The news & observer., 1900-12-02


pie called me over here and / came. My
wife said l had better go, for the winter
was at hand and the family needed clothes
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 good part of her life
and 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 if |
have the money, and if l haven't / strain
my credit and get it anyhow. Professor
Lowry called me here to talk to his col
lege girls, for he is a noted educator
and has 260 girls out here in the woods
and is building up an institution that is
the pride of north Mississippi. He got
four other towns to join him in the call,
and so / lectured in Tupelo last Monday
night to a large audience in large house
and found a warm welcome. 1t is Won
derfu how these old towns are looming
up and taking on new life. Twelve years
ago l was in Tupelo and / thought it was
pretty dead. / had only about 100 people
out to hear me them and this time there
were near 400. Prosperity has done it.
Ten cent cotton and cotton mill has
done it: Mckinley had nothing to do with
it. Last night / was billed for Ripley
a nice old court house town not far away
The evening betokened 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. The
court room was about half full of people
who had dared to venture out to hear me.
Suddenly the storm came with tearful
fury. There was an awful roaring sound
from the southeast that was like the
sound of many waters. 1t hushed the
audience into a solemn silence. | did not
take the platform, but waited. In rev
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 to the scene of
the disaster.
v
What a merciless thing it is! How quick
ly 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.
This morning we rejoiced to learn that
nobody was killed though many were
badly wounded Some houses were wreck
ed and blown away and many were un-
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 few bruises. How strange that so
few people are killed by a cyclone. 1t
seems providential, and this morning the
question discussed at the breakfast ta-
BILE was whether God or the devil was the
author of these terrible visitations. One
said that the spirit of evil was still
on the earth and was ever contending
against the spirit of good and this spirit
brought 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 them Another quoted from
Job where the Lord delivered him over
to Satan, who was going to and fro upon
the earth and walking up and down in it.
He afflicted Job awfully, 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 ye
repent ye shall perish Professor John
Fiske, very great and learned man, has
written a little book called THE Mys-
terry of Evil" l have read it twice ard
found but little comfort or philosophy
ic hat nI-i1 ic Of
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 abun
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 600,
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
tcipate 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 washout and sub
merged us into deep water 1t flowed
into the buggy and over it and up to the
cushions and for a time we were both
alarmed for fear of collapse But we
got out of it safely and here / am with
valise full of wet clothes and no change
for tonight. Here am at the college and