The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1900-05-03
ayENERaBLE ePTIMIsT.
AMantG Journal.

One Of the beautiful >spectacie8. OF
this world is an old man who takes
hopeful views of things, who looks On
the bright side, keeps mis- heart Young
and breaches the gospel of good cheer:
Ontimism is natural to the young, but
va often see men who held to 1t IN
their earlier years abandon it in md
ale life, still oftener in their declining
days a;ooo-o -
Minnesota, is fine illustration OF the
old man optimist. He is far past three
score years and ten, but he lives large
" in the future and is full Of hope;
Ina recent issue of the New l0rk
Ipdependent he writes that standing
an the threshold of the twentieth CEN
tDrv ana gazing at the missionary vista
intenf on observing prophetic signs"
be can saw emphaiically that ne finds
everytbiog 10 encourage optimism;
He is absolutely certain that the WorIa
Is TO be converted to the religion OF ;
Jesps Christ. He is confident that the |
twentieth century will surpasS the |
nineteenth in missionary zeal ana en- en- |
terorise. He recalls the tact tnat 1VU |
wears ago slavery was generally all
over the world; that there were then
stno missions to the siums, and foreign
missions were regarded as torlorn
hones.n Oaly few years ago, ne ,
saws. when Stanley made his first en-,
frapcs into darkest Africa he travelled
e00 da,s through regions where the
name Of Christ was unknown. To-day
oa Lake Uganda alone there are 0V,-
600 native converts TO Chrlstlaal!y' as
another instance of successful mission
ary effort Bishop Whipple refers to the !
Fiji Islanders, who, not long ago, were
Efhe worst cannibals in all the world"
Now there is no more cannloalIsm
| in these islands, and 10000 OF the l2o;-
900 population care habitual attend
ants upon public worship"
Bishop Whipple is not alarmed, as
are many reverend gentlemen, because
of the alleged drift from the ola De-
| lies He saws that there has been such
DRIFT 10 greater or less extent IN
every period of the worlds history,
and that it should cause no surprise.
| The present drift, he believes, Is "oniY
the natural revolt of mems minds
against certain human opinions which
have wrongfully been ia orporatea;
! iuto Christian creeds, belief in which
| is not necessary to sal lIatioA." The
bishop believes that "throughout the
Christian world to day men generally
have clearer ideas and tirmer belief II
the cardinal truths of their religion
than ever before"
One of the bes: signs Of the times,
, in Bishop Wbipple's opinion, is the
fact that Christians OF different DC
nominations have ceased TO light eaca
other and are ,;oing more woIk TO-
gether. Another haI py event Is to oe
seen ia the rise Of the laborlng classes
to degree OF intelligence, comfort
and independence which they haVe
2 never known before.
The good bishop admits that there is
greater accumulation Of money IN
the hands Of individuals than ever
7 before, butts consoled by the growing
4 disposition to use wealth for bene7o'
e lent purposes. A..
: Bishop Whipple thinks that matters
have been much worse with the Wor!u
+ than they now are and that they Will
Y be better in the future. This Is, IL
' deed, a happy faith.