The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-04

The day I left our country home to
look after myself, we rode across the
country, and my father was driving.
OF course 1 said nothing that implied
how I felt. But there are hun
dreds of men here, who from
their own experience knew how
1 felt. At such a time a young
man may be hopeful, and even inn
patient, to get into the battle of life
himself. but to leave the home where
everything has been done for you;
your father or older brothers taking
your part when you were imposed on
by larger boys; and your mother al
ways around, when you got the cold,
with mustard applications for the
chest, or herb tea to make you sweat
off the fever, and sweet mixtures in
the cup by the bed to stop the cough,
taking sometimes too much of it be-
cause it was pleasant to take; and then
to go out with no one to stand between
you and the world, gives one a chok-
ing sensation at the throat, and a
inconsistencies before you have got
three miles away from the old folks.
There was on the day / spoke of a
silence for long while, and then my
father began to tell how good the Lord
had been to him, in sickness and in
health, and when times of hardship
came how Providence had always
provided the means of livelihood
for the large household: and he
wound up by saying "De Witt, l
have always found it safe to trust
the Lord" My father has been dead
thirty years, but in all the crises of
my life-and there have been many of
them-I have felt the mighty boost of
that lesson in the farm wagon: "De
Witt, I have always found it safe to
trust the Lord" The fact was, my
father saw that was his opportunity,
and he improved it. This is one rea-
son why l am an enthusiastic friend of
all Young Mems Christian associations
They get hold of so many young men
just arriving in the city, and while
they are very impressionable, and it is
the best opportunity. Why, how big
the houses looked to us as we first en-
tered the great city; and SO many peo-
pie! It seemed some meeting must
have just closed to fill the streets in
that way; and then the big placards
announcing all styles of amusements,
and so many of them on the same
night, and every night, after our boy
hood had been spent in regions where
only once or twice in whole year
there had been an entertainment in
school house or church. That is the
opportunity Start that innocent
young man in the right direction. Six
weeks after will be too late. Tell me
what such a young man does with his
first six weeks in a great city, and [
will tell you what he will be through
out his life on earth, and where he will
spend the ages of eternity. Oppor-
tunity!
A city missionary in the lower parts
of the city found a young woman in
wretchedness and sin. He said, ''Why
do you not go homer" She said, ''They
would not receive me at home" He
said, ''What is your fathers name,
and where does he hve?" Having OBJ
tanned the address and written to the
father, the city missionary got areply,
on the outside of the letter the word
immediate" underscored. It was the
heartiest possible invitation for the
wanderer to come home. That was
the city missionary's opportunity. And
there are opportunities all about you,
and on them written by the hand of
the God who will bless you, and bless
those whom you help, IN capitals of
light, the word immediate"
A military officer very profane in
his habits was going down into mine
at Cornwall, England, with Chris
tain miner, for many of those miners
are Christians The officer used pro-
fame language while in the cage go
ing down. AS they were coming up
out of the mine the profane
officer said, IF it be so
far down to your work, how
much farther would it be to the bot
tomless pit?' The Christian miner re-
sponded, II do not know how far it is
down to that place, but if this rope
should break you would be there in
minute 1t was the Christian miners
opportunity. Many years ago cler
gyman was on a sloop on our Hudson
river, and hearing man utter a bias
phemy, the clergyman said, You have
spoken against my best friend, Jesus
Christ Seven years after, this same
clergyman was on his way to the gen
eral assembly of the Presbyterian
church at Philadelphia, when a young
minister addressed him and asked him
if he was not on sloop on the Hud-
son river seven years before? The re-
| ply was in the affirmative ''Well. :"
said the young minister, Il was the
man whom you corrected for uttering
that oath. It led me to think and re-
pent, and am trying to atone some
what for my early behavior. I am a
preacher of the gospel, and a delegate
to the general assembly," Seven years
before on that Hudson river sloop was
the clergyman's opportunity.
A Scotch shepherd was dying and
had the pastor called in. The dying
shepherd said to his wife, MARY,
please to go into the next room, for I
want to see the minister alone" When
! the TWO were alone the dying STANDARD