The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1900-12-21
ARP IN MISSISSIPPI.
Tells of His Experiences on a Lee
ture Tour.
Cyclone Strikes Ripley just at Hour
for Which One of His Addresses
Was PIanned-Gets n Soak
ing in n WashOut.

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 Christmas
gifts for the children and grand
children. That is good part of her
life and happiness-pleasing the chill
dren. She never asks for anything
for herself. She don't have to. The
girls tell me what she needs and I
surprise her with it if l have the
money, and if 1 haven't l strain my
credit and get it anyhow. Prof. Low
rey 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 insti-
tuition that is the pride of north
Mississippi. He got four other towns
to join him in the call, and so l lee
tured in Tupelo last Monday night to
large audience in a large house
and found warm welcome. 1t is
wonderful how these old towns are
looming up and taking on new life.
Twelve years ago was in Tupelo and
l thought it was pretty dead. I had
only about 100 people out to hear
me then, and this time there were
near 400. Prosperity has done it.
Ten-cent cotton and a cotton mill
have done it: Mckinley had nothing
to do with it. Last night / was billed
for Ripley-a nice old courthouse
town not far away. The evening be-
tokened storm and by night the
lightning was flashing necessarily all
around the horizon and the thunder
pealed heavily. Country people be-
came alarmed and hurried home, for
everything seemed ominous of coming
trouble. There seemed to be some
thing in the elements that was brood
ing over us, and sure enough there
was. The courtroom was about half
full of people who had dared to ven
ture out to hear me. Suddenly the
storm came with fearful fury. There
was an awful roaring sound from the
southeast that was like the sound of
many waters. 1t hushed the audience
into solemn silence. I did not take
ehC pldtlol DuI Ndllcu. III d lie"
minutes some wild, excited messen-
gers came rushing up the stairs and
called for the doctors and other help,
for the cyclone had come and torn
up everything in the suburbs and
killed men and women and children.
The night was intensely dark, but
the men rushed to the rescue in haste
and the lecture programme was
broken up in twinkling. Everybody
hurried to their homes or to the scene
of the disaster.
What an awful thing is a cyclone!
What merciless thing it is. How
quickly 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 wrecked
and blown away and many were I'M
rooted ard 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, |
md this morning the question dis
,ussed at the breakfast table was
whether God or the devil was the au-
.hor of these terrible visitations. One
said that the spirit of evil was still
IN the earth and was ever contend
ng against the spirit of good. and this
'pirit brought famine, pestilence,
Tres. storms, and all disasters. An
'ther said that all these things came
rom natural causes. and that Meth
r God nor the devil had any agency
n them. Another quoted from Job
where the Lord delivered him over to
'atan. who was going to and fro upon
he earth and walking up and down
n it. He afflicted Job awfully, but
vas not allowed to take his life. An
Their quoted from the Saviour's words
vhen He said: Think you that those
pom whom the tower of Sloan fell
we're wicked above all people? l tell
on nay, but unless We repent We shall
erish.' Prof. John Fiske, very
reat and learned man, has written
little book caued The Mystery of
will" i have read it twice and found
ut little comfort or philosophy in
!. His argument is that evil is of
Irvine creation and designed to illus
rate and eXalt the good. That but for
ckness we would not appreciate or
njoy good health. But for an occa-
onal famine we would not enjoy the
lessing of abundant food, and but
,r sin we would not enjoy Heaven.
lis book leaves you just where it
'und you. and the mystery is still
We know that God loves ,
is creatures, and that is enough.