Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-07-25
medicines FOR headaches. tablets for
this and that and the other thing"

The Economy OF N Vacation.
Now, my friends. you are ready. 4
think. TO listen TO rational advice. You
tenets states that il is far better 10
prevent disease rather than cure the
disease after IL has come. Old DIR.
Samuel ID. Gross. the greatest surgical
authority OF his day. used TO say to
his students. Gentlemen. any stupid
butcher with a meat ak can chop off q
leg, but IL often takes very great sur.
geon TO save one.' Any man can take
medicine after he is sick, but II takes n
wise man TO look far enough ahead 60
keep his body in such physical trim
that he viii not get sick. And. my
friends. would it not be far better for
you as Christian workers 10 look ahead
and spend the money which you might
give to the doctors and the druggists
in taking a summer vacation? Would
II not he far more economical for you
TO spend some money i'm toning up your
physical system by taking a rest? Then
you can resist the ordinary diseases:
then you viii not have to be placed
upon an invalid's bed until God says
that your work is done; then you will
save money by resting as well as the
precious time which you can i'll afford
TO lose from your next winters work.
But the greatest of all advantages in
going Off into desert place to rest
awhile is that we can there come
nearer TO Christ than we have ever
been before. In this age OF work but
fNxx~ 70 s-tN, .,,,I
Daily tasks become so absorbing that
the second duty crowds itself upon you
as soon as the first duty is done. The
rushing electric cars whirl the hus-
bands and fathers and brothers TO the
store. From morning until night the
customers have TO be seen. Then come
the evening tasks. And, though "a
man works from sun to sun, a wom-
ans work is never DONE"
But when the Christian goes off into
the country to rest he can go of to
pray i'm the same spirit with which
Christ went. When he gets away from
the store, the factory, the home. his
rested mind will begin to clear. As he
Faunters out to lie down under the
shadows of the trees with his Bible
lie will begin to realize how the good
! ess of God has followed him all the
days or his life. He will begin to see
in the quietude of the woods that even
in his troubles the hand of God has
been leading him, that all things work
together for good for those who love
the Lord. Then as he sits there In the
woods upon the hillside with the brook
gurgling by his side he will think that
he is sitting at Christ's feet. Just the
same as the disciples OF old used TO do
in the open air. Then he will hear a
chirp. When healooks up, he will see q
little bird swinging upon the tree
branches over his head. He will turn
and read from Matthew: Are not two
sparrows sold for farthing, and one
OF them shall not fall on the ground
without your Father. Fear enot, there
iore; We are OF more value than many
sparrows." AS the Christian wife
walks through the fields and picks the
daisies and clover tops and the golden
rod and the bright yellow buttercups
she will remember the words .Jesus
spoke when he said that as he cared
Tor the lilies OF the fields so he would
care for her. There is no place on earth
where man can get so close to God
as with an open Bible I'm the quietude
of the woods.
Never was L more impressed with
this thought than some years ago when
] visited humble little country church
nesting among the Berkshire hills.
PEOPLE have often asked me what was
the most impressive religious service
ever attended. have worshiped In
the Metropolitan tabernacle OF London
and witnessed the marvellous power
Charles III. Sturgeon had over his great
audience. / have been Mt the feet OF
Joseph Parker, the mightiest one man
religious force today in all England. I
have heard Henry Ward Beecher and
often Mr.. Moody. / have heard nearly
all OF the great living preachers this
side or the Atlantic and many from be.
yond the seas, but the most impressive
religious service l ever attended was i'm
that little white meeting house way up
among the Berkshire hills. There were
only about thirty-five people present.
The little organ was not worth more
than $40. The young girl who sat and
played the hymns knew but little about
music. but for three long hours before
entered that building had been com.
muning with God in the quietude of the
hills. Alone with my Heavenly Fa-
Their saw the setting sun. Alone with
my Heavenly Father, had been living
in memory over my past sinful life.
Alone with my Heavenly Father, was
telling the Saviour about my troubles.
And when l saw the little light of the
meeting house was beckoned In. Then
the first prayer melted my heart until
the whole room for me was filed with
the Holy Spirit.
Take Christ Along.
Oh, my brother and sister, / want
you TO so out into the country not only
TO get physical rest. but, like the
disciples OF old, l want you TO take
Christ along. In the quietude of the
woods, with your open Bible, | want
you 10 keep open receptive ear SO
that your Heavenly Father may talk TO
you, and by prayer I want you TO talk
TO your Heavenly Father II you will
only do this, you will not only In the
country draw nearer TO your Heavenly
Father, but you will find that Christ
during all the long oncoming winter
months win stay very close TO you.
want you TO get thoroughly acquainted
with Christ. ! want you to realize that
he Is the dearest, the tenderest, the
kindest, the most forgiving and the
most loving companion pardoned sin
ner could ever have
But there is one other advantage OF
summer vacation about which /
would speak a few words. That ad-
vantage is the desire which comes TO
all true Christian hearts to get back
into the harness 10 do the work which
God has given them to do after the 4
summer vacation is ended. In the
spring the tired schoolteacher is apt
TO complain. She says to herself:
why did i ever become a public
school teacher? Many of the mothers
only send their children TO me because