and weaving have, at some period, constituted the highest glory of the noblest women of nearly every nation of Europe. Catharine of Russia, whose descendants are represented as almost the only royal race that have escaped physical and mental deterioration, was once occupied at the spinning wheel. She is said to have followed that occupation, in connection with her aged parent, and to have combined with it those literary pursuits that so highly distinguished the illustrious Empress. While her mother spun, she read aloud to her from some useful book, and when her parent was weary, she resumed the wheel, and the old lady the volume; and thus the physical and mental education of the unpretending girl steadily advanced, hand in hand. Some modern ladies would think it a serious interruption to their literary and ornamental pursuits, to combine with them the exercise of useful labor; but this is a mistake. That is precisely the exercise best calculated to counteract the mischief done to the system by an inactive, sedentary life. A few years ago, comparatively, physicians would prescribe moderate exercise at the spinning wheel, as one of the best remedies for weakness, lassitude, pain in the side, and kindred diseases, the result of idleness and vice. Did the victims of indolence know how easily their maladies might be removed, by laying their hands to the distaff, they would be ready to cast aside their false customs, and, with the glee of olden times, resume this honorable, as well as needful occupation. It need not be said that cotton and woollen jennies do away with this necessity. They do so only in part; and where they do, other useful employments must be substituted. Certainly an American woman, who in the least values the institutions of her country, should be the last to banish from home the spinning wheel, which was as truly an instrument in the hands of her mother, wielded skillfully for the defence of her country, as was the sword in the hands of the brave champions of freedom. While their husbands, brothers, and sons, fought the battles of their country, they were clad in the garments which patriotic matrons made with their own hands. And it has hardly passed the memory of the ancients among us, since Boston Common presented the noble spectacle of three hundred spinning wheels, which uttered their musical cadence to the skillful playing of the fairest hands. Alas for the degeneracy of our own time! when there are scores of the young cities of the west, where the music of the spinning wheel has never wakened a gladsome echo; and the daughters, even of the poor, spend their mornings in sauntering through the streets, looking in at the shops to get a complacent bow from the pale clerk behind the counter, or a still more agreeable one, from the enterprising young merchant himself. Consumers, but not producers, they squander the time and the strength which God designed them to use in his service, in alleviating the cares and woes of the world, refusing to fulfil the mission on which He sent them, they live dishonored, and die unmourned. "She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy," ver. 20. How truly amiable was this virtuous woman, and what blessings did she secure to her house, by her benevolent deeds. When the poor made known their sorrows, how freely and cheerfully did she relieve them. Nor did she wait to be importuned. She reached forth her hand beyond the narrow circle of her personal acquaintance, and wherever she found suffering humanity, she provided for its wants. Like the glorious Pattern which she followed, the wretched, whom she had relieved, loved her, because she first loved them. Would that her bright example might oftener be emulated, that the poor and perishing of earth might be sought out and relieved, without sub jecting their spirits to the degradation of importuning the charity of their fellow-beings. How little do the children of luxury realize the bitter struggles it may have cost the suffering to overcome the delicacy of their feelings, so far as to seek the aid of strangers! O how many have tasted the last dregs in the cup of want, rather than to seek the aid of charity! Had the hands of all the prosperous in the world been stretched out to them, nay, even reached after them to see that they were supplied with all things needful, how many sad hearts had been made to rejoice; and how many had returned from the paths of sin and death! Alas, that we should be so selfish and hardened, as to consider the wants of others, only when forced by their importunities to acknowledge their claims. Let us be more like our Divine Master : 66 Dispensing good where'er He came, And these the rules by which we live." If we realized how precious are the promises to such as delight to succor the necessitous, we could not willingly be denied them. We should lay aside every selfish consideration; as the apostle said, "Covet earnestly the best gifts." Let us again turn to the pages of inspiration, and see what a fund of blessings God has provided for the liberal soul. "Blessed is he that considereth the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble."-Ps. 41: 1. "Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evils are upon the earth."-Eccl. 11: 1, 2. "For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will, ye may do them good: but me ye have not always." "He that hath a bountiful eye, shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor."-Prov. 22: 9. "He that giveth unto the poor, shall not lack; but he that hideth his eye, shall have many a curse. Prov. 28: 27. He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth to the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again."—Prov. 19: 17. "Every man, according as he hath purposed in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver." 2 Cor. 9: 7. Beloved, read these precious promises, and say if they are not worthy the generous efforts of your heart and hands. Look back upon your past lives, and bear witness, if you have ever found God slack to perform his word. Has He not more than paid for all the toil and suffering you may have been called to endure, in order to relieve the necessities of others? When have you ever performed a generous deed, that has not brought you a richer reward in your own spirit, than you felt yourself entitled to claim? And if tried by the vicissitudes and sufferings incident to our imperfect state, has God ever failed to succor you in this your time of need? Bear witness to his want of faithfulness, if you have ever found him unfaithful; but if he has always proved more than faithful to perform his word, bear testimony, not with your lips alone, but in your deeds of kindness and mercy to others. Reach forth your hands to the needy, consider their necessities, provide for them labor, such as they can perform, if they are in health; and if sick and afflicted, open your hand and administer comfort, with the full and implicit confidence that if you lend to the Lord, he will repay you in kindness, should you ever be in like circumstances, and more than repay you, even should you never suffer want. The blessings of Israel's God will rest upon your possessions; and the prayers of the poor and needy will rise, like incense, before him, imploring his grace to rest upon you. Such a character seems to be peculiarly the object of God's complacent regard. He loves to shower his choicest blessings upon the heads of such; but how differently does He regard those who refuse the pleadings of his love, deny the common claims of humanity, and withhold from the needy the consolations of kind words and charitable. deeds. Even against his chosen people, the severest judgments of God were denounced, because that, in their pride and fullness, they refused to consider the poor. sense. "She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet," ver. 21. Here is another sure vindication of her practical goodHer family are clothed with garments adapted to the season. Her daughters are not clad in such delicate fabrics, that they must necessarily suffer from the least exposure. Strong woollen garments, dyed as skillfully as a Tyrian would have done it, and all with the labor of their own hands, constitute the apparel of her household. So, doubtless, of the shoes and stockings on their feet. They were such, that Norwegian mountains would not intimidate the wearers, or keep them from duty. What a striking contrast to the clothing of the great mass of women, at the present day. Perhaps we may not inappropriately refer to some of the preposterous customs of our own times, and show how utterly at variance they are with the wisdom of this "pattern woman," and how truly destructive of the best interests of humanity. Remark, first, she made the garments which she wore, and in which she clad her household. She did not waste her time in idleness, nor consume it in trivial pursuits. |