The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-04
HE SIN OF AHAB is THE
SPIRIT OF OUR OWN ACE.
BY REV. R. II. WHITAKER.

Yes, the Ahabs and the Naboths will
meet at the Judgment-the oppressor
and the oppressed-and the Judge or
all the earth will right all wrongs.
But we mortals think that Judg-
ment is so far away, we are not in a
hurry to do right. We may continue
to covet little while longer; with the
intention, of course, of doing what Is
honest and right before we die. After
we have made millions and, in so do
Ing, beggared hundreds of families
and made the lives of thousands
wretched and driven scores into the
mad house by our oppressive methods,
then we are going to make peace with
God, by building poor houses, orphan
asylums. reformatories and donating
libraries to churches and colleges
The reader knows the fact that at
this very time, there are a dozen mil
lionaires who are expecting to make 1t
all right with the Lord by what the
world is foolish enough to call Chris
tian liberality. but is, in the Lord
eyes hypocricy. God knows that every
time a new man becomes a millionaire,
it is made a little harder for the poor
to live; and that, just in proportion
as wealth is taken from the masses
and boarded up by the few, the world
is made worse Christ laid great en-
phasis upon the golden rule; but mil
lionaires totally disregard it. In the
eyes of God there is not a millionaire
who Is not an Ahab; and, almost
every day a Naboth is bereft of his
little vineyard.
l go around among the people
great deal, and / have noticed that
great many are not enjoying good
health, if what they say is true. Let
one think to listen. the next time he
gees to church, where the men are in
the habit of congregating in the
church yard, before preaching, and
be- viii be astonished at the many
sick people there are. Such express
sions as these will be made continu-
ously- as the crowd gathers:
Good morning, Brother JOnes!
Good morning Brother SMITH"
How are YOU. Brother Jones?"
I'm not at all well, Brother Smith.
I didn't sleep we'll last night; I'm sur.
fering with dyspepsia, and nothing L
eat seems to agree with me. How
are you, Brother Smith ?"
"Well, I'm here; that's about all |
can say for myself. | never spend
we'll moment; l have a hurting in my
head almost all the time, and some
times I'm afraid I'll have paralysis.
Brother Williams walkss up, and
when asked how he is, he says:
Il don feel at all we'll this morning,
for I'm troubled almost all the time
with my heart. My appetite is pretty
good in fact | guess l eat too much
that is, when | can get anything to
eat.
Brother Hodges says he's feeling
mighty bad this morning-couldn't eat
slice of ham. two eggs. a couple of
biscuits, a little rice and a cup of cof-
fee"
Brother Wellons said, "he was
mighty poorly and didn't feel able to
come to church: something was the
matter with his kidneys or his liver,
he didn't know which. He was TAX
ing two kinds of acknowledgements
Kidney Cure and Peruna; but he,
didn' know that he was getting any
better
Brother Higgins said he had a
mighty hurting in his back and
shoulder. and also had pressing down
pain in his stomach, some times, that
the doctor said was mighty danger
Gus indeed, though he hoped he'd be
better soon.
Brother Watson said he suffered
mighty with cramps and pains in the
pit OF the stomach and he expected
nothing else but what he was going to
nave 3pDcnulclllS OF SOIIelhlfiS u lilit
sort.
Brother Raiford said he was suffer-
ing with pains in his head and neck
and he had been told that he was
going to have meningitis; but hoped
that he was a mite better than he had
been.
Brother Simpkins had mighty
weakness about his lungs-afraid he
was going off into consumption. as
his mother had a great uncle who
died with it.
Brother Wedding said he had sore
eyes and he'd got SO he couldn't read
his Bible, though he could make out
to read a little in the Farmer and Me-
chanic and The North Carolinian.
Only one man said he felt all right.
Yes, almost everybody is sick, more or
less, or they tell a sight of stories. |
repeat listen the next time you see
men assembling and you'll conclude
that ours a very unhealthy country.
/ used to hear DR. McDuffiie tell
about an old lady, who lived in Fay
etteVille, who was all the time on the
grunt. He said it was painful to him
to hear her tell the story of her many
bad feelings. Going along the streets
one morning he met her and of course
asked; a"How are you this morning,
Mrs. Deal?" a
I'm mighty nigh dead, in man
ner, Doctor"