Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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1 ■ V THE LEDGER: GAFFNEY, S. C., JANUARY (i, L8!)8. HOUSEHOLD CARES. DR. TALMAGE PREACHES ON THE DUTIES OF HOME LIFE. WortlK of Cheer For All Wives, Mothers, Daughters and Haters-— Ho Kemiml* Them That They Are Deciding the Kternal Hosting of the Hate. ^Copyright, 1898, by American Press Asso ciation.] • Washington, Jan. 2.—Dr. Tnlmape’s sennou today goes through hoine life with tho tread of ono who has seen all its departments mid sympathizes with all ho sees and has words of cheer for all wives, mothers, daughters and sis ters; text, Luko x, 40: “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left mo to servo alone? Lid her, therefore, that she help mo.” v ouder is a beautiful village home stead. Tho man of tho house is dead, and his widow is taking charge of the premises. This is tho widow Martha (f Bethany. Yes, I will show you also the pet of tho household. This is Mary, the younger sister, with a book under her arm and her face having no appearance of anxiety or care. Company has come. Christ stands outside tho door, and of course there is a good deal of er.cifo ment inside the door. Tho disarranged furniture is hastily put aside, and the hair is brushed back, and the dresses are adjusted as well as in so short a time Mary and Martha can attend to these matters. They did not keep Christ standing at the door until the}’ were newly appareled or until they had elab orately arranged their tresses, then com ing out with their affected surprise as though they had not heard the two or throe previ nskuockings, saying,” Why, is that you?” No. They were ladies ami were always presentable, although they may not have always had on their best, for none of us always has on our best. If wo did, our best would not be worth having on. They throw open the door and greet Christ. They say: “Good morning, Master. Come in and be seated. ’ ’ Christ did not come alone. Ho had a group of friends with him, and such an influx of city visitors would throw any country home into perturbation. I sup pose also the walk from the city had been a good appetizer. The kitchen de partment that day was a very important department, and I suppose that Martha had no sooner greeted the guests than she fled to that room. Mary had no wor- rimeut about household affairs. She hud full confidence that Martha could get np the best dinner in Bethany. She seems to say: “Now let us have a divi sion of labor. Martha, you cook, and I’ll sit down and bo good. ” So you have of ten seen a great difference between two sisters. Kveryday PrrplexItiM. There is Martha, hardworking, pains taking, u good manager, ever inventive of some new pastry or discovering some thing in tho art of cookery and house feeping. There is Mary, also fond of Oliver sat ion, literary, so engaged in 'deep questions of ethics she has no time to attend to tho questions of household welfare. It is noon. Mary is in the par lor with Christ. Martha is in the kitch en. It would have been better if they had divided tho work, and then they could have divided the opportunity of listening to Jesus, but Mary monopolizes Christ while Martha swelters at the fire. It was a very important thing that they should have a good dinner that day. Christ was hungry, and ho did not often have a luxurious entertainment. Alas me, if tho duty had devolved upon Mary, what a repast that would have been! But something went wrong in the kitchen. Perhaps tho tiro would not burn, or tho bread would uot bake, or Martha scalded her hand, or something was burned black that ought <mly to have been made brown, and Martha lost her patience and forgetting the proprie ties of the occasion, with besweated brow, and, perhaps, with pitcher in one hand and tongs in the other, she rushes out of tho kitchen into tho presence of Christ, saying, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to servo alone?” Christ scolded not a word. It it were scolding, I should rather have his scolding than anybody else’s bless ing. There was nothing acerb. He knew 'Martha had almost worked herself to death to get him something to eat, and so he throws a world of tenderness into his intonation us he seems to say: “My dear woman, do uot worry. Let the din ner go. Sit down on this ottoman beside Mary, your younger sister. Martha, Martha, thou are careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful.” As Martha throws open that kitchen door, I look iu and seo a great many household perplexities and anxie ties. Trials of Nonappreclatlon. First thero is tho trial of nonnppre- ciation. That is what madu Martha so mad with Mary. The younger sister had no estimate of her older sister’s fa- tignes. As now, men bothered with the anxieties of tho store and office and shop, or, coming from tho Stock Ex change, they say when they get home • “Oh, yon ought to bo in our factory a little while. You ought to have to man ago S or 10 or 20 subordinates, and then you would know what trrublo and anxiety ara” Oh, sir, tho wife and the mother has to conduct at tho same time a university, a clothing establishment, a restaurant, a laundry, a library, while she is health officer, police and pres ident of her realm. SSbo must do a thou sand things and do them well in order to keep things going smoothly, and so her brain and her nervos uro taxed to tho utmost. I know thero are housekeep ers who are so fortunate that they can •it in an armchair iu tho library or lie on tho belated pillow and throw off all the care upon subordinates who, hav ing largo wages and great experience, can attend to all of the affairs of the household. Those are tho exceptions. 