Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-01-26

Correspondence of the Mexico Ledger.
LADDoNIA, Mo-, January 24.-We
read of shipwrecked sailors clinging
to fragments of the mast, or to pieces
Of timber, and floating upon the
waters of the broad ocean for days
without a morsel of food. We read
Of famines in distant countries; of
persons on the point of actual starva-
ton. People so unfortunate, have
the sympathy all undetermined men.
But when similar cases are brought
under Jul immediate observation a
greater degree of sympathy, as a
general rule, is manifested, and, more
particularly, among church people
towards one of their own number.
This rule, like all others, has its ex-
eeptions, and a startling illustration
of n of its exceptions was shown up
last Thursday in Laddonia in the fol-
lowing
One Mr.. Mob, an active member
and former sexton of a Baptist Church,
located 6 miles southeast of our town,
appealed to US for assistance. His
call was Immediately responded to,
and our good people sent him a wag-
on load of provisions and clothing,
besides some money. Bro. Mob. is
of good report, and bears the name
of being an honest, hard-worklng,
industrious man and a good citizen.
He has a wife and six small children,
and being crippled IN his right arm,
it requires all his energies and the
very closest economy to provide a
scanty support. An entire failure of
the crop reduced him to poverty :;
himself and family were Frustrated
by sickness a heavy doctor bill was
contracted, and the physician, a good
Presbyterian, caused the poor man to
sacrifice his last horse in order that
he (the physician) might obtain COM
pensation for professional services.
Thus a family was left in the most
destitute and trying circumstances.
The church to which he belongs num-
bers about $50 members, and, strange
to say, not one of them came to his
assistance not one extended a help
ing hand during his hours of atiiic-
ton, or made the least effort to allie
viate his sutferings; and, had he no
other than to depend upon
the cold charity of that church, he
and his family would doubtless have
died OF actual starvation. Three long
weeks was this unfortunate family
confined to the house on account of
sickness, with scarcely enough food
to sustain life-with clothing insult
ticient to protect the body during the
cold storms of winter, and with no
christian brother or sister to speak a
word of consolation.
Is this christianity? No; it's inhu-
mainly. It's barbarism. Barbarians
and savages are seldom guilty of such
treatment 10 one another; and even
though they are. they might be excus-
able, to a certain degree, on account
of ignorance. But when people in
this enlightened age look coldly
upon a fellow creature who is deserv-
ing, and allow him to s~tarve, then
and there they stamp upon them
selves the brand of heathenisn, bar
barism and inhumanity-a brand that
will follow them to the grave and
characterize them in the day of Judg-
ment. This matter ought to be taken
into consideration, and a church
guilty of such treatment towards one
of Its own members should not be
recognized in any association. They
may attempt to deny the charge and
clear their skirts. but facts are facts,
and truth is truth, and this is just as
it has been represented to Jul good
people and, if such be christianity,
God forbid that ever we embrace it.
A SAMARITAN.