Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-04-23

them 50 nttle. some or them thrust Into
an infidelity like that Of the poor German
girl who, when told in the midst Of her
wretchedness that God was good, said,
"No; no good God Just look at me. No
good God"
OUR 10000 MIsERABLY POOR
In this cluster of cities whose cry Of
want interpret there areIsaid 70 be, as far
as can figure it up from the reports.
about three hundred thousand honest
poor who are dependent upon individ-
ual, city and state charities. II all their
voices could come up at once it would
be groan that would shake the founda-
tions Of the city and bring all earth
and heaven to the rescue. But for the
most part it suffers unexpressed. 10
sits in silence gnashing its teeth and suck
ing the blood of its own arteries waiting
for the Judgment day. Oh, should not
wonder il ON that day it would be found
out that some of us had some things that
belonged to them, some extra garment
which might have made them comfortable
in cold days; some bread thrust into the
ash barrel that might have appeased their
hunger for little while; some wasted can
die or gas jet that might have kindled up
their darkness; some fresco on the ceiling
that would have given them roof: some
jewel which, brought to that orphan girl
in time, might have kept her from being
crowded off the precipices Of an unclean
life; some New Testament that would
have told them of him who "came to seek
and save that which was lost"
Oh, this wave of vagrancy and hunger
ami nakedness that dashes against our
front door stepl If the roofs of all the
houses of destitution could be lifted so we
could look down into them just as God
looks, whose nerves would be strong
enough to stand it? And yet there they
are. The fifty thousand sewing women in
these three cities, some of them in hunger
and cold, working night after night, until
sometimes the blood spurts from nostril
and lips.
How well their grief was voiced by that
despairing woman who stood by her invalid
husband and invalid child, and said to the
city missionary: 81 am down hearted.
Everything's against us; and then there
are other things" what other things2"
said the city missionary. "Oh," she replied,
''my SIM" "What do you mean by thati"
"Well," she said, II never hear or see any
thing good. It's work from Monday morn
ing till Saturday night, and then when
Sunday comes can't go out, and walk
the floor, and it makes me tremble to think
that have got to meet God. Oh sir, it's so
hard for us. We have to work so, and then
we have so much trouble, and then we are
getting along so poorly; and see this wee
little thing growing weaker and weaker;
and then to think we are not getting nearer
to God, but floating away from him. Oh,
sir, do wish | was ready to die."
should not wonder if they had q good
deal better time than we in the future, to
make up for the fact that they had such a
bad time here. 1t would be just like Jesus
to say: "Come up and take the highest
seats. You suffered with me on earth;
now be gloriied with me in heaven" o
thou weeping One of Bethany! o thou dy-
ing One of the cross! Have mercy on the
starving, freezing, homeless poor of these
great citieSl
THE UPRooTING CLASSES.
have preached this sermon for four or
five practical reasons: Because want you
to know who are the uprooting classes of
society. Because want you to be more
discriminating in your charities. Because
l want your hearts open with generosity,
and your hands open with charity. Be-
cause | want you to be made the sworn
| friends of all city evangelization, and all
| newsboys' lodging houses, and all chill
| dren's aid societies, and Dorcas societies,
| under the skillful manipulation of wives
and mothers and sisters and daughters
let the spare garments of your wardrobes
be fitted to the limbs of the wan and shiv-
ering. 1 should not wonder if that hat
that you give should come back a jeweled
coronet, or if that garment that you hand
out from your wardrobe should mysteri-
ously be whitened, and somehow wrought
into the Saviour's own robe, so in the last
| day he would run his hand over it and say
II was naked and ye clothed me-" That
! would be putting your garments to glori
Gus uses.
But more than that, have preached the
sermon because I thought in the contrast
you would see how very kindly God had
dealt with you, and I thought that thou
sands of you would go to your comfortable
homes and sit at your well filled tables
and at the warm registers, and look at the
round faces cf your children, and that ther
| YOU would burst into tears at the review o1
Gods goodness to you, and that you would
| go to your room and lock the door AND
kneel down and say:
20 Lord, have been an migrate; make
me thy child. o Lord, there are so many
hungry and unclad and unsheltered today
thank thee that all my life thou hast
taken such good care of me. o Lord, thers
are SO many sick and crippled children to
day, thank thee mine are well-some o.
them on earth, some of them in heaven
Thy goodness, o Lord, breaks me down
Take me once and forever. Sprinkled as
was many years ago at the altar, while m,
mother held me, now consecrate my sou
to thee in holier baptism of repentins
tears.
"For sinners, Lord, thou camst to bleed
And I'm sinner vile indeed;
Lord, I believe thy grace is free,
n fxy t1,o&nr Arx