Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1891 — TALMAGE’S BUSY WIFE. [ARTICLE]

TALMAGE’S BUSY WIFE.

A Glimpse of the Great Preacher’! Business Manager. Mrs. Talmage is distinctly her husband’s right hand, and all the details of his busy life are looked after by her, says Edward W. Bok in sThe Ladies’ Home Journal. She is a business woman. having a rare executive ability, capable of easily handling a number of things at the same time. Much of Dr. Talmage’s daily work is planned and laid out by her. She makes his pastoral and social engagements. and all his lecturing interests are in her hands. She knows his capacities even better than he. Whenever a journey is to be made,it is she who lays out the route, procures the tickets and staterooms, and attends to all the details. No public “man. p raaps, is saved so many annoyances as is Dr. Talmage by his wife’s foresight and ability. The rear apartment of the second floor is Mrs. Talmage’s working room. It is tastfully furnished, but more with an eye to utility than ornamention. In this room Mrs. Talmage spends most of her time. Ic is “her private den.” All the mail that is left at the house for Dr. Talmage is taken into this room and is opened by her. It is not an unusual thing for the postman to deliver between one and two hundred letters a day, all of which pass through Mrs. Talmage's hands. Business letters are answered by her. and all letters that may be of an unpleasant or annoying personal nature are destroyed. Dr. Talmage never sees them. A day in Mrs. Talmage’s home would be a revelation to those who believe that the life of a public man’s wife is a succession of pleasures, dotted here with a pretty compliment and there with some token of honor. While many poople are yawning and preparing to break their night’s rest, Mrs. Talmage is already up, opening the first mail. Breakfast is promptly at eight o'clock. Then the family separate and the wife begins to re-ceivecallers—-which alone is a task. It is a well-known saying among the neighbors that “the Talmage bell is never still.” All kinds of people must be seen, innumerable appointments made and kept, the pastoral work of the largest church in America must be looked after, the details of a score or morernissionary, church, literary societies with which Mrs. Talmage or her husband is connected, have their demands, and, in addition to all these, are the household cares of a large house and a family of growing children. All the appointments of the Talmage home in Brooklyn reflect the woman who presides over it. Gaudiness in furniture or decorations is absent, and, instead, one sees a harmony of good taste on every hand. Mrs. Tdlmage is an excellent housekeeper and her home shows it.

Business in the South is booming, especially in the iron, coal, lumber and manufacturing localities. The cotton-mills are all quite busy and are making money. The coal" companies expect to ship large quantities of coal to South and Central America. This year’s shipments of soft coal from Philadelphia will be 2,500,: 000 tons. Coal and lumber are very scarce there, though Cuba. Honduras and Mexico have plenty of Mahogany. A great deal of plush manufactur ing machinery is being brought from England to New York. It will be put up at Uttica. Another'plush factory will be built at Bridgeport. Nottingham lace goods are also tc be made at Williamantic. Conn., and the mills will be run night and day. Textile manufacturers mast be mak ing money, for so many of them are adding buildings, machinery and motive power.y David R. has attained his seventy-second year T a few days ago voted for the hundredth time ir the town of Ballston, N. Y., “having never missed voting, spring and autumn, in his native town since attain ing his majority.