in. the Hand of Moab. linen Dy
strange series of fatalities Naomi
NOT only los 7 BIER husband, but her tWo
sons There were three widows alone
to face the struggle of life. Naomi
said TO the two girls: Il will go Dach
n nv own country. 1 hear that lie
famine in the lland of Jhaea Is over
7 will On hack There and live and strug
c1e ON. but you two girls go back tC
vo,,r mothers houses and marry ne"
husbands and all will he well. Orpah
one Of tbe girls. wept over her mother
in-1ov She kissed her SDd lett gu
| Rrth fine heroine Of my text, woull
NOT do ths She came neGr to -Naom
and said sChither thou g@$t. VII
on And she not Only said 5his' Du
She stayed by Naonh's side, Sucn Il
the simple story Of this perfect mother
in-low Naomi. in her relationship Il
this model Ganghter-inlaw. Ruth. An'
as we stbly this subject you WIZ se'
how Ruth. vino became the ancestheS
Of the Saviour, successfully met Gh
duties Of life in this the darkest hou
Of her earthly existence.
/ Not a miserable. contemplate, un