The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1903-09-11

that labor and are heavy laden, and l
will give you rest came to her heart
that day with new meaning and new
hope. And l found the poor, the des-
perately poor. to whose temporal needs
| was not able to minister, but to
whom the Lord blessedly opened the
way to serve them in their spiritual
needs
was an unfamiliar road over
1 which | travelled. l had never been
that way before, and knew not what
| would meet with along it's pathway.
and rather strangely but providential-
ly. believe, the first opportunity came
to me at the county poor house 1t was
not silver coin which l had to give to
the poor that day, but l did long to
break the alabaster box of my love
and devotion at the feet of my Lord in
order that He might take and use it
to the blessing of some poor soul. AS
l entered the poor house grounds
met the superintendent and secured his
permission to visit the inmates of the
place, both in the building and upon
the grounds, which were shady and
comfortable with their benches under
the trees. A group of six or eight aged
and decrepid men were gathered there.
l had my Testaments and Scripture
cards handy, and as l entered the
group | gave each card and spoke a
CHEEKY howde-do. Here were men
with a place to stay and meager daily
food to nourish the body, but no place
to call home. All! how l prayed that
the Lord would enable me to speak
some word of His eternal brightness
and truth which would shine as bea-
con light to the poor souls and light
their way to Heaven. l did try to tell
them of the Christ and the mansions
He had gone to prepare in the heavens
for them that love Him. Some seemed
to understand Some were German
| and could not understand my speech.
They were all interested and l know
| enjoyed my visit One of the group,
seemingly more intelligent than the
rest, displayed much interest in the
| things whereof l was speaking. | gave
him Testament and the last l saw of
him he was seated, with the others
about him, reading the precious Word
of God Perhaps that day new visions
were opened up to him which will
grow brighter as his failing days fade
into the grave. Perhaps some day the
| pauper whom l met that day will greet
| me on the other side and we will re-
| joice together in the riches and COM
fort and joy of the Fathers house. AS
| l was glad to meet him that day and
| clasp his hand, so shall rejoice to call
| him brother in the presence of Him who
loved us and gave Himself for us. God
| looked down upon that ill-sorted group
| of human beings. His gaze penetrated
the homely, ill-fitting garments of the
paupers and my not elegant, but bet
ter dress, and saw beneath the needy
souls of each and all, for God is no
respecter of persons" But for the
grace and favor of God l might have
been numbered among those lonely
outcasts. Be that as it may, God in
His love was tenderly yearning to-
wards these souls as He was towards
me- and I needed the blood of Jesus
Christ to cleanse me from all sin even
as did they. 1t is good sometimes to
strip ones self of social distinction
and worldly position and favor and try
to view the naked soul as it is placed
along side of the soul of one whom the
world hardly deigns to look upon and
considers a burden because public
funds are needed to house, clothe and
feed the poor outcast
THE bird in the tree top sends forth his
/ note of sweet song and then swing
ing off upon the breeze he mounts W
upon the glittering shafts of the sunbeam
into the blue of heaven and is lost to sight
and sound, and it is not hard to imagine
that he has gained the ramparts OF the
heavenly city and is mingling his rare
music with that OF the angelic hosts.
The rich farmer drives by and, with
commissioning glance at the poor
house, he talks with me about his fine
farm down yonder which he is going to
visit. / met him that day. This is nc
fine figure of imagination. This is rea