1 »ni speaking now of the great mass of housekeepers—the women \(o whom life struggle, and who at »0 years of bok as tbongb they w< re 40, and at 40 look as though they were 50, and at 50 look as though they were (50. Tho fallen afc Chalons and Austerlitz and Gettysburg and Waterloo arc a small number compared with tho slain iu tho great Armageddon of the kitchen. You go out to tho cemetery, and you will see that tho tombstones all read beautifully poetic, but if (hose tombstones would speak the truth thousands of them would say: “Here lies a woman killed by too much mending and sewing and baking and scrubbing and scouring. The weapon with which she was slain was a broom or a sewing machine or a ladle." Yon think, O man of the world, that you have all tho cares and anxieties. If tho cares and anxieties of the household should come upon yon for one week, you would be fit for the insane asylum. The half rested house keeper arises in the morning. She must have the morning repast prepared at an irrevocable hour. What if the fire will not light, what if tho marketing did uot come, what if the clock has stopped —no matter, she must have tho morn ing repast at an irrevocable hour. Cares of tho Housewife. Then tho children must bo got off to school. What if their garments aro torn, what if they do uot know their lessons, what if they have lost a hat or sash—they must be ready. Then you have all the diet of the day, and per haps of several days, to plan; but what if the butcher has sent meat unmastica- ble or the grocer has sent articles of food adulterated, and what if some piece of silver bo gone, or some favorite chalice be cracked, or tho roof leak, or tho plumbing fail, or any one of a thou sand things occur—you must be ready. Spring weather comes, and there must bo a revolution in tho family wardrobe, or autumn comes, and you must shut out the northern blast; but what if tho moth has preceded ycu to the chest, what if during tho year tho children have outgrown tho apparel of last year, what if the fashions have changed. Your house must bo an apothecary’s shop; it must he a dispensary; there must be medicines for all sorts of ail ments—something to loosen the croup, something to cool tho burn, something to poultice tho inflammation, some thing to silence tho jumping tooth, something to soothe tho earache. You must bo iu half a dozen places at tho same time, or you must attempt to bo. If, under all this wear and tear of life, Martha makes an impatient rush upon tho library or drawing room, bo patient, be lenient. G woman, though I may fail to stir up uu appreciation in tho souls of others iu regard to your house hold toils, let mo assure you, from tho kindliness with which Jesus Christ met Martha, that he appreciates all your work from garret to cellar, and that tho God of Deborah and Hannah and Abi gail aud Grandmother Lois and Eliza beth Fry aud Hannah More is tho God of tho housekeeper. Jesus was never married, that he might bo tho especial friend and confidant of a whole world of troubled womanhood. I blunder. Christ was married. The Bible says that tho church is tho Lamb’s wife, aud that makes mo know that all Christian w’omen have a right to go to Christ and tell him of their annoyances and trou bles, since by his oath of conjugal fidel ity ho is sworn to sympathize. Georgo Herbert, tho Christian poet, wrote two or three verses on this subject: The servant by this clause Makes drudgery divine— Who sweeps a room, as for thy laws, Makes this and the art ion fine. Divine Discipline. A young woman of brilliant education and prosperous circumstances was call ed down stairs to help iu the kitchen iu tho absence of tbe servants. Tho door bell ringing, she went to open it aud found a gentleman friend, who said as ho came in: “I thought that I heard music. Was it on this piano or on this harp?” She answered: “No, I was playing on a gridiron, with frying pan accompaniment. The servants are gone, and I am learning how to do this work. ” Well done I When will women iu all circles find out that it is honorable to do anything that ought to be done? Again, thero is tho trial of severe economy. Nino hundred and ninety- nine households out of the thousand uro subjected to it—s«me under more and some under less stress of circumstances. Especially if a man smoko very expen sive cigars and take very costly dinners at the restaurants he will bo severe in demanding domestic economies. This is what kills tons of thousands of women —attempting to make do tho work of $7. A young woman about to