The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-05-25

or community, and though there are 30
many woes all around about them In the
world they spend their time languishing
over new pattern. OF bursting 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 10 her mother in-l law, Naomi All
this fastidioIIsIie2s may seem TO do very well
| while they are under the shelter Of their
fathers house. but when the sharp winter of
| misfortune comes what of these butterfiiesi
Persons under indulgent parentage may get
| upon themselves habits OF Incidence, but
when they come out into practical life their
| soul will recoi with disgust and chagrin
| They will feel in their hearts what the poet
| so severely satirized when be said
Folks are SO awkward. things so impoIte,
| 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 eternity Spinola said
| to Sir Horace We're "Of what did your
brother der ''Of having nothing to do"
| was the answer All" said Spinola, that's
enough to kill any general of us" Oh, can it
he possible in this world, where there is so
much suffering to be aIleviated, so much
darkness to be enlightened, and 50 many
burdens to be carried, that there is any person
who cannot find anything to dol
Mime de Stael did world Of work In her
time, and one day while she was seated
amid instruments Of music, all 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
/ ia n, ral,o III
the things am proud Of Ny 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 he done, in spiritual work how
| vast the field We want more 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 a straw, and there is
| straw, but what is a strawf 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, I'M
| til she got enough to make a sheaf, and
another, and another, and another, and then
she brought them all together, and she
threshed them out, and she had an ephah of
barley, nigh bushel Oh, that we might all
be gleanersI
Elihu Burritt learned many things while
toiling in blacksmith's shop Abercrombie,
the world renowned philosopher, was phil
osopher in Scotland. and he got his philoso-
ply, or the chief part of it, while, as ply
stefan, he was waiting for the 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 mental or spiritual i'm
provement, the great duties of life cross the
field like strong reapers, and carry off all the
hours, and there is only here and there a
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 at least make a whole sheaf for the
Lords garner 1t is the stray opportunities
and the stray privileges which, taken up and
bound together and beaten out, will at last
| fill you with Astounding joy
There are few moments left worth the
cleaning Now, Ruth, to the fieldl' May
each one have a measure full and running
overt Oh, you cleaners, to the fieldl And
| if there be in your house 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 doubt
less come again with rejoicing, bringing his
sheaves with him" May the Lord God o.
Ruth and Naomi be our portion foreverl