The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-04-23

SlDlC! 4NCNCAtACiCoo, tdCLC was IL
call. / heard it in my soul, and / re
sponded with a determination t
preach with whatever ability God ha
given me. In preparation for m
life work strategic opportunities pre-
sented themselves, which today, as
look backward, seem unmistakabl
providential. l call them the provi
Dental harvest field, the providentia
survey, the providential Sunday
school exhibition, and the providen
tial woodpile.
One summer, in order to earn none,
with which to go to school, l went on
for a job; found it in a wheatfeld
and went in at dollar and a half {
"a day to keep up my station" be
hind reaper. In build and stature
l was but slight lad, apd the sum
mer was severely, dangerously hot
| Several of the harvest hands were
overcome by the heat, and quit the
field early, day after day. Stalwart,
brawny pen they were, too. Though
the lightest and youngest at work
there, did not lose day or an hour
but. kept up right through the har
vest. And this was the secret of it
Every morning, as 1 entered the field,
unobserved by others, / would drop
down behind shock of wheat and
ask God to help me keep up my sta
tion, and never Gid I leave that field
at night without kneeling down be-
hind shock of wheat to thank God
for helping me do my work.
The next season, when looking for
something to do, I secured employ
ment at the hind end of the chain in
a company organized to survey for a
new railroad through eastern Illinois
and western Indiana. Fully two
thirds of the distance was through
swamps, in which we had to wade in
water up to the girdle, and many a
time we were compelled to wade,
breast-deep, through the great wide
drainage bitches, holding the instru-
ments above our heads. Not infre-
quently we had to swim. There l
found good use for my skill as swim
mer, which l had acquired in the old
holes of Rock River and Kankakee
River when l had nothing else to do.
Throughout that trip of fearful expo
sure, although the youngest, most
boyish member of the company, I
never even caught cold, while sew
eral of the men suffered greatly then
and afterwards, and had to quit the
survey. I prayed my way through
those swamps, looking always with
faith and hope toward heaven and
Evanston.
The providential Sunday-school ex-
hibition was after this wise: About
the Christmas time an oratorio, based
on the "Pilgrim's Progress, was
given by the Sunday-school in the
Methodist Church at Kankakee. I
took the part of the Pilgrim iii =,
fauy s,aoken recitations. An elect
was reciting portions of the. sc C-sc.
allegory, God put it int ner heart to
purpose helping me in my education.
By her kindness I was enabled to be-
gin my course at Evanston.
The providential woodpile? Well,
there came time when money gave
out. Winter was on the soles of my
boots were worn through; several
other things, also. were worn through.
1t looked as though l must quit school.
1 had been praying to God to give me
another chance to do something. One
day a chum and I were walking down
a street in Evanston when, passing an
alley, we saw man unloading cord
wood, and there was long pile of
several cords stretching up the alley.
A happy thought struck me.
"Chum, " said I, for Chum was in the
same needy condition as myself, Sup
pose we tackle the at woodpile r.
Enough. We went down the alley to
the back door of the house, asked for
the Job of saving, splitting, and car
rying in that wood borrowed saw
and buck and ak, and began that
night to go through that woodpile,
that we might 60 through college II
helped me over the last obstacle in
my way.
From these experiences | have
learned that about the most provlden.
tial blessing that can come to boy
or young man is an opportunity to dc
an honest and remunerative job oi
work. So with the providential saint
whom God sent to me in the woman
of blessed memory, who enabled me
to 90 to Evanston, l must associate
that providential Sunday-school ex
hibition, the providential harvest
field, the providential survey, and the
providential woodpile.-EpU0'H II
| Herald.