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THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
Moses from th e Nile she unhinged the gates of slavery. She made th e law of Sinai possible, organizing Israel, and th e foundation of Christianity. If she had known, she could have strangled th e life in a moment and spared the land she loved— saving Moses, she made Israel and Christianity possible. When Hannah devoted Samuel to God she gave the life th a t organized Israel into a kingdom , anointed David as king, founded th e School of th e P rophets, and made th e Hebrews a power in th e E ast ern world. By th e banks of a V irginia R iver a woman shaped th e life th a t formed th e Republic. On th e edge of th e W estern w ilderness a woman moulded th e life th a t freed th e negro from th e bondage of slavery. Men m ake governments. Women make men. Seek th e ballot if you wish, b u t do not neglect th e cradle. The first mortgage controls th e property and she who wins th e soul w ins th e output. Where shall we get wisdom? P rom lite ra tu re and from life. A good book is th e life-blood of a m aster sp irit saved up fo r a life beyond life. Books are th e reservoirs th a t s ta rt th e th ink ing of th e centuries. A young man goes to his pastor and says, “ P asto r, I w ant to
be a doctor.” A sensible choice—for so long as men are born of th e flesh they are born to fleshly ills and w ith inh erited ills we m ust needs have doc to rs for th e flesh. The young man takes four years in th e academy, four years in th e college, and then his m ind is so tempered and edged th a t it will not tu rn when he cuts green cheese. Three years a t th e medical school and a year in th e ho sp ital; then the state tu rn s th e body of citizens to th e care of th e doctor— bu t when th e wind blows across th e young m an’s m ind you smell drugs. He th ink s symptoms— dreams of diseases and plans cures. When he shakes a young lady by th e hand he run s his finger up her w rist to feel h er pulse. When he looks into her eye he searches for symptoms of h ealth and disease. When she is talk ing he seeks to catch a glimpse of her tongue to see if it is coated. He cannot help it. The lite ra tu re th a t he has studied has moulded and shaped his inner life. H is b ro th er prepares for th e bench. Academy and college are followed by th e legal school. When he proposes he argues as though before a jury. When he prays he pleads w ith the Judge. The lite ra tu re has shaped his
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