The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-06-23
nIIIPLE FAITH.
A Poor Mans Theory OF the Plan ofHu
man Sal Vation.


Blu Nye, IN he TeSGI SltliNsS.
Up in Polk County, Wisconsin, man
who had lost eight children by diphtheria,
while the ninth lowered between life and
death with the same disease, went to the
health officer Of the town and asked aid to
prevent the spread Of the terrible scourge.
The health officer was cool aad collected.
He did not get excited over the an
guish OF the father whose last child
was at that moment hanging on the out.
skirts Of immortality. He calmly inyesti-
gated the matter, and never for a moment
lost sight OF the TACT that he was town Of.
fcer aud professional Christian.
"You ask aid, understand" said he,
ITO prevent the spread Of the disease, and
also that the town shall assist you in pro-
curing new and necessary clothing to re-
place that which you have been compelled
10 burn in order to stop the further inroads
OF diphtheria. Am l right?"
The poor man answered athrmatiyely.
"AIay I ask il your boys who died were
Christian boys, and whether they improy-
ed their Gospel opportunities and attended
the Sabbath school, or whether they were
profane and given over TO Sabbath break
ing%
The bereft father said that his boys had
never made profession OF Christianity;
that they were hardly old enough to do so;
and that they might have missed some
Gospel opportunities, owing to the fact that
they were poor and hadn't clothes fit to
wear to Sabbath school. Possibly, too,
they had met with wicked companions and
had been taughtto swear; he could not say
but they might have sworn, although he
thought they would have turned out to be
good boys had they lived.
~ am sorry that the case is so bad, "said
the Health Officer. II am led to believe
that God has seen fit to viEit you with
affection in order to express His divine
disapproval OF profanity, and cannot
help you. It Ill becomes3us poor, weak
worms OF the dust TO meddle with the just
judgements Of God. Whether as an in
divldualer as quasi corporation, 1t is well
TO allow the Almighty to work out his
great plan OF salvation and TO avoid all
carnal interference with the works OF God.
The old man went back to his desolated
home, and to the bedside OF his only
living child. Imet him yesterday, and he
told me aboutitall.
~ am not professor Of religion" said
he, "but tell you, Mr.. Nye, don't be.
lieye that this Board Of Health has used
me right. Somehow ! amt worried about
my little fellers that's gone. They was
little fellers, anyway, and they wasn't
posted on the plan Of salvation, but they
was always kind and always minded me
and their mother. II God is using diph-
iberia agin perianity this season they don't
know it. They was too young to know
about it and | was too poor 10 take the
papers, so didn't know 1t nuther. l Just
thought that Christ was partial to little on,
like mine, Just the sameas He used 10 be- 900
years ago, when the country was new.
admit that my little shavsrs never went to
Sabbath School much, and 1 wasn't scholar
enough to throw much Light onto Gods
system OF retribution, bnt l told them to
behave themselves and they did, and we
had good deal OF fun tUgether-me and |
the boys-and they were so bright, and
square, and cute that l didn't see how they
could iall under the divine wrath, and |
don't believe they-did. Icould tell you |
lots Of smart little tricks that they used to |
do, MIR. Nye, but they want mean nor |
cussed. They was just frolicky and gay |
sometimes because they felt good.
mind you, l don't kick because am
left here alone in the woods, and the sun
don't seem to shine, and the birds seem a |
little backward about singin' this spring, |
and the house is SO quiet, and she is still |
all the time and cries in the night when |
she thinks am asleep. All that is tough,
Mr.. Nye-tough as the old Harry, too
but its so, and l amt murmurin', but !
when the Board Of Health says to me that
the Ruler OF the Universe ia maxim tower |
OF Northern Wisconsin, mowin' down little |
boys with sore throat because they say
gosh, l can't believeit
~ know that people who amt familiar
with the facts will shake their heads and |
say Pm child Of wrath, but can't help |
1t. All l can do Is to go up there under
the trees where them little graves is, and |
think how ALTERED pleasant to me them
little, short-lives was, and how every one
OF them little tellers was welcome when he |
come, poor as 1 was, and how rastled
with poor crops and pine stumps to buy |
cloze fer 'em, and din't care cent for |
style as long as they was we'll. That's the
kind OF hereto am, and il God is like
a father that settles it. He wouldn't wipe
out my family Just to establish discipline,
don't believe. The plan Of creation must |
be on bigger scale than that, 1t seems to |
me, or else its more or less of fzzle.
"That Board Of Health is better read
than am. 1t takes the papers, and can
add up figures, and do lots OF things that l
can't do, but when them iellers tells me
that they represent the Town Of Balsam
Lake and the Kingdom Of Hesyen, my
morbid curiosity Is aroused, and ] want TO
see their stiffykits Of election"