The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1906-03-09
Ca(r11aQe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmage, D. d.

Los Angeles, Cal, March An this
sermon the preacher pays a tribute tc
mothers-in-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 i, 16, "Whither thou goest,
will co.
The mothprs-in-law from time i'm
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 mOther-in-law al
most every ones face begins to smile
as though he were expecting Il 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 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 funny
man." AS the world looked upon Sun
set Cox, so it looks upon mothers-in-
law. 1t considers the subject simply
one to tickle our risibilities and to
start forth a whole chorus of cachinna-
lions and outlaws. But, though cheap
wits may make fun of our mOthers-in-
law, l for one am not to be classed
among these satirists, for Of all peo-
pie 1 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 sheer 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 a 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 a
good wife. Helen is a 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 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
now But, my boy, L know it is for
your good to marry. Helen is a good
girl. Be good to her, my son, and re-
member, l 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
mothers-in-law are always meddling.
OF course some of them may. Mothers
in-law are no more perfect as a class
than we are perfect But l for one
have never looked upon mothers-in-law
as vicious meddlers. l have always
looked upon them as a great reserve
corps, ready to come to the worlds
help whenever they are needed Look
back into your past life. Was your
mother-in-law a vicious meddler? Did
she hang around your house until she
became a nuisance? Nay. She never
bothered you in that way. When that
awful sickness came into your house
she came as a ministering angel. Day
after day and night after night she
lowered about that sicllroom. Don't
talk to me about mothers-in-law as n
class being pests. They are the MODEST
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 go and live with them and be first
in their affections" Then after these
mothers-in-law have effaced them
selves, when trouble heads toward our
homes, they are the first to come to our
rescue. All, that was a 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 mOther-in-law not been car
ried out to sleep among the flowers.
Perfect MOther-in-Iaw.
Well, all that perfect mOther-in-law
ought to be Naomi was. She had rear
ed two fine boys She had given these
two sons as husbands to two young
maidens in the land of Moab. Then by
a strange series of fatalities Naomi
not only lost her husband, but her two
sons. There were three widows alone
to face the struggle of life. Naomi
said to the two girls: 81 will go back
to nv own country. l hear that the
famine in the land of Judaea is over.
| will go back there and live and strug-
gle on, but you two girls go back to
your mothers houses and marry new
husbands and all will be we'll" Orpah,
one of the girls, wept over her mother
in-law. She kissed her and left But
Ruth. the heroine of my text, would
not do this. She came near to Naomi
and said. "Whither thou goest, l will
60" And she not only said this, but
she stayed by Naomi's side. Such is
the simple story of this perfect mother
in-Iaw. Naomi, in her relationship to
this model daughter-in-law, Ruth. And
as we study this subject you will see
how Ruth. who became the ancestress
of the Saviour, successfully met the
duties of life in this the darkest hour
of her earthly existence.
Not a miserable. contemplate. I'M
grateful character was Ruth. She was
not one of those deceitful women who
have smiles and affectionate words and
loving cs-esses only for those she is