Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-11-04

who will not suffer you to De tempted
above that We are able, but will with
the temptation also make way to es-
cape that ye may be able to bear It,"
That means that when troubles or
temptations come upon us greater than
we can bear then the Lord, who is al
ways planning for us, will step in and
stand between us and that temptation.
Thus | find God the developing friend.
In the next place l find God the pro-
tectOr, God the shielder, God the ward
er off of too great dangers when we
are not able to care for ourselves.
Must BE Helped.
Let me illustrate how well nigh i'm
possible it is for some men to help
themselves unless they are first helped
by others. Last summer it was my
privilege, with couple Of gentlemen,
to 90 camping through the mountains
of southern California. For long time
had wished to penetrate these noun
tains and go and live for awhile upon
some Of the Indian reservations. The
great "San Luis Rey festival was to
take place among couple Of these
tribes. We timed our trip to witness
this festival, so important In Indian
life. There | saw some Of the old In
dlans, almost as ignorant and super
stitous as their ancestors were CEN
turtles ago. An old Indian missionary
told me some Of the strangest Facts
about them. Said he: "Do you know
that many Of these Indians believe in
ghosts and apparitions, just as did
their grandparents? Though they talk
but little during the day, yet they hesl-
tate to 90 out at night because they
are afraid of the darkness. They al
ways whistle or sing to keep the spirits
from tearing them to pieces. Then
there Is another peculiarity about them.
With all the advancement OF clvillza-
ton everywhere seen, many Of these
Indians have never learned even the
commOnest laws of health. They build
their adobe houses with no adequate
means Of ventilation. When they be-
come sick some Of them will go to bed.
Then they will have erected four posts
at the four corners Of the bed, In the
old Louis XIV style. l have seen the
friends cover these posts over with
blankets and not leave one loophole for
the fresh air to get in. There the sick
man will lie and simply be smothered
to death. On account of bad ventlla-
ton we find that most Of these Indians
die Of consumption, although these
mountains furnish the air which cures
the white men OF consumption when
they come here and live in the open"
These are only few Of many similar
statements made to me about the In
dams backwardness.
The Ignorance of Indians.
Amazing is the ignorance Of the In
dian. There in these festivals you see
the old men dancing in their bare feet
to the waillng songs Of the Old squaws,
the same kind Of dances their forefa-
Tiers danced fifty, sixty, seventy, years
ago. Instead of being men and wom-
en- they seem to be just little children.
AS lambs they are led to the slaughter
by the sins Of the white man. The
Christian church must go in and put
her strong arm between these Indians
and sin, ignorance and superstition. 1t
must 20 In, else the Indian shall be
wiped off the face Of the earth. The
reason the old western proverb There
is no good Indian except a dead In
dian" has such universal acceptation
is because the American Indian, unless
helped by the Christian day school, the
Christian church and the Christian mis-
sionary. will never be able to help him
self. The white mans sins will smite
the red man down before he has time
to open his eyes to see the white mans
virtues. God speed the arduOus work
Of the American missionary for the
salvation Of the red man and the red
woman! These poor aborlgines are be-
ing tumbled into drunkards' graves by
the white mans whisky; they are be-
ing morally corrupted by the white
mans licentiousness; they are being
ground down into misery and want by
the hell fires Of the white mans gam
bling passions, which are destroying
their lives for this world and for the
next. 1t is impossible for some men
to overcome some temptations in their
own strength.
But. thank God, the dangers and
temptations that surround you and me
are not insurmOuntable If we only call
ON God for help. The true father places
his strong arm about his boys heart
when the surges Of temptation roll III
to submerge him. God the Father will
throttle the Kissing throat Of that dead
ly serpent Of evil if we will only beg
him to rescue us. He will take away
that agonizlng thirst for drink. You
know you have been fighting 1t for
years. Yes, he will make you pure In
mind and heart If you only run to the
cover of his wings. He will lift you
ND. as you would run to the rescue OF
your boy when he IS confronting some
udden and imminent danger, If you
will only call to him as your child calls
to you: Help, father! Help! Help"
The Lord sends us trouble to develop
us. never to crush us. Those over
whelming mountains Of trouble and
temptation that are rolled upon US do
not proceed from his hand. These
mountains, these insurmountable noun
tains of temptation, are everywhere
around. Then it behooyes us to stay
very close to the side Of that loving
Father who is always thinking and
planning for u.s. Stay by the Lord,
who will always protect us when 1t Is
necessary for us to be spiritually pro-
| tected.
The threatening dangers ahead in the
Christians life are insignificant In
comparison to the peril from which
Christ delivered him in the past, when
he said to him, "Thy sins are forgiven
4 VI