enter tho married stato said to her mother, “How long does the honeymoon last?” Thu mother answered, “The honeymoon lasts until you ask your husband for money." How somo men do dole out money to their wives! “How much do you want?” “A dollar.” “You are al ways wanting a dollar. Can’t you do with 50 cents?" If tho husband has not tho money, let him plainly say so. If be has it, let him make cheerful response, remembering that his wife has as much right to it as he has. How tho bills come in! Tlfb woman is the banker of tho household, tho is tho president, the cashier, the teller, the discount clerk, and there is a panic every fow weeks. This JO years' war against high prices, this perpetual study of economics aud tliis life long attempt to keep tho out goes less than tho income exhaust in numerable housekeepers. Oh, my sister, this is a part of tho Di- vino discipline! If it were best for you, all you would have to do would bo to open the front windows, and tho ravens Would fly iu with food, and after you had baked 50 times from the barrel iu tho pantry tho barrel, liko the ono of Zurophath, would lie full, and the shoes of the children would last us long as the shoes of the Israelites in the wilderness —40 years, besides that this is going to make heaven tho moro attractive in tho contrast. They never hunger thero, aud consequently thero will bo none of tho nuisances of catering for appetites, and iu tho laud of tho white robe they never hove to mend anything, and tbe air In that bill country makes every body well. There aro no routs to pay. Every man owns his own house, aud a mansion at that. It will not be so great a change for you to have a chariot in heaven if you have been in tho Ijabit of riding in this world. It will not bo so great a change for you to sit down on tho hanks of tho river of life if in this world you had a country seat, but if you have walked with tired feet in this world what a glorious chango to mount celestial equipage! Aud if your life on earth was domestic martyrdom, oh, tho joy of an eternity in which you shall have nothing to do except what you choose to do! Martha has had no drudg ery for 18 centuries. I quarrel with tho theologians who want to distribute all tho thronfts of heaven among tho John Knoxes and tho Hugh Latimers and the Theban legion. Somo of the bright est thrones of heaven will be kept for Christian housekeepers. Oh, what a change from hero to there—from tho time when they put down tho rolling pin to when they take up the scepter! If Chatsworth park and the Vanderbilt mansion were to bo lifted into the ce lestial city, they would bo considered uninhabitable rookeries, and glorified Lazarus would be ashamed to be going iu aud out of either of them. God Is Taking Care. There are many housekeepers who could get along with their toils if it were not for siickness and trouble. Tho fact is, one-half of th,o women of tho land aro moro or less invalids. Tho mountain lass, who has never had an ucho or a pain, mtiy consider household toil inconsiderable, and toward evening she may skip away miles to the fields and drive home the cattle, and she may until 10 o’clock at night fill tho house with laughing racket; but, oh, to do tho work of life with wornont constitu tion, when whooping cough has been raging for six weeks iu tho household, milking tho night as sleepless as the day—that is uot so easy! Perhaps this comes after the nerves have been shat- i tered by some bereavement that has left desolation in every room of tho house aud set tho crib in tho garret because the occupant bus been hushed into a slumber which needs no mother’s lulla by. Oh, sho could provide for tho wholo group a great deal better than she can for a part of tho group, now tho rost aro gone! Though you may tell her God is taking care of those who aro gone, it is motherlike to brood both flocks, aud one wing she puts over tho flock in tho house, tho other wing sho puts over tho flock iu tho grave. Thero is nothing but the old fashioned religion of Jesus Christ that will take a woman happily through the trials of homo life. At first there may bo a ro mance or a novelty that will do for a substitute. Tho marriage hour has just passed, and the perplexities of the house hold are more than atoned by tho joy of being together aud by the fact that when it is late they do uot have to discuss tho question us to whether it is timo to go. Tho mishaps of the household, instead of being a matter of anxiety and repre hension, are a matter of merriment— tho loaf of bread turned into a geologic al specimen, the slushy custards, the jaundiced or measly bisenits. It is a very bright sunlight that fulls on the cutlery and the mantel ornaments of a new homo. “Better Is a Dinner of Herbs.” But after awhilo tho romauco is all gone, aud thou there is something to bo prepared for tho table that tho book callod “Cookery Taught In Twelve Los sous” will not teach. Tho recipe for making it is uot a handful of this, a enpof that aud a spoonful of something else. It is uot something sweetened with ordinary condiments or flavored with ordinary flavors or baked iu