The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-12-04

and she was obliged to play old santa
Claus, as usual, and provide some christ
mas gifts for the children and grand
children. That is a good part OF her lie
ard happiness-pleasing the children. she
never asks for anything for herself. She
don't have to. The girls tell me what
she needs and | surprise her with it il |
have the money. and if l haven't strain
NV credit and get il anyhow. Professor
Lowry called me here to talk to his col
Ipgo girls. for he is a noted educator
and has go girls out here in the woods
and is building up an institution that IS
the pride of north Mississippi. He got
four other own to join him IN the call,
and so | lectured in Tupelo last Monday
night to a large audience in a large house
and found a warm welcome. 1t IS Won
derful how these old towns are looming
UP and taking on new life. Twelve years
ago I was in Tupelo and | thought it was
pretty dead. / had only about 100 people
out to hear me then, and this time there
we're near 400. Prosperity has done it.
Ten cent cotton and a cotton mill has
done it: Mckinley had nothing to do With
4. Last night was billed for Ripley
a nice old court house town not far away.
The evening betoEened a storm and by
night the lightning was flashing inces-
sanity all around the horizon and the
thunder pealed heavily. Country people
became alarmed and hurried home. for
everything seemed ominous OF coming
trouble. There seemed TO be something
in the elements that was brooding over
US, and sure enough there was. Tie
court room was about half full of people
who had dared to venture out to hear me.
Suddenly the storm came with fearful
fury. There was an awful roaring sound
+J~t -ar l1yo t1n.
sound of many waters. 1t hushed the
audience into a solemn silence. l did not
take the platform. but waited. In a few
minutes some wild. excited messengers
came rushing up the stairs and called for
the doctors and other help, for the cy-
clone had come and torn up everything
in the suburbs and killed men and wo-
men and children. The night was in
tensely dark. but the men rushed TO the
rescue in haste and the lecture program
was broken up in a twinkling. Everybody
hurried to their homes or 20 the scene of
the disaster.
What an awful thing is a cyclone
What a merciless thing it is, How quick
Iy it comes and as. quickly goes, leaving
swift destruction in its track. Happily
it gives no warning. for the terror and
apprehension would be worse than death.
L IlID llloI hihS wv oJ'hoS y 49,
nobody was killed. though many were
BADLY wounded. Some houses were wreck
ed and blown away and many were IN
rooted and some were set on fire One
man was lifted up and carried away and
| thrown to the ground in the woods. with
| only a few bruises. How strange that so
] few people are killed by a cyclone. 1t
| seems proviGentiai. and this morning the
| sues ;on discussed at the breakfast Ia
| lie VS. whether God or the devil was the
| author Of these terrible visitatiOns. One
| said that the spirit of evil was still
| on the Garth and was ever contending
| against the spirit of good and this spirit
| hroucht famine, pestilence, fires, storms
and all disasters. Another said that all
these things came from natural causes,
and that neither God nor the devil had
any agency in Thorn. Another quoted from
Job where the Lord delivered him over
to Satan. who was going to and fro upon
he earth and walking Up and down in it.
He afflicted Job awfullv, but was not
allowed to take his life. Another quoted
from the Savior's words when He said
Think YOU that those upon whom the
tower of Sloan fell were wicked above
all people? | tell YOU nay. but unless We
repent ye shall perish Professor John
fFiske. a very great and learned man. has
| NIitJtI d niue b&Oh III IL NY
terry OF Evil" I have read it twice and
found but little comfort or philosophy
in it. His argument is that evil is of di-
vine creation and designed to illustrate
and eXalt the good. That but for sick
ness we would not appreciate or enjoy
good health. But for an occasional famine
we would not enjoy the blessing of album
dant food, and but for sin we would not
enjoy heaven. His book leaves you just
where it found you, and the mystery is
still unexplained. We know that God
loves His creatures, and that is enough
Not a sparrow falls to the ground without
His notice. and He did not wish to de-
stroy Ninneveh, where there wre GEO.
900 people and much cattle. "And much
cattle" That was always a very signif-
cant expression to me.
Well, | had come here from Ripley by
private conveyance. We had a good team,
but the road was fearful, for it had rain
ed nearly all night. Mr.. Pitner, an old
Georgian. had the lines and did not an
ticipate trouble, but when we got to the
river we found the lowlands flooded on
both sides for a quarter of a mile, and
after we crossed the bridge the horses
plunged suddenly into a washout and sub
merged us into deep water. It flowed
into the buggy and over it and up to the
NboiliOlo anu " q lllIle We were BOlD
alarmed for fear of a collapse. But we
got out of it safely, and here | am with a
Valise full of wet clothes and no change
for tonight. Here | am at the college and
: Will have to stand up before two or three
hundred pretty girls tonight. Fortunately
Mr.. Lowry is about my size and says
he viii lend me some garments while
mine are being renewed at the laundry.
Hard, hard, indeed, is the contest for
freedom and the struggle for Christmas
money. Cyclones and floods are PURSUING
me and disturbing my tranquility. But
one thing more may come which | cannot
fight, and that is d Methodist revival. fol-
like a cyclone, they are terribly in earn
est and always break me UP. Old Simon
Peter Richardson says in his book thai
the MethOdists are all fire and the Bap-
lists all water. and some others are al
wind. | hope they won't all come upor
me at once.
But | am still hopeful and trying tc
keep calm and serene. Tonight | shall
be inspired with the presence of these
college girls and for an hour or 50 will be
the cynoSure Of their beautiful eyes. Yes
L tbN