The west Tennessee star. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1888, 1888-06-01
SUBSCRIPTION: Sl.OO Per Year.

OF unconverted multitudes. And thSt
tide of influence started from the fact that
one Christian woman dropped Christian
tract In the way of Richard Baxter-that
tide of influences rolling on through Rich
ard Baxter, through Philip Doddridge,
through the great Wilberforce, through
Leigh Richmond, on, on, on, forever, for
ever. So the insignificant events Of this
world seem, after all, to be most moment
Gus. The fact that you came~up that
street or this street seemed to be or no
Importance to you, and the fact that you
went inside some church may seem to be
matter of very great insignifcance to
you, but you will find it the turning point
in your history.
Again: / see in my subject an inustra-
ton OF the beauty of female industry. Be-
hold Ruth toiling in the harvest field an
der the hot sun, or at noon taking plain
bread with the reapers, or eating the
parched corn which Boaz handed to her.
The customs of society, Of course, have
changed, and without the hardships and
exposure TO which Ruth was subjected
every intelligent woman will find some
thing to do.
know there is a sickly sentimentality
on this subject. In some families there
are persons of no practical service to the
household or community; and though
there are so many woes all around about
them in the world, they spend their time
languishing over new pattern, or burst
ing into tears at midnight over the story
of some lover who shot himself. They
would not deign to look at Ruth carrying
back the barley on her way home To her
mother-in-law, Naomi. All this fdstidi-
BUSINESS may seem to do very we'll while
they are under the shelter of their ia
theirs house; but when the sharp winter
OF misfortune comes, what of these hut
1 RarHfaa9 ParaonG FYn6ar indnlUanf nnTPnf-
age may get upon themselves habits Of
| Incidence; but when they come out into
| practical life their soul will recou with
disgust and chagrin. They will feel in
their hearts what the poet so severely sa-
tirized when he said:
Folks are so awlSard, things impolite,
They're elegantly panied from morning until
night.
Through that gate of Incidence how
many men and women have marched,
useless. on earth, to a destroyed eternitYi
| Spinola said to Sir Horace We're;
'tOf what did your brother dieg"
'fOf having nothing to do" was the an
swer.
"Ah," said Spinola, ''that's enough to
kill any General of u.s."
! OIL can it be possible in this world,
where there is so much suffering to be al
| leviated, so much darkness TO be en-
| lightened, and so many burdens to be
| carried, that there Is any person VINO GaA
not find any thing TO do?
Nine. de Stael did a world OF work In
her time; and, one day, while she was
seated amid instruments of music, ali Of
which she hau mastered, and amid manu-
script books which she had written, somo
one said to her:
GLOW do you find time to attend to all
these things"
"Oh.". she replied, sthese arc not the
| 7 oP r11fnf hpauf a
in the fact that have seventeen trades,
| by any one of which could make a liveli-
hood If necessary"
And IL in secular spheres thero is so
much 70 be done, in spiritual work how
| vast the fieldl We want more Abigails,
more Hannahs, moro Rebeccas, moEe
Marys, more Deborahs cOnseorated-
body, mind, soul--to the Lord who bought
them.
Once mores I learn from my subject tho
value of gleanings. Ruth going into that
harvest field might have said;
There is q straw, and there is a straw,
but what is a straw? I can't get any bar
ley for myself or my mother-in- Law out OF
these separate straws."
Not so said beautiful Ruth She gath
cred two straws, and put them together,
and more straws, until she got enough to
make a sheaf. Putting that down, she
went and gathered more straws, until she
had another sheaf, and another, and an
other, and another, and then she brought
them all together, and she threshed them
out, and she had an ephah of barley,
nigh a bushel. oh, that we might all be-
gleanersi
Elihu Burritt learned many things while
toiling in blacksmith's shop. Aber-
crombie, the world renowned philosopher,
was philosopher in Scotland, and he got
his philosophy, or the chief part Of it,
while, as physician, he was waiting for
the door of the sick room 70 open. Yet
how many there are in this day who say
they are so busy they have no time for
mental or spiritual improvement; the
great duties of life cross the field Ike
strong reapers and carry off all the hours,
and there is only here and there a fraR-
ment left that is not worth cleaning. All,
my friends, you could go into the busiest
day and busiest week of your life and find
golden opportunities, which, gathered,
might at least make whole sheaf for tho
Lords garner. IL is the stray opportunt-
ties and the stray privileges which, taken
| uu and bound together and beaten out,
will at last fill you with abounding JOY.
There are few moments left worth tho
| cleaning. Now. Ruth. TO the feldl May
each one have "a measure full and run-
ming overi Oh, you cleaners, to the field
And IL there be in your household an
aged one or a sick relative that Is not
strong enough to come forth and toll In
this field, then let Ruth take home to
feeble Naomi this sheaf of cleaning;
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing
| precious seed, shall doubtless come again with
/. rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
May the Lord God Of Ruth and Naomi
| he our portion forever!