ordinary ovens. It is tho loaf of domestic happi ness, and all the ingredients como down trom heaven, and tho fruits are plucked from tho tree of life, aud it is sweetened with the new wine of tho kingdom, aud it is baked iu the oven of home trial. Solomon wrote out of his own experience. Ho hud a wretched borne. A man cannot bo happy with two wives, much less (500, and ho says, writ ing out of bis own experience, “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. ” How great are tho responsibilities of housekeepers! Sometimes an indigest ible article of food, by its effect upon a king, has overthrown an empire. A dis tinguished statistician says of 1,000 un married men there are 88 criminals, and of 1,000 married men only 18 are crim inals. What a suggestion of homo influ ences ! Let tho most bo made of them. Housekeepers by the food they provide, by tho couches they spread, by the hooks they introduce, by the influences they bring around their homo, aro deciding the physical, intellectual, moral, eternal destiny of tho race. You say you. life is one of sacrifice. I know it. But, my sisters, that is tho only life worth liv ing. That was Florence Nightingale’s life; that was Payson’s life; that was Christ’s life. Wo admire it iu others, but bow very hard it is for us to exer cise it ourselves! When, in Brooklyn, young Dr. Hutchinson, having spent a whole night in a diphtheritic room for tho relief of a patient, became saturated with tho poison and died, we all felt as if wo would liko to put garlands on his grave. Everybody appreciates that. When, iu tho burning hotel at St. Louis a young man on the fifth story broke open the door of the room where his mother was sleeping and plunged in amid smoke and fire, crying, “Mother, where aro you?” and never came out, our hearts applauded that young man. Lock of Chrlatliko Spirit. Put how few of us have the Christ- Tike spirit—a willingness to suffer for others. A rough teacher iu a school called upon a poor, half starved lad who had offended against tho laws of tho school and said, “Take off your coat di rectly. sir. ” Tho boy refused to take it off. whereupon the teacher said again, “Take off your coat, sir,” as ho swung the whip through the air. The boy re fused. It was uot because be was afraid of the lash—he was used to that at home—but it was from shame—be hud no undergarment—and ns at tho third command he pulled slowly off Ids coat thero went a sob through tho school. They saw then why he did not want to remove his coat, and they saw the shoulder blades had almost cut through the skin, and a stout, healthy boy roso up and went to tho teacher of the school nnd said: “Oh, sir, please don’t hurt this poor follow. Whip me. Seo, he’s nothing hut a poor chap. Don’t hurt him; ho'i poor. Whip me.” “Well,” said the teacher, “it’s going to bo a se vere whipping. I am willing to take you as a substitute. ” “Well,” said tho boy, “I don’t core. You whip mo, it'i you will let this poor fellow go.” Tho stout, healthy boy took tho scourging without an outcry. “Bravo, ” says ev ery man. “Bravo!” How many of us aro willing to take tho scourging, aud tho suffering aud tho toil, and tho anx iety for other peoplo. Beautiful things to admire, but how little we have of that spirit! God givo us that self deny ing spirit, so that whether we aro in humble spheres or in conspicuous spheres wo may perform our wholo duty —for this struggle will soon be over. Reuu-inbranceg. Ono of tho most affecting reminis cences of my mother is my remembrance of her as a Christian housekeeper. Sho worked very hard, nnd when we would como in from summer play and sit down at tho tablo at noon I remember how she used to como iu with beads of per spiration along tho line of gray hair, aud how sometimes she would sit down at the tablo and put her head against her wrinkled hand and say, “Well, the fact is I’m too tired to eat.” Long aft er she might have delegated this duty to others she would not be satisfied un less sho attended to the matter herself. In fact, wo all preferred to have her do so, for somehow things tasted better when she prepared them. Some timo ago in an express train I shot past that old homestead. I looked out of tho window and tried to peer through tho darkness. While I was doing so one of my old schoolmates, whom I had not seen fob many years, tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Be Witt, I see you aro looking out at tho scenes of your boyhood.” “Oh, yes," I replied, “I was looking out at the old place where my mother lived and died.” That night in the cars the whole scene came back to me. There was the country homo. Thero was tho noonday table. Thero were the children on either side of tho table, most of them gone never to como back. At one end of tho tabic, my fa ther, with a smile that never left his countenance even when ho lay in his coffin. It was an 84 years’ smile—uot tho smile of inanition, but of Christian courage and of Christian hope. At the other end of the tablo was a beautiful, benignant, hardworking, aged Chris tian housekeeper, my mother. She was very tired. I am glad sho has so good