The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-09-18
NARROW AND BLIND AND SELFISH.

A young woman who had sprained
her ankle and could not leave her
room, lay upon her lounge while her
father read the usual morning prav-
ers When he said, Let us learn to-
day to- know Thee, the only true
God, she said, amen % and after
he had prayed for the heather, she
thought of her missionary box that
she and other young girls had been
asked by her rector to keep won
dering who would put any gift into
it that day. .
She was an educated girl. Her
father was wealthy. She had hosts
of acquaintance. Her family had
been religious people for many gen
erations. When she was alone her
ankle gave a sharp twinge. The
thought of the long, empty, possibly
painful day before, for the moment
filled her with anger at the luck"
as she called it, that had sent this
accident, just as the ignorant heather
whom she was putting asidel money
to convert might beat his wooden
fetish when his head ached.
The day was cool and bright.
Through an open window she looked
into a garden, and beyond stretched
fields and thick woods. A voice
oO71I avuo ,hoo~ hoov,5 ~ = ~o--o-o-4
mind coming through the sunshine
and the flowers and the song of the
birds, saying, "These 1 have given
thee. They tell of Me"
The walls of the young girls room
we're lined with books that could re
veal to her some of the wonderful
secrets of the stars show her the
mysterious life in plants and in the
countless growths before her could
tell of the ways of the birds, and of
Their marvellous lives and place be-
fore her the multitudes of insects
futteringi in the hot sunlight, each
doingith little task set for it with
strange patience and wisdom. gss
AS atick ofthe electric wire brings
intelligence from the other side of
the world, so each Of these little
lives flashes a message to men from
the great unseen Centre of Energy
and Love.
The bright, impatient girl to whom
these should have appealed, had
never thoughtfu1Iy noticed them,
nor opened d book which told of the
wonders of their creation. There
were other books full of mighty
thoughts by great and good men,
but her only reading was an C
sional romance. .
Beyond the fields spread out before
her lay the town, and beyond that
were states, nations, a teeming
needing the touch Of kindness and
of help which Christ declares His
people should give. The young girl
had never given, directly or indi-
rectly, to one of them that living
touch. No helpful thought for them
or their needs had entered her mind.
Now she yawned drearily.
In the afternoon the doctors wife
came to call upon her. She listened
absently while the visitor talked.
and when she had gone-the girls face
beamed with content.
Il thought 1 should have a long,
dreary day." she said to her father
in the evening, t'but Mrs. Bishop
was here, and do you know, that
fine New York gown of hers is half
cotton? Oh, [ know something -
She ate her supper and slept con-
| tentedly. Her heather brother on
the other side of the world gnawed
his bone, regarded his bead collar
with complacency, and when night
came slept also.
Like this young girl, we who are
living surrounded by religious asso-
Citations and influences have de-
Seconded from generations Of Chris
tians. What difference at heart
have our centuries of advantage
given us over our heather brother?
YOUTHS Companion.