Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-01-10
Calmase
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase. ID. ID.

SeIhoh Ine preacher enthrOneS the
Christian mother as the queen of home.
the true helpmeet and the bright ex-
emplar of purity aud benevolence. The
text is Psalm xviii. IL OR. W, THE
Lord giveth the word-the women that
publish the tidings are a great host"
We are apt to associate the idea of
publishing gospel tidings exclusively
with the pulpit. That is the place
from which the tidings are usually
and chiefly published But It is not
the only place. There are other ways
of publishing the tidings than by
preaching, and one of these Is indicat-
ed by the psalmist in my text Who
can ever estimate how much good wo-
men have done in that way? The
world will never know how much the
publication Of the gospel tidings by
the mothers and wives of men has
had TO do with the usefulness of their
sons and husbands.
pity that man who, having been in
daily companionship for years with a
mother, sister, 4 wife and daugh-
ter, has not grace enough In his heart
to appreciate the nobility of woman.
When stood by the deathbed of that
great apostle OF temperance, Francis
Murphy, his youngest child said to me:
The other day I was alone with my
father. He took my hand aud said.
Daughter, ever since was privileged
fn nGSnpio 70 Wit
never lost my faith In the purity of
womanhood.' When Thomas De
Witt. the great New York pastor. was
on his deatbbed he continually talked
to the girls about the noble. sweet and
gentle wife who had preceded him into
the LAND OF everlasting roses" and
he babe them never to forget her and
always TO pattern their lives after her
life. During the last walk DR.. Joseph
Parker took on earth he turned TO his
companion and with a faraway look.
as though he was trying to pierce the
clouds and see to the foot of the great
white throne where his beloved wife
was then singing the song of the re-
deemed In heaven, he said, Ever
since sine left me l have always tried
10 do as she wished, and feel that
she has directed my steps" So with
most OF us. When we think of what
we owe to woman we are surrounded
ut once by great number of women.
both living and dead, whose gentle.
self sacrificing lives have nodded us
and purified us and made us what we
are
Some time ago there came into INV
possession suggestive epitaph, which
was chiseled upon a New England
tombstone. Let me read It to YOU.
Some one who knew her we'll had thus
sketched the life work OF n good wom-
an as God had given IL To her to do.
step by step: "a Sarah to her hus-
band. Eunice to her children. n Lois
To her grandchildren, n Lydia to Gods
ministers, Martha TO her guests n
iporcas TO the poor and an Anna to her
%ou. Was not that a beautiful testi-
mony 10 duty well done? Did not
mat epitaph in Scriptural combina-
ton round out woman's perfect lifep
Most OF us have been surrounded nv
our Sarahs and our Eunices and orr
Loises and our Lydlas and our-AIar-
mas ana our Decreases. Have they
not been to us true evangeiists. leading
us along the paths OF truth and purity
and by the power OF the holy shirt
purifying and ennobling our spiritual
hvesf Can you not thank God for
your Christian wives and mothers and
grandmothers. your Lydias. Marthas.
Dorcases and Annas? Have not the
women whom you have seen publish
ing Gods tidings been great host?
Giving Thanks For Good Wives.
First, let us thank God for the ga
rahs-the Christian wives who are now
by our sides. How many men have
reason to thank God for the women
VINO, as young girls, gave them their
hands and hearts In marriage ,vben
they too We're young and had nothing
and who with them have fought the
battle or life? We ought to thank God
ior the wives who in more senses than
one nave merged their lives I'm our
nves and yet are never so hannv as
when the world praises. us for the
work which they to great extent en-
abled us TO achieve ] once knew y
man who declared In the presence of q
party or friends that his wife had
nothing to do with his success. He
Doastfully said, 81 have made my sue
cess entirely Independent of nv wife,
But L do not believe there Is one man
among us all who can honestly make
statement like that.
We know, deep down I'm our hearts
mat what We achieve in life is due to
great extent to the wives who have
laDored faithfully by our side. Happy
Is the poor man who has a good wife |
she may be the foundation OF his suc.
cess. The good wife does not become |
heavy drag upon her husband by ac- |
lot Of Unnecessary debts. |
IL were TO ask for the testimony of |
some or you today you would say: .sIn |
those days OF straitness and struggle |
our wives stepped to our side and said
"e viii be breadwinners with you'
they went to the kitchen and bent
over the stove as cooks. They made
The childrens dresses. They made
lneir own gowns last so long that il
seemed as though the clothes father
IND mother gave would never wear
'ut. They vigiIantly guarded every
iollar or expenditure" The result
vas, though You had three or four
nildren 70 support, you were able to
Iccumulate little capital, and grad
tally and yet surely you pressed ahead
lntii now you own your home, and
'ou nave been able to put aside some
money Tor Il rainy day. What hus-
'ahd today is not willingt to thank God
or the financial Reinforcement his
wife has been to him by her domestic