a place to rest in. “Blessed aro the dead who die iu the Lord; they rest from their labors, and their works do follow them. ” Trapped by a Lunatic. Only lunatics aro so unreasonable as to get furious when some one disagrees with them,aud so tho manufacturer and jobber can have their little differences and still be on tbe most friendly terms aud respect one another's opinions. This puts me iu mind of a story of a clergy man told me recently. Ho was visiting an insane asylum aud was told by the man who was showing him around the institution that ho was going to intro duce him to a patieut with whom he must agree, no matter what absurd state ments the man might make; otherwise bo would bo furious. Tho first thing tho insane man said to tho clergyman was, “I suppose you know that tho Washing ton monument was totally demolished by a thunderbolt last night?” “Yes,” said tho clergyman, “and I felt very sorry to think that a work that had taken so long to complete should be de stroyed iu an iustant. ” The insane man next said, “Of course you read iu the evening papers that Queen Victoria had decided to abdicate iu favor of her sou, the Prince of Wales?” “Yes,” said the clergyman, “and I am uot at all surprised.” “Did you read that the president had been impeached?” “Yes, and I think itwould have been only fair to have given him a little lon ger trial,” said the clergyman. Then the insane man looked intently upon that clergyman aud said, “You have the air aud tho garb of a clergyman, but yon can lio liko tho devil.”—Iron Age. How to Prevent Pneumonia. At this time of the year a cold is very easily contracted, and if let to run its course without the aid of solne reliable cough medicine is lia ble to result in that dread disease, pneumonia. We know of no better remedy to cure a cough or cold than Chamberlain’s Cough Remedy. We have used it quite extensively and it has always given entire satisfaction. —Oolagah, Ind. Ter. Chief. This is the only remedy that is known to be a certain preventive of pneumonia. Among the many thou sands who have used it for colds and la grippe we have never yet learned of a single case having resulted in pneumonia. Persons who have weak Jungs or have reason to fear an attack of pneumonia, should keep the remedy at hand. The 25 and f>0 cent sizes for sale by the Du Pro Drug Co. An Uncertain Dlaease. There is no disease more uncertain in its nature than dyspepsia. Physicians say that the symptoms of no two cases agree. It is therefore most difficult to make a correct diagnosis. No matter how severe, or under what disguisodyMpopsia attacks you. Browns’ Iro* Bitters will cure it. Invaluable in all diseases of the stomach. Mood and nerves. Browns’Iron Bitters is sold by all dealers. WEAK KIDNEYS are dangerous Kidneys be cause £ they are favorable to the apoearancc of $ BRIGHT'S DISEASE • PRICKLY ASH I; BITTERS—— Si > and strengthens the Kidneys. Restores and regulates .iver. Tones up the Stomach and 1 digestion and clears 3. ? Heals the Liver. Tones up the Stomach and 1 digest! the Bowels of all obstructions and impurities. IT IS FOUR MEDICINES IN ONE. A SYSTEM T0HC PAR-EXCELLENCE. Price $i.oo per battle. Rice's Goose Grease Llnament, cures all ache* and pains. Hold and Kuarnntced by Cbkrokkx Duuu Co. Prepared by PKICKLY ASH BITTERS CO. Sold by all Druggists. | fUST’Cherokee Drug Co. Special Agents. Is a remedy of sterling value. It positively cures all Bronchial Affections, Cough, Cold, Croup, Bronchitis and Grippe. You can always rely on it. DR. BULL’S COUGH SYRUP is indispensable to every family. Price_25_cts._Shun all substitutes. Chew LANGE'S PLUGS.The Great Tobacco Antidote.lOc. Dealers or mail.A.C.Meyer & Co.. 8alto..MiL CANDY CATHARTIC LA 1 rlAK 11C ^ CURE CONSTIPATION 10c 25c 50c rMTE* th6 ALL DRUGGISTS ws- iTor— Building and Plastering Lime, Coal, Shingles, Laths and Plaster Hair, {Dynamite, Blasting Powder, Fuse and Dynamite Caps, call on THE LIMESTONE SPRINGS LIME WORKS, Telephone 57. CARROLL & CO., Lessees. THE NATIONAL BANK OF GAFFNEY. CAPITAL $50,000.00 This bank respectfully solicits the accounts of individual firms and corporations and will extend every reasonable accommoda tion to those doing business with it. Call to see us if you wish to borrow money. F. G. Stacy, Prest, J. G. Wardlaw, Vice-Prest, D. C. Ross, Cashier. Save Your Money by trading where you can buy your goods the cheapest! You will find my store the place you are looking for if you want to make your dollars, quarters and dimes reach the full limit of their purchasing power. Yours truly, J. I. Sarratt. PiOT STTUF'F'. P Hot Coffee, * Hot Chocolate, Hot Clam " "" , Hot Cocoa Cola, Hot Beef Tea, Hot Lemonade, Hot Cocoa. Served Day and Night at Oil! > JL'C I>l’ll$£ Go’s. RESIDENCE LOTS FOR SALE BY Cherokee Land Company. Wo have somo of the most desirable lands for residences any where to be found. You can select just what you want. You, will not bo surrounded by disagreeable neighbors. You can se lect it so that you will have no town taxes to pay. It P located within 250 yards of Southern depot. Cheap prices and easy terms. N. H. LITTLEJOHN, Mgr.