Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-01-10

uoiS SinpIy liom a mcrcenary stand
point, as when man buys house OF
a piece of land Thank God for the
Philippian woman who extended the
hospitality of her home TO tired Paul.
Thank God today for the multitude of
women who are so true to their
churches and their pastors all over the
land. Are not the Lydias, who are
spreading Gods tidings. great host?
The Duties of Martha.
But there is still another name upon
that New England tombstone, "a
Martha to her guests" We all know
who Martha was. We can all see her
bustling about the kitchen We see
her hot. flushed face and her anxious
look. We hear her mutter, "Oh, what
shall do with SO many guests coming
to dinner and nothing yet prepared ~
Because Christ rebuked her for lack
ing zone thing" we are apt to forget
how DESTROYS she was to put all her
friends at ease and make her home n
haven of rest for Jesus and his friends.
And yet as Martha bustles around
does she not remind you of your Chris
tian mother working in the old home ?
Can you not see her striving TO put the
friends of your father and the friends
of her children at their ease and to
make the home haven of rest for ell
the associates of her dear ones?
And then your mother was Dorcas
TO the poor. All, yes, you did not real
iZe how much she was doing for the
poor and the helpless until after she
diedl When You turn to the ninth
chapter of Acts and read how, after
DorcaS' death, the women gathered in
the outer room and began to show the
garments she had made and to tell
about the many errands of mercy she
had gone on it seems rs though Luke
were writing about the obseuuies of
your own mother. Your mother was
plain woman and lived I'm n small
sphere, as some people might suppose,
but no house would have been large
enough to hold that throng. And the
beautiful part OF that gathering was
that not only the rich came, but the
poor as well. Those who attended your
mothers funeral were all mourners
They did not come perfunctorily; they
came because they wanted to come
Can you not see those mourners now?
Can you not see that old man hobbling
along on his cane whom she had saw
cd from going to the poorhouse? And
there was the aged woman whom your
mother persuaded to take her daugh-
ter back home after that scandal. and
her daughter is there by her side. And
there was the weeping washerwoman
whose Cd, 1,.
ed. And there was that poor con-
sumptive girl. grateful for the delica-
cies your mother gave her, who came
from her sickbed to look at the face
OF her dear benefactor once more
Your father sometimes used to get an
cry because your mother did SO much
Tor the poor. He would say: Mother,
1t doesn't pay. Stay home and let up
on that extra work" But at your
mothers funeral your father knew il
did pay. For the first time he and
the children began to catch n GLIMPSE
OF how much your mother had done
Tor others. Thank God that your
mother was Dorcas. Thank God
that the women who publish the It'd
ings of great JOY among the poor and
the helpless and the suffering are n
great host
Would YOU not like to he n Sarah TO
your husband, Il Eunice to your chill
dren. Lois TO your grandchildrel.> a
Lydia TO Gods ministers, n Martha to
your guests, Il Dorcas TO the poor and
an Anna to your God? Ia other words
would you not like to eXpend your life
In Christian service for others. as your
mother did, rather than live n selfish.
worldly life? Happiness is not found
In the frivolous life and the trIfes OF
the social world, where so many think
IL Is found.
Would you not thank God il some
day the epitaph found in the old New
England graveyard could be written
upon your tombstone and that with
the psalmist OF old it might be said OF
you. "she hath Joined the women that
publish Gods tidings, who are a great
hostT God grant 1t for his dear sake.
Copyright 1907. by Louis Klopsch.I