Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-11-12

bones stand ont Their hands are damp
with slow consumption. Their flesh is
pulled up with dropsiea Their breath is
like that of charnel house. They hear
the roar of the wheels Of fashion over
head and the gay laughter Of men and
maidens and wonder why God gave to
others so much and to them so little.
Some of them thrust into an infidelity
like that of the poor German girl who.
when told in the midst of her wretched-
ness that God was good. said: mo.
no good God Just look at me. No good
God.
The Christian Duty.
In these American cities, whose cry
Of want interpret, there are hundreds
and thousands Of honest poor who are
dependent upon individual, city and
state charities II all their voices could
come up at once, it would be a groan
that would shake the foundations of the
city and bring all earth and heaven to
the rescue, but for the most part 1t suf-
fers unexpressed 1t sits in silence,
crashing its teeth and sucking the blood
of its own arteries, waiting for the judg-
ment day Oh, should not wonder If
ON that day it would be found out that
some of Us had some things that be-
longed to them, some extra garment
which might have made them comfort
able on cold days some bread thrust
into the ash barrel that might have APP
peased their hunger for little while,
some wasted candle or gas jet that
might have kindled up their darkness,
some fresco on the ceiling that would
have given them q 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 to save that which was lost. ="
Oh, this wave of vagrancy and hunger
and nakedness that dashes against our
front doorstep-l wonder if you hear 1t
and see it as much as hear it and see
it | have been almost frenzied with the
perpetual cry for help from all classes
and from all nations knocking, knock
ing, ringing, ringing II the roofs Of all
the houses Of restitution 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 sewing women, some OF them IN
hunger and cold, working night after
night, until sometimes the blood spurts
from nostril and lip How we'll their
grief was voiced by that despairing wo-
man who stood by her invalid husband
and invalid child and said to the city
missionary; Il am down hearted. Ev-
erything's against US, and then there
are other things. ""W What other THINGS"
said the city missionary "Oh. she
replied, my sin. What do you mean
by that" well, she said, 81 never
hear or see anything good It's work
from Monday morning to Saturday
night. and then when Sunday comes l
can t so out, and walk the floor. and
it makes me tremble to think that l
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
getting no nearer to God, but floating
away from him-oh, sir. do wish l
was ready to die. "
| should not wonder II they had a