Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-08-03
Through that gate Of incidence how

( Through that gate Of incidence how
many men and women have marched,
useless on earth 10 a destroyed eterni-
tyl Spinoa said to Sir Horace We're,
"Of what did your brother der "Of
having nothing to do, was the answer.
"Ah, said Spinola, that's enough to
kill any general OF u.s." Oh, can it be
possible IN this world, where there is so
much suffering to be alleviated, so
much darkness to be enlightened, and
so many burdens to be carried, that
there is any person who cannot find
anything TO do9
Madame de Stael 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 written, some one said to her,
"How do you find time to attend to all
these things2" "Oh," she replied,
''these are not the things ! am proud
Of My chief boast is in the fact that
| have seventeen trades, by any one of
which | could make a livelihood if
necessary" And if in secular 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 Abb
gals, more Hannahs, more Rebeccas,
more Marys, more Deborahs conse-
mind, soul--to the Lord
who bought them.
Once more learn from my subject
he value of cleaning. Ruth going
pto that harvest field might have said
There is straw and there is a straw,
'ut what is straw | can't get any
'arley for myself or my mother-in-law
ut of these separate straws." Not so
aid beautiful Ruth. She gathered two
travis and she put them together, and
more straws, until she got enough to
make a sheaf. Putting that down she
vent and gathered more straws, until
he had another sheaf, and another, and
mother, and another, and then she
,rought them all together, and she
hreshed them out, and she had an
phah of barley, nigh bushel. Oh,
hat we might all be gleanersl
WE ARE ALL CLEANERS.
Elihu Burritt learned many things
While toiling in a blacksmith's shop
Abercrombie, the world renowned phil
sopher, was a physician in Scotland,
nd he got his philosopy, or the chief
'art oft, while, as physician, he was
Waiting for the door of the sickroom
o open. Yet how many there are in
his day who say they are so busy they
lave no time formental or spiritual i'm.
the great duties of life
,ross 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 busiest
day and busiest week of your life and
find golden opportunities, which gath
cred might at last make a whole sheaf
for the Lords garner. 1t is the stray
and the stray privileges
which, taken up and bound together
and beaten out, will at last fill you
with much joy.
There are a few moments left worth
the cleaning Now, Ruth, to the field
May each one have measure full and
running overl Oh, you cleaners, to
the field And if there be in youl
household an aged one or % sick rela-
tive 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 doubtless come again with reioic-
ing, bringing his sheaves with him.
May the Lord God of Ruth and Naomi
be our portion foreverl