The Excellent Woman'. 2
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"Her husband is known in the gates." A great many public men who have risen to eminence and power, have not hesitated to confess that they owed it all to their wives. An inefficient, indolent, thriftless, gad-about woman—will never help her husband's promotion; on the other hand she will hinder his advancement, will prove a heavy drag, and will probably make his life a failure. It is no secret that there are wives of this kind. More men than we probably think are kept down by their wives.
The practical lessons are important. Girls and young women should train themselves to efficiency, earnestness, thrift, helpfulness, strength of character, so that if they marry they will make such wives as the woman of this lesson. And boys and young men, in forming their ideas of the woman that will make a good wife, must not be so foolishly blind as to overlook what is taught here about the kind of woman whose husband becomes honored among men. They must remember that their own future success as men, will depend very largely upon the kind of wife they choose.
The law of kindness is on the tongue of the excellent woman. She has trained her speech to gentle tones. A woman's voice is a wonderful revealer of her character. Every young girl should train herself to speak softly and kindly. One who has not done this in early life, will not be able suddenly to adopt "the law of kindness" when she sets up her own home. Little girls should begin to speak softly when they are playing, or at school and in their home. Nothing is more beautiful in a woman, than calmness and quietness in manner, showing itself in well-controlled speech. Bad temper is a great blot on a woman. A wife and mother who is always scolding, scolding, scolding—not only mars the beauty of her own life, but hurts the lives and scars and spoils the characters of her children, and makes her home an unhappy place for her household. Wonderful is this law of kindness. In a mother in her home, its influence is heaven-like. Every girl and young woman should take this "law" into her life at once, and train her heart and voice to the sweetest kindness.
"Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her." Here we find something in the lesson for the children. They ought to bless their mother. Children have a great deal to do with the happiness of their parents. They should not forget to be kind and loving to the mother and father who have done so much for them. There is a word here too for some husbands. They forget to praise their wives. One of the ways to make a home happy is for all its members to train themselves to speak pleasant and encouraging words the one to the other. In some homes scarcely a word of affection is ever spoken. Though they are courteous to strangers, at home the love in their hearts seems to freeze, and only cold, snappy words are ever heard. No one thanks another for any kindness. Favors are received in silence. That is not the way the good wife and mother deserves to be treated. Let the children try this rule—rise up and fill their mother's heart with joy. Let the silent, grumpy husband begin to praise his wife, say pleasant things to her, show her some of his love.
Plenty of children, and husbands, too, pour out blessing and praise when the mother and wife is dead. But that is too late. It does her no good then. One loving word when she is living—is worth more than a thousand words when she is dead. One flower brought home and put into her hand when the thoughtful act will give her cheer—is better than a whole carriage-load of flowers piled upon her coffin.
Every woman wants to be beautiful. The secret of true beauty is stated in this chapter of Proverbs: "Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised." Some women sacrifice everything to win favor, to become popular. This word tells us how worthless, how empty and vain is the world's favor. Nothing is worth striving for in womanhood, but pure, noble, lovely character. That is gotten only by being a Christian, by loving God and doing His will, and staying near Him all the time. Many people's religion, is not just like Jesus Christ's religion. Yet everyone should try to be like Him. If we are, then we shall be beautiful. I have read about a girl, a boarder in a family, whom everybody seemed to be wanting all the time. The children wanted her to help them with their toys and play. The old people wanted her for this, and the young people for that. She had learned the true secret of favor. Can you find it?
A woman like this does not need a monument over her grave after she is gone, for her own works will be the best and noblest memorial she can have. We remember what a memorialMary's broken alabaster box became to her, and how the fragrance of that beautiful, blessed deed of hers still fills all the world. We must not forget that it was through the breaking of the box, and the pouring out of the ointment, that the memorial was made. If Mary had thought the vase too fine to break and the ointment too precious and costly to pour out we would never have heard of either. Things we keep to ourselves leave no blessing in the world, and write no record for us in heaven. It is only the broken things which do good—the things dear to us that we give up for Christ, which are remembered and become immortal.
The "works" of this good woman in our lesson that praise her in the gates, are not the things she did for herself—to get rich, to win honor. They are her kindness to the poor, the distressed, the troubled, the sorrowing. Not only do such "works" praise us in the gates of earth—but our Lord assures us they will also praise their doers at the final judgment, and in the gates of heaven forever. There ought to be sweet encouragement in this, for every woman who is trying to live a life of loving service for Christ. No one knows what the final outcome will be of the smallest thing done in love, for one of Christ's little ones in the Master's name.
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