The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-27
St. Johns Pastor Addresses His Sermon Especially
 to the Veterans
TELLS STORIES OF
 WORK IN CIVIL WAR
Pays Tribute to Part Played by the Women in All the Great Events of Ancient and Modern
 History

The Rev. L. F. whitten, pastor of yesterday morning to the veterans talk ing as his subject "The Women of the South" He took his text from Judges 4:S-9, And Barak said unto Deborah: If thou wilt go with me then l will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, then I wilt not go And Deborah said, I will surely go with thee.' Dr. Whit ten said:
 "Jabin King of Canaan opposed the Israelites until Deborah, a good woman and prophecies, sent and called Barak to come to her, gather an army to fight, conquer and destroy their op- pressors, and obtain IsraePs freedom Then Barak. a soldier true and brave, felt like all other men, the need and presence of a good woman. He said, If thou will go with me. then l will go." And Deborah, woman-like, sensed his helplessness and dependence, and answered, I will surely go with thee She went. Victory was won, and the glory went to the women, for Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, slew
  eraI, in her tent Sisera had lost the battle, Jumped out of his chariot of iron and fled on foot to Heber's tent, where, tired and faint, he fell into deep sleep, when Hebers wife, Jael took hammer and nail and drove the nail into his temples, fastening it to the ground" The terrible Sisera was killed by one lone woman. Barak pursued Sisera and found him dead in the tent-gigantic general, terrible fighter, slain by the hand of weak woman. Thus two women became inn mortal as they wrought deliyerance for Israel.
 WOMAN IN HISTORY
 Tt is not possible for any pen to write or tongue to tell the part the women nave played in history. The Spartan women were superb hero ines The Roman women were back of all great enterprises which made Rcme the mistress of the world. The Grecian women did their full share in making Greece a world-power. The women of France are just now greatest sufferers, perhaps, in the world; still brave and true. The women of Eng land nave inspired their statesmen, soldiers and seamen until the sun never sets on all her provinces and possess ions. Her navy has of recent years been the salvati of all her allies they still rule the seas, thank God.
 The women of the Hebrews have made their race immortal The moth CT and sister of Moses did more than all others for his safety and great ness. Ruth, one of the anceStresses IS of our Lord, and Esther, who saved her nation when no one else could; Bath Sheba, mother of Solomon; Elz- abeth, mother of John, and Mary, the
 
 Christ, all these Hebrew women can never die while books are read and humanity thinks.
 And what shall I more say, Women of the south? All American women have helped to make this glorious re- public-women of the north, east, west. But as a southern man, I know more of women of the South and of them it is I speak today. But if I had the tongue of an orator like Demosthenes or Apollos, my thought would be broken and my language lame in speaking of the women-heroic, im- mortal, faithful and industrious wom- en of the south, for they shine out in history brighter than the stars. Their place is among queens and princesses. They are white-robed angels of the world. War could not rob them of their modesty, their beauty, their industry, and their piety.
 Today we are to study the women of the south, wives, mothers and sisters of you veterans who made imperishable records of daring and performed mar vclous deeds of valor. It was the in- f1uence of your mothers-the prayers and inspiration of the Deborahs of the south-which neryed you for four long and bloody years to fight, without a munitions plant, without dollar of gold in the treasury, without navy, and without friendly nation in the whole wide world. You fought against superior forces all the time; but you fought like tigers, for you knew the Deborahs were with you in spirit. Women of the south, many of them did their own work before the war. While that war went on these women did their own work and yours, too Deborah with you. The women of the south carded, spun, wove and made their own dresses in which they were as beautiful as