Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-01-21

DelnS planned. linen the man or tht
house came forward and said TO the
stranger Stranger. we are rough
and rude people out here and we work
hard for a living We make our living
by hunting. and when we come to the
nightfall we are tired and we are apt
to go to bed early and before retiring
we are always in the habit of reading a
chapter from the word of God and max
ing prayer If you don't like such
things, if you will just step outside the
door until we get through I'll be great
ly obliged to you. Of course the
stranger tarried in the room, and the
old hunter took hold of the horns Of the
altar and brought down the blessing OF
God upon his household and npon the
stranger within their gates. Rude but
glorious Christian hospitality
Womnn's Sympathy.
Again. this woman of my text was
great in her kindness toward God S
messenger Elisha may have been a
stranger in that household. but as she
found out he had come on Il divine mis-
sion he was cordially welcomed We
have great many books in our day
about the hardships of ministers and
the trials Of Christian ministers wish
somebody would write book about the
joys of the Christian minister, about
the sympathies all around about him,
about the Kindness about the genial
considerations of him. Does sorrow
come to our home. and is there shadow
on the cradle there are hundreds OF
hands to help and many who weary not
through the night watching and hun
dreds of prayers going up that God
would restore the sick Is there burn
ing. trimming cup of calamity placed
on the pastors table. are there not
many to help him drink Of that cup and
who will not be comforted because he
is stricken2 Oh. for somebody to write
book about the rewards of the Chris
tian ministry-about his surroundings
of Christian sympathy
This woman of the text was only Il
type of thousands of men and women
who come down from mansion and from
cot to do kindness to the Lord 3 serv-
ants. could tell you of something that
you might think romance. a young
man graduated from New Brunswick
Theological seminary was called to a
village church. He had not the means
TO furnish the parsonage. After three
or four weeks of preaching Il committee
of the officers of the church waited on
him and told him he looked tired and
thought he had better take vacation
of few days The young pastor took
it as an intimation that his work was
done OF not acceptable. He took the va
cation, and at the end of few days
came back. when an old elder said
Hero is the key of the parsonage. We
have been cleaning it up. You had bet
ter go up and look at it So the young
pastor took the key. went up to the par
sonage, opened the door, and 10, it was
carpeted. and there was the hatrack all
ready for the canes and. the umbrellas
and the overCoaJs. and on the left hand
of the hall was the parlor, sofaed,
chaired, pictured He passed on to the
other side of the hall, and there was
the study table in the center of the floor
with stationery upon 1T, bookshelves
built. long ranges of new Volumes far
beyond the reach Of the means OF the
youny pastor. many of these volumes
The young pastor went up stairs and
found all the sleeping apartments fur
nished, came down stairs and entered
the pantry, and there were the spices.
and the coffees, and the sugars, and the
groceries for six months He went down
into the cellar. and there was the coal
for all the coming winter. He went into
the dining hall and there was the table
already set-the glass and the silver
ware. He went into the kitchen, and
there were all the culinary implements
and great stove. The Young pastor
lifted one lid of the stove, and he found
the fuel all ready for ignition Putting
back the cover Of the stove, he saw IN
another part of it lucifer match, and
all that young man had to do in start
ing to keep house was to strike the
match. You tell me that is apocryphaL
Oh, no. that was my own experience.
Oh, the liindnesscs, oh. the enlarged
sympathies sometimes clustered around
those who enter the gospel ministry !
suppose the man of ehunem had to pay
the bills. but it was the large hearted
Christian sympathies of the woman OF
Shunem that looked after the Lords
messenger
Strong to Bear Trouble.
Again. this woman of the text was
great in her behavior under trouble.
Her only son had died on her lap q
very BRIGHT light went out in that
household. The sacred writer puts it
very tersely when he says lie sat on
her knee until noon. and then he died.
! Yet the writer goes on to say that she
exclaimed. 1T is well Great in pros
perity. this woman was great i'll trouble
Where are the feet that have not been
blistered on the hot sands OF this great
SaharaY Where are the soldiers that
have not bent under the burden OF
griefY Where is the ship sailing over
CLASSY sea that has not after awhile
been caught in a cyclone2 Where is the
garden of earthly comfort, but trouble
hath hitched up its fiery and painting
team and gone through it with burning
plowshare of Disaster Under the pelt-
ing of ages of suffering the great heart
of the world has burst with woe Navl-
gators tell us about the rivers. and the
Amazon. and the Danube, and the
Mississippi have been explored, but who
Fan tell the depth or the length of the
great river of SORROW, made up Of tear:
and blood, rolling through all land:
and all ages, bearing the wreck of fam
lilies, and Of communities, ami OF en-