The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-08-22
HELP THE POOR
IN THE HOUR OF PESTILENCE IND
NEED.
The World Is Getting Bette. ! lights sug-
gested to Bill Arp by AtIa... Invita-
ton to the Pensacola Refugees

|
ness.' Time was when God punished his
people for their idolatry by the sword and
by famine and pestilence Idolatry was
the chief sin of the nations-the one most
abhorred by the Almghty-the violation of
the first commandment. II am the Lord
! thy God" and for this he sent upon them
the most terrible of all affections. The
prophet said unto the Jews, Because of
this, one-third of thee shall die by the
sword-oneth third by pestilence, and one
third | will scatter to the winds. mat
prophecy was literally fulfilled
1t seems to me that a man could risk
anything with less danger than nfidelity
| or atheism or agnOsticism. That is the I'M
pardonabIe sin for which the Jews snffcr-
| ed such awful curses. They do not suffer
| for it now for in the whole race is not to
be found an infidel. They believe in God.
| But the world is getting better. Wherever
there is a Christian civilization famine and
pestilence have almost ceased to be. just
| as Christianity progresses so does science,
! and the time seems to be near at hand
when the sword shall rust in its scdbpard
| and all the conflicts of nations shall be
settled by arbitration, just as the ii"hr.ng
sea fisheries have been settled l believe
| that the time is near at hand when the
| pestilence that walketh 10y night will be
| annihlated by scientific remedies-When
people will not have to fly for ihe.r lives
| to cities of refuge, and the poor and help
| less will be as safe in Brunswick and Pen
| sacoa as those who nave means to get
| away.
| The saddest feature in poverty $ hard late
| is the utter helplessness OF the poor III
| time of peStilence-a time when even PITY
| sleeps and charity grows cold. we VINO
| live on the highlands open or doors to
| the refugees and say come and abide with
us. but no message is sent to the poor who
| cannot come Once / saw them tumbled
| into box cars by the hundred ana III the
| dark night they were hurried away from
| Memphis to go they knew not where Every
| town and city along the line was guarded
| and the sentinels SAID, not mere uol
| stop, keep moving" l rode on the plat
| form of a cab all that long and weary night
| and until we were stopped within lew
| miles of Chattanooga, where the quarai-
| tine officers halted us and L coverty ma
myself III their car and got away; Inc
| train of the poor refugees was hurrieu
| through the city and on to the mountains
| If East Tennessee, but what LHCanc of
| them I never knew. 1t was an awful time
| and I hone that such troubles will never
hanpen again | don't believe they VIII
| happen, for as science advances to does
| safeguards against all kinds OF danger ana
distress There was q time when Ne"
| York could have been destroyed by great
Gra hut not now. The horrors OF hre ana
sword and famine and pestilence are srduu-
alIv heinr ameliorated. These horr?'s are
terrible upon the poor, and are leiief va
only by death. The rich can ma r Si w
the moor make no new friends. Inc state
ar tho city officials may hurry them away
from an infected city, but they hau no
onan doors no welcome, no houses Aoi
shelter. -. ,,;cb+ how much
better off the poor are IN the cou,lsiS fo ln"
~ those cities. What mistake TOT
IA tucS n, - move to a city. He had bet
tpr hire out to u farmer ana I'VE III q l'o
-. i,i 80 1t his wife and children nave
s,Znd cotton and raise eiasckens
rt,I.aat ,[.e uure mir and drink good water
t,onr travelling preacher told US last might
about his recent visit to the tour COUNTIES I
of Banks and Jackson ana + rahhlln ll, 'i IN
Hall, where he preached to the pe9Pig Eli; ~
country churches ana proNe III Ifo'v hmm.
he how unpretending and yet how haPphy
thov lived Everybody dropped everything
and went to church-men, women any
children. Everybody in the nelShporhoou
belonged to the church anu tne aT. wa Mn' and
material to work on until 1t grew up i anu
vas old enough to join. Even the bables
had to go. and if they CRED IN the YOU ZOO
old way nobody took on about u w neii
il got right bad the lhoihci 'Ooh ~ 80 80
about that time another began, put mo NO
hodv seemed to think it an outrage; lhe
PREACHER had to preach a niue louHer' 50
a. 70 drown out the chlld---that was ail.
He saws the front seats are the nrst ones
filled and the young men heip 10 In III ,n nots
Nobody seemed to fancy the pack seats,
and they were only taken as last resort
nv those who came late. lie says ne mas
preached in finer churches, where ine seats SEATS
were more comfortable ana the llsnts VIZ
3, -,
hut he never mingled with better people;;
The are all farmers and work hard ana
live humble and thankful, ana "ouid heYeI
have found out there was a nnanCial PAINE
if they liant read 1t III Tue WeoHiS P% +bo,o
One old man said he never found out there
was a manic in 1873 until about two years
after If was over. These people love TO
90 to church. They have nothing else 10
90 to- They go for instruction ana an, enter YER
fainment and not for display. They feel
as much at home in ,heir church as
they do by their tiresides. If a mother
wants water for her child she walks mp to
the pulpit and takes it from the preacher
pitcher and nobody is Mortified. The sing
ing is rather ancient, but is unanimous.
Everybody sings and they like long hymns
and long meter. They sing every verse
of "How Firm Foundation and are
sorry there, are but seven. II the tune
hyster'' makes a mistake he tries It again,
and nobody smiles or glggIes. Ihey an
90 there for business and that business is
to worship God.
I remembered all that. 1t was just so
Mt the old Fairview church. where l was
reared: the old church where old DIR.
Wilson used to preach and we little boys
always went to sleep before his hour and
q half was out; where old Brother Noel
used to stand up in front of the pulpit and
wrinkle his brow and raise his eyes heaven
ward and open his mouth. and, having
read out two lines. would "hyst' the tune
for the congregation. They didn't know
there was any better music in the world
and I am not sure that there is any now
that is more sincere.
Our preacher said very truly that these
country people were the very best reliance
of the state for good citizenship. They
are peaceable and Industrious and violate
no law. They are cOntented-that is. most
of them are, but occasionally politician
comes along and tells them how oppressed
and downtrodden they are, and that raises
q rumpus for awhile, but they get over is.
From among this humble class have come
most of the great men of the nation.
From among them have come the most
progressive and thrifty merchants and
manufacturers in our towns and cities.
The country churches are the memories of
successful men and of women who make
good wives and good mothers. Long may
they live and prosper. Long may they
love to sing "How Firm a Foundation"