The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-09-04
Daniel Hill and the Messenger o
Peace.
From the Messenger of Peace.

| Uanlel HILL anu IHe MeSSeHBeT U
Peace.
From the Messenger of Peace.
I was born and reared in North Car
olina. 1 had a good opportunity te
hear many sad war stories. The sad
dest of all to me was the one concern
ing my three brothers, who went to the
"front," two of whom never to return
Just as was beginning to read, my
father, who was minister, received 8
COPY OF the MESSENGER OF PEACE, 8
small, neat paper published at Vienna
Ohio. I was very much attracted by
its stories of the horrors Of war. ]
found the statement, "free to minis
ters.n I wrote postal in my childish
way to Daniel Hill, the editor, telling
him that my father was a preacher
and that I was only little boy, but
that I loved to read his paper, and
while had no money to send him, il
he would send the paper to me,
would be $50 glad" and assured him ]
would read it. To my surprise and de.
light, the paper came the next month.
You can imagine how l would read
every word of it, because it was the
first paper T had ever taken, and it
came addressed to me, and "didn't
cost a cent" Well, the MESSENGER
OF PEACE came to me for two or three
years, and as I grew older I became at
tracted more and more not only by the
story of war, but by the better story OF
peace. There were impressions made
on my youthful mind which can never
be erased. Nor do want them erased,
for the spirit of that little paper is the
spirit of Jesus Christ, the Prince OF
Peace. I think am better man to-
day by having this kind of reading
put into my hands. 1t is q pity that
parents can't see the importance of
feeding their boys on such healthful
food Finally, when =! grew up to
young manhood, I left home to seek
an education, and to prepare myself
for the ministry. Three years were
spent in college in North Carolina, one
in Tennessee, and four in Illinois. In
changing offices, the MESSENGER lost
track of me, and on account of my
many duties, and forgetting Vienna, l
lost track of it. One year ago [ went
to Wabash, Ind, to attend the Metho-
dist Conference. I was the guest OF
old Father Crab, and while there !
met an elderly man whom they called
brotAer Hill. He was young in the
spirit and active in body. He had
come to represent the Society OF
Friends on the subject of Arbitration.
T saw him 90 to the platform with an
elastic step to speak to the worthy
theme in behalf Of which he had
come. His words were earnest and ell
oquent as he progressed in the short
speech which he was permitted to
make. "You say your name is Hill "'
I asked afterwards, "and you belong
to the Quakers ?n Then l told him
the story of my reading paper in my
boyhood-called the MESSENGER OF
PEACE, edited, as remembered, by a
man whose name was Hill. "I'm the
man. said he. Well, I can't desert be
my feelings. Whether I lived again
as boy Of fifteen, or whether one OF
nv best friends had arised from the
dead, I could hardly tell which, for
the past was so vividly called up, and
Daniel Hill had been lost sight of with
no expectation of hearing from him
again. It is blessed privilege to look
nto the face of man whose teaching
has helped to shape ones character
and bless ones life. And it must be q
comfort to the Masters laborers to
know that they are instrumental in
doing good. l do not believe all of
our reward will be reserved till after
death. Hence L do not wish to eulo-
gize dead man as is our custom, but
r r,tI 70
lives, that he has been benediction to
one of Christ's servants, and as long as
T preach the Gospel will I remember
that its foundation is laid by the
"Prince of Peace,n and that the scope
of the Gospel lies back of the words.
"Peace on earth, good will toward
men,"
The MESSENGER is as welcome to
my table as a paper of my own de-
nomination, and I hope may always
keep track of it. 1t ought to be put
into the hands of every child. While
the Nation is teaching, by building
war ships and heavy guns, that self-de-
fence is God-given principle, let the
Bible and the MESSENGER OF PEACE
teach the better way of self-defence.
No paper in this country has greater
mission to fill, and may its white
leaves be unfolded in thousands of our
homes. May Daniel Hill be spared
yet many years to this responsible po-
sition, and when wars shall have ceas-
ed, may the God of Peace crown His
servant.
J. w. BARKER.
Hamilton. Ind.