Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-05-26

OF influence rolling ON through Richard hax-
tar, through Philip Doddridge, through the
great Wilbcrforce, through Leigh Richmond,
on, on, on, forever, forever. So the insig
nificant events of this world seem, after all.
to be most momentous. The fact that you
came up that street or this street seemed to
be of no Importance to you, and the fact that
you went inside Of some church may seem to
be q matter Of very great insignifcance to
you, but you will find it tue turning point III
your history.
v. Again: see in my subject al illustra-
sion of the beauty Of female industry.
Behold Ruth toling in the harvest field
under the hot sun, or nj noon taking plain
bread with the reapers, or eatng 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 WIS subjected every intelligent
woman will find something to do.
know there is a sickly scntimentality on
this subject. In some families there are per-
SONS of no practical service to the household
or community, and though there nre so
many woes all around about them in the
, world they spend their time anguishing
over new pattern, OF bursting into tears at
midnight over the story of some lover who
shot hin,self They would rot deign to look
OF Ruth carrying back the barley on her
way homo TO her mother-in-law, Naomi. All
this fastidiousness may seem to do very well
while they are under the shelter Of their
fathers house, but when tho sharp winter Of
misfortune comes what of these butterfiesl
Persons under indulgent parentage may get
upon themselves habits of Incidence, but
when they come out into practical life their
soul will recoil with disgust and chagrin.
They will feel in their hearts what the poet
SO severely satirized when he said:
Folks so awkward, things SO mpoiite,
They're elegantly panied from morning until
night.
Through that gate of Incidence how many
men and women have marched, useless on
earth, to destroyed eternity! Spinola said
to Sir Horace We're: "Of what did your
brother dief" "Of having nothing to do"
was the answer. "Ah," said Spinola, 'that's
enough to kill any general ofus." Oh, can it
be possible in this world, where there is so
much suffering to be aIleviated, so much
darkness to be enlightened. and so many
burdens to be carried, that there is any person
who cannot find anything to dol
Nine de Stael did world of work in her
time; and one day, while she was seated
amid instruments of music. oil Of which she
had mastered, and amid manuscript books
which she had written, some one said to her:
'How do you find time to attend to all these
thingsl" "Oh" she replied, these are not
the things am proud of. BY chief boast is
in the fact that have seventeen trades, by
any one of which could make livelihood
if necessary" And if in secular spheres there
Is so much to be done, in spiritual work how
vast the field We want moro Abigails, more
Hannahs, more Rebeccas, more Marys, more
Deborahs, consecrated-body. mind, soul-to
the Lord who bought them.
VI Once more: learn from my subject
the value of cleaning.
Ruth going into that harvest field might
have said: "There is straw, and there is
straw, but what is n strawl | can't get any
barley for myself or my mother in-law out
Of these separate straws." Not SO said beau
tiful Ruth. She gathered two straws and
she put them together, and more straws, un-
til she got enough to mako q sheaf, and
another, and another, and another, and then
sho brought them all together, and sho
threshed them out, and she had an cphah Of
barley, nigh bushel. Oh, that we might all
be cleaners!
Elihu Burritt learned many things while
toilins in blacismith's shop. Abercrombie,
the world renowned philosopher, was. o phil
osophefsin Scotland, and he got his philoso-
Div, or the clief part Of it, WHILE as ply
stefan, he was waiting for tho door of the
sick room to open. Yet how many there are
in this day who say they are so busy they
have no time for meutal or spiritual i'm
provenent; the grent duties of life cross tho
field like strong reapers, and carry off all tho
hours and there is only here and there
fragment left that is not worth cleaning.
All, my friends you could go into the bust
est day and busiest week Of your life and
find golden opportunities, which. gathered,
might ut least make whole sheaf for the
Lords garner. 1t is the stray opportunities
aud the stray privileges which, taken up and
bound together and beaten out, will ut last
Gil you with Astounding joy.
There are few moments left worth the
cleaning. Now, Ruth, to the fieldl May
each one have measure full and running
overt Oh, you cleaners, to the field And
if there be in your house an aged one or
sick relative that is not strong enough to
como forth and toll in this field, then let
Ruth take homo to feeble Naomi this shear
of cleaning: "He that goeth forth and
wcepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubt
less come again with rejoicing, bringing his
sheayes with him" May the Lord God of
Ruth and Naomi be our portion forcverl