The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1897-06-12

of men and women in midlife who
have had no opportunity. Free schools
had not yet been established, and vast
multitudes had little or no school al
all. They feel it when as Christian men
they come to speak or pray in religious
assemblies or public occasions, patri.
otto or political or educational. They
are silent because they do not feel COM
petent They owe nothing to English
grammar, or geography, or bellies let
ters. They would not know partici-
pie from a pronoun il they met it many
times a day. Many of the most sue
cessful merchants of America and men
in high political places can not write
an accurate letter on any theme. They
are completely dependent upon clerks,
and deputies, and stenographers, to
make things right. i know literary
man who in 9th years in this city
made his forum. Sy writing speeches
for congressman CO fixing them up for
the Congressional Record after they
were delivered. The millionaire illit
eracy of this country is beyond meas
urement.
Now. suppose ran finds himself 10
midlife without education, what is lie
to do? Do the best he can. The most
effective layman in former pastor al
charge that ever heard speak on reli-
gious themes could within five min
utes of exhortation break all the laws
of English grammar, and II he left any
law unfractured he could complete
the work of lingual devastation in the
prayer with which he followed it.
But would rather have him pray for
me if l was sick or in trouble than any
Christian man know of, and IN that
church all the people preferred him in
exhortation and prayers to all others.
Why? Because he was so thoroughly
pious and had such power with God he
was irresistible. and as he went on in
his prayer, sinners repented and saints
shouted for joy, and the bereaved
seemed TO get back their dead in celes-
tial ompanionship. And when he had
stopped praying and as soon as could
wipe out of my eyes enough tears to
see the closing hymn / ended the
meeting, fearful that some long viii d.
ed prayer meeting bore would pull US
down from the seventh Heaven.
But what other multitudes there are
under other disadvantages! Here is q
Christian woman whose husband
thinks religion sham, and while the
wife prays the children one way the
husband swears them another. Or
here is a Christian man who is trying
to do his best for God and the church,
and his wife holds him back and saws
on the way home from prayer meet
ing. where he gave testimony for
Christ: What fool you make of
y Yourself! l hope hereafter you will
keep still" And when he would be
and give $50 she criticises
him for not giving so cents. / must do
justice and publicly thank God that I
never proposed at home to give any
thing for any cause of humanity or
religion, but the other partner in the
domestic firm approved it, and when u
seemed beyond my ability and faith in
God was necessary she had three
fourths the faith. But 1 know men
who, when they contribute to char
table objects, are afraid that the VITA
shall find it out. What a whitening
curse such woman must be to a good
man.
Then there are others under tho
great disadvantage of poverty. Who
ought to get things cheapest? You
say those who have little means. But
they pay more. You buy coal by the
ton; they buy it by the bucket, You
buy -four by the barrel; they buy it by
the pound. You get apparel cheap be-
cause you pay cash; they pay dear be-
cause they have to get trusted. And
the Bible was right when it said: "The
destruction of the poor is their pow
erty."
Then, there are those who made q
mistake in early life, and that over.
shadows all their days. do you not
know that that man was once in pris.
on?" is whispered. Or, do you know
that that man once attempted suicide?"
Or, "Do you know that that man once
absconded?" Or, ''Do you know that
that man was once discharged for dis
honesty" Perhaps there was only
one wrong deed in the mans life, and
that one act haunts the subsequent
half century Of his existence.
Others have unfortunate predomi-
nance of some mental faculty, and
their rashness throws them into wild
or their trepidation makes
them decline great opportunity, or
there is vein of melancholy in their
disposition that defeats them, or they
have an endowment or overmirth that
causes the Impression of insincerity.
An ancient warrior saw an overpow-
ering host come down upon his small
company of armed men. and mounting
his horse he threw handful of sand in
the air, crying: Let their faces be COW
cred with confusion" And both armies
heard his voice, and history says it
seemed as though the dust thrown in
the air had become so many angels of
supernatural deliverance. and the
weak overcame the mighty. and the
immense host fell back, and the small
number marched on. Have faith in
God, and, though all the allied forces OF
encouragement seem to come against
you in battle array and their laugh of de
fiance and contempt resounds through
all the valleys and mountains, you