The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-05-27
The GOLD LEAF.
THURSDAY. MAY 81. 1909.
The Ideal Woman.
Continued from first page)


born with it. And so it is useless to
try to reason or ridicule men out OF
the homage they pay to q lovely face,
We NAV call it deceitful or vain but
it will never cease to charm. But
after all it is only an accident and
does not partake OF the essence OF
perfection, or is necessary to the true
ideal. There is a type OF beauty
which the perfect woman must pos
sess, less transient and more satisfy
ing than beauty OF person or gra-
ciousness of manner; tits that beauty
of soul, that heavenly grace, that
conduct and character without which
the "virtuOus woman" does not
exist
2. She is industrious. "She work
eth willingly with her hands" The
ideal woman is not one given to ease
and idleness and self-indulgencp. but
is unfiagging in her industry. While
the sphere of the husband and wife Is
different; he out in the world, she at
home, yet God no more intends that
she shall spend her time in idleness,
in vain and light festivities, in foolish
freaks that are worse than idleness,
than He intends that he shall waste
his life in sinful dissipation.
1t is Just as important an impera-
tive that the wife should Use her time
and give herself to some useful work
athome as it is for her husband. She
is not q drone to be supported in
ease and idleness but q helpmeet rem
dering invaluable service in loving
counsel and sweet encouragement, as
well as the faithful performance OF
all the duties of her. station.
But more is required than that she
be busy-plemty OF women are busy
enough-there are busy-bOdies. The
ideal woman is not only one who
"wOrketh willingly with her hands, .
but ''whO also looketh we'll to the
WAYS OF her household
The vain woman OF society spend
ing her days in bed and her nights in
social functions, neglecting her chill
dren, her husband and her home,
with no other aim or ambition than
TO shine by night, is tn" greatest
menace to our social and religious
life. Given generation of idle, card
playing mothers and you will have Il
race of gambling sons. With the
power of fallen angels, idle and god
less, no one can estimate their evil.
Spots they are and blpmishes,
clouds without water carried about
OF winds: trees without fruit. twice
dead, plucked up by the roots; raging
waves of the sea, fOaming out their
shame; wandering stars to whom is
reserved the blackening o. darkness
forever
3. She is charitable. Isl spread
eth out her hand to the DOR; yea
she reacheth forth her hands to the
needy"
Economy and generosity go hand
in hand Plain livers and hard
workers are generally the largest
givers. 1t is not always the idle
women, the women who dress the
finest, who wear inverted wash-bOwl
hats, that are the most generous.
Spending much upon themselves they
have little left to give. Frequently
it is the woman, whose toll late at
night and early in the morning has
enriched and blessed her own, that
is most ready to stretch forth hand
to help those less fortunate than her
self.
There are three ways by which
charity is dispensed. First, by men,
who often without emotion and by
measure perpetuate the very evil
they seek to relieve. Second, by vain
and idle women, who with vapid SEN
timentality or hoping in this way to
atone for useless and goddess lives,
gather their skirts about them and
dole out their money, thus degrading
charity into badge of shame and
wantOn insult to mankind. The
third is by the woman "who reacheth
forth her hand;" not the lazy hand
or the useless hand, but the hand
that held the distaff that worked
willingly; and in the spirit of her Mas
ter brings with her gift the awaken
ing touch of sisters faith, the kind
helpfulness of u daughters hope, or
the tender solicitude of a mothers
love.
Who gives himself with his gift feeds three
Himself, his hungering neighbor, and Me-"
The ideal woman is truly chart
table.
4. | should like to dwell on the
fact that she is pro gident and pru-
dent Not afraid of the snow for
her household, for all her household
are clothed with scarlet She has
taken thought of the morrow by
wisely improving today. She has
seized time by the forelock, wisely an
ticipated the cold of winter by max
ing for self coverings of tapestry. The
ideal woman has an eye to the future,
looking well to the ways of her house
hold both for today and tomorrow.
She is also prudent. "She openeth
her mouth with wisdom, and in her
tongue is the law OF kindness" Oh
gift of gifts, a foolish woman
is clamorous; she is foolish and
knoweth nothing" He that be-
getteth Il fool doeth it to his sor-
row" So doth he that marrveth
one. "A soft answer turneth away
wrath. but grievous words stir up
strife"
>. Last of all and best of all she
is religious. a woman that feareth
the Lord, she shall be praised"
In certain sense woman is all in
terpreter and revealer of God 20 the
human race. With religious intui-
tions and spiritual susceptibilites
beyond those of man she is called
upon to make up his deficiency, to
lead him and help him in that which
is his truest life and to maintain for
him saving intercourse with the
world OF spirit. 1t was with this in
mind that the writer said: Whose
findeth a wife tindeth a good thing,
and obtaineth favor of the Lord. )"
and THAT she will do him good and
not evil all the days of his life The
best guarantee II man has that his
wife will prove a blessing, his most
perfect assurance of her unchanging