Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-11-09


and heaven to the rescue. But for the
most part it suffers unexpressed. 1t
sits in silence, crashing it's teeth and
sucking the blood of its own arteries,
waiting for the judgment day. Oh, |
should not wonder il on that day it
would be found out that some of us
had some things that belonged to
them; some extra garment which
might have made them comfortable on
cold days; some bread thrust into the
ash barrel that might have appeased
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 a roof; some jewel which.
brought to that orphan girl in time,
might have kept her from being crowd
ed off the precipices of an unclean life;
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, / wonder il you hear
it and see it as much as hear and see
it. | have been almost frenzied with
the perpetual cry for help from all
classes and from all nations, knocking.
knocking, ringing, ringing. il 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 hun
ger and cold, working night after
night, until sometimes the blood
spurts from nostrii and lip. How well
their grief was voiced by that despair
ing woman who stood by her invalid
husband and invalid child. and said
to the city missionary, Il am down.
hearted. Everything's against US; and
then there are other things" What
other things?" said the city mission
ary oh" she replied, my sim"
What do you mean by that?" well"
she said, II never hear or see anything
good. It's work from Monday morn
ing to Saturday night, and then when
Sunday comes l can't go out, and
walk the floor. and it makes me trem-
BILE 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 lit
tie 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.
l should not wonder if they had
good deal better time than We in the
future, to make up for the fact that
they had such a bad time here. 1t
would be just like Jesus to say, Come
up and take the highest seats. You
suffered with me on earth: now be
glorified with me in heaven" o thou
ing One of the cross! Have mercy on
the starving, freezing, homeless poor
of these great Cities
l want you to know who are the up
roofing classes Of society. l want you
to be more discriminating in your
charities. l want your hearts open
with generosity, and your hands open
with charity. 1 want you to be made
the sworn friends of all city evangeli-
cation, and all newsboys' lodging
houses, and all children's aid societies.
Aye, I want you to send the Dorcas
society all the cast-off clothing, that,
under the skillfui manipulation of the
wives and mothers and sisters and
daughters, these garments may be fit
ted on the cold, bare feet, and on the
shivering limbs Of the destitute. I
should not wonder il that hat that
you give should come back a jeweled
coronet, or that garment that you this
week hand out from your wardrobe
should mysteriously be whitened and
somehow wrought into the Savior's
own robe, so in the last day he should
run his hand over it and say, II was
naked and we clothed me-" That
would be putting your garments to
glorious uses.
l want you to appreciate how very
kindly God has dealt with you in your
comfortable homes, AZ your well-filled
tables, and at the warm registers. and
TO have you look at the round faces
of your children. and then, at the re-
view of Gods goodness to you, go to
your room, and lock the door, and
kneel down and say. 20 Lord, / have
been an migrate; make me thy child, 0
Lord. there are so many hungry and
unclad and unsheltered today, / thank
Thee that all my life thou has taken
such good care of me. o Lord, there
are so many sick and crippled chill
dren today. l thank Thee mine are
well, some of them on earth. some of
them in heaven. Thy goodness, o
Lord, breaks me down. Take me once
and forever. Sprinkled as l was many
years ago at the altar, while my moth
Ell held me. now l consecrate my soul
to Thee In holier baptism Of repent-
ing tears.
For sinners, Lord. thou cam'st to
bleed.
And I'm sinner vile indeed;
Lord. believe Thy grace is free:
o magnify that grace in met"