Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-09-08


OF just such. converts as Christ and
his apostles gained. But, as for the
servant girls. l had rather be instru-
mental in converting them than almost
any other class OF people, for the serv-
ant girls as nurses have charge Of all
the growing children But. though
the greatest opportunity on earth that
can come to the average one talented
young woman Is to be n nurse vet
many women seem TO flee that noble
occupation as they would virulent
plague. They would rather GO and
peddle groceries or pincushions or
tend 60 factory bobbins than mold
boys and girls into mighty men and
women for God. Oh. we nursesi oh,
We young women whom God has sent
as faithful Mlriams to watch the In
FAINT Moses, great is your callingi Do
your work well. That boy by your
side IL You are faithful and true under
God may some day lead his people out
OF an Egyptian bondage. That young
girl, through your prayers, may some
day be able to raise whole family Of
Christian sons and daughters. oh, the
transcendent one talent OF a Christian
nurse upon the home life!
Talents of Men In Ranks.
Speaking about the influence of one
talented folks. shall we neglect to
| speak of the one talented soldier boys
who SO freely pour forth their life's
blood for the perpetuation OF their
country's government? ITO hear some
people talk said prominent gentle
man TO me some time ago. lone would
suppose that the only men who did
anything for their country during the
civil war We're Grant and sherman and
sheridan and Lee aud Stonewan Jack
SON. That is not true. The civil war
was mighty because the man in the
ranks carrying n musket was faithful
and true as well as the officer CARRYING
n sword. Yes, and the war of 1776
and the war of 1912 and the war of
1898 were mighty wars for the same
reason. The common soldiers who
fought in those wars were ready tc
sacrifice everything for their country's
good. And, my friends, this nation
never need fear n foreign invasion or
internal revolution as long as the COM
mon people. Its one talented citizens.
are loyal and true to their country. as
their one talented ancestors have al
ways been.
Oh, the sacrifices which the common
people have made for their native land
in the pasti Many of you. perhaps.
have read the story Of the English Of
hcer who, in 1870. under flag OF
truce, visited the American general.
Francis Marion, aptly called the
swamp Fox" After the business for
which he came was ended, General
Marion asked the representative of the
English throne TO stay to dinner.
Bring on the dinner, Tom," said the
American commander. With that one
OF the rough, homely clad men kicked
fire into pieces and rolled out some
sweet potatoes, us that all YOU have
for dinner?" exclaimed the English
officer. "No," said Marion, mot al
ways. Sometimes we cannot get as
good as sweet potatoes. Then we
tighten our belts and drink a lot OF
water and starve awhile"
When the English officer found that
these rough, sunburned men. thlnly
clad and ununiformed, had for months
been serving their country without pay
and food, just for the love OF their ma
tive land. he went back TO the British
lines and threw UP his commission and
returned home. What chance have
we against such men as theseY' said
he. Men who. without proper clothes
and without pay. are ready to live for
months on roots and berries In order
that their country might be free, can
never be beaten" All. yes, the strength
and power of our government today are
not In its few millionaires, but IN the
loyalty OF its common people.
Who the First ChrfstIans Were.
If our government IS dependent upon
the loyalty OF its one talented patriots
how much more truly can we state that
our church, the beloved church OF Jesus
Christ. is dependent also upon the 10y
atty OF its one talented members. When
Christ established his church from
whence did he draw his FIST recruits ?
Did they come from the palace? Did
they come from the merchant princes
mansion? Did they come from the
tents OF the Roman generals2 oh, no.
They came from the fishermnn's hut.
from the labo-er's fields, from the
homes OF the one talented folks. The
first Christian church had its congrega-
ton not clothed IN silks or satins, but
in homespun. The aristocracy despised
Christ's disciples on account OF their
humble social positions. 1.-The common
people heard him gladly" Not the ten
talented men and women were they;
not the geniuses In finance and state
craft. His people were the ordinary,
commonplace, Que talented worshipers.
1t was the one talented Christians
who composed the Christian church.
Has il not always been the one talent
ed folks who have carried IL ON? Who
Were the Christians who made the ref
ormation OF Martin Luther possible?
Who were the Christians who helped
John Knox shake old Scotland and
shake the world? Who were the Chris
tians who came over in the Mayfiower
and established the Puritan church of
the Plymouth colony? From whence
did John Wesley and Charles Wesley
and George Whitefield draw most OF
their followers? Who made Finney
and Moody the mighty religious fac
tors they were? For the most part,
the great masses OF church members
have been and are today taken from
the ranks OF the common people. 1t is
the one talented folks who crowd our
pews today. When you take the one
talented folks out the church. like
Samson, whose hair was shorn by the
shears OF an evil mistress, will decay
and as mighty spiritual and temporal
power Will lose her entire strength.
Man-one talented man-you think you
do not amount to mach In Gods church!
WOman-One talented woman-you do
not fully reckon your influence In pray
er meeting and in Sunday school and
In church pew! The church OF Jesus
Christ is dependent for most OF Its
laborers and members upon the one
talented people. You may belong to
that class. Never desert the temple OF
God, which he calls his divine church.
But as am trying to show the I'm
portance OF the one talented people in
/ the Store the facf0rv tho h0mo aud