The Red Cloud chief., 1891-08-14

Cain learned the usss Of copper and
iron. but that rude foundry Of ancient
days has its echo In the rattle Of Bir
mingham machinery. and The roar and
bang Of factories on the McrrImac
Again. ! scc In my subject an 1iustra-
ton Of the beauty Of female industry.
Hehold Ruth toiling In the harvest field
under b hot sun. or 1T noon taking
plain bread with tho rcapcrs. or eating
the parched corr which Boax handed
TO her. Tho customs OF society. Of
course, have changed, and without the
hardships and exposure 10 which Ruth
was subjected. every intelligent woman
will find something to do. ] know
there is a sickly sc~ntimcntality on this
subject In some families there arc Per.
sons Of no practical service 10 the house.
hold or community; and though there
arc SO many voc all around about them
in the world. they spend their time lam
gushing over a new pattern, or bursting
into tears at midnight over the story Of
some lover who shot himself! They
would not begin TO look Mt Ruth carry.
ing back the barley on her way home
to her mother-in-law, Naomi. All this
f~astidiousness may seem to do very
we'll while they are under the shelter
Of their fathers house: but when the
sharp winter Of misfortune comes,
what of these butterflies? Persons I'M
der indulgcnt parentsge 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:
They're elegantly panied from morn tIl
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 die?" .Of hav-
ing nothing to do" was the answer.
..Ah!" said Spinola, that's enough TO
kill any general of u.s." o! can it be
possible in this world, where there is
SO much suffering to be a~lleviated, SO
much darkness to be enlightened and
50 many burdens to be carried that
there is any person who cannot find
anything to do?
Madame de Stacl did a 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 writ
ten, some one said to her: "HOw do you
find time to attend to all these things?"
10" she replied, ''these are not the
things l am proud of. My chief boast
is the fact that l have seventeen trades.
by any one of which l could make a
livelihood if necessary" And If in sec
ular spheres there is so much to be
done, in spiritual work how vast the
field! How many dying all around
about us without one word of comfort!
We want more Abigails, more Hannahs,
more Rebeccas more Marys, more De-
borahs consccrated-body. mind, soul
to the Lord who bought them.
Once more / learn from my subject
the value Of cleaning. Ruth going into
that harvest field might have said:
There is q straw, and there Is q straw,
but what is a straw? can't get any
barley for myself or my mother-in-law
| out of these separate strawS" Not so.
said beautiful Ruth She gathered two
| straws and she put them together. and
more straws, until she got enough to
make asheaf, and another, and another.
and then she brought them all together.
| and she thrashed them out, and she had
an ephah Of barley, nigh a bushel. o.
that we might all be cleaners!
Elihu Burritt learned many things
while toiling in q blacksmith's shop.
Abercrombie, the world renowned
philosopher, was a physician in Scot
and and he got his philosophy, or the
chief part of it. while, as a physician,
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 Improvement The reatduties
Of life cross the field like strong reap
| ers and carry off all the hours
and there is only here and there a frag-
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 last make .
whole sheaf for the Lords garner. IL
is the stray opportunities and the stray
privileges which, taken up and bound
together and beaten out will at last fill
you with much joy.
There are q few moments left worth
the cleaning. Now Ruth, to the field!
May each one nave 4 measure full and
running over! u, you cleaners, to the
field! And il there be in your house,
hold 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 shcaf of
cleaning: HE that goeth forth and
wecpeth. bearing precious seed. shall
doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheavcs with him" May
| the Lord God of Ruth and Naomi be our