Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-06-30
keen edge of even the sharpest of

| griefS. just as we can 1OrgeI lHe pains
of the sicknesses of childhood, we can
| forget about the miscarried hopes ana
the faded visions of our youth. Now,
all ask of the world is a fair, honest
show. That the world seems unwill-
irg to give me. No matter how much
I try to do right, the fault finders, the
misrepresenters, are always around.
| Like Socrates, who was compelled to
auaff the deadly hemlock, | am con-
strained almost daily to drink OF the
poisonous springs Of contention and
! glander. Truly, like the psalmist, can
cry out, MY tears have been my meat
day and night, while they (meaning my
enemies) say unto me, Where is thy
| GodY Yes, my enemies doubt whether
| God loves me, and | am myself almost
ready to be skeptical about the divine
protection and support"
Uses of an Enemy.
But. bitter though the attacks Of your
enemies may be, l want you fully TO
realize that an enemy has his good
uses for the development Of Il man just
as a friend has his good uses. An enc
my is a great restraining and develop
| ing influence in our lives He is Ike a
moral brake. Did you ever bend down
and examine the huge brakes OF rail-
road engine? When we approach the
engine, inevitably we marvel at the
mammoth boilers and the heavy driy-
ing wheels. We say, This is the way
the steam IS connected with that wheel
| This immense steel rod makes the
wheels work together" But, though
It IS important to haYe our human boil
ers. It IS Just as important TO have our
human brakes. The engineer must be
able to start the engine, but he must
also be able to stop It, Now, the enc
mics of man put him on his guard.
| They keep him from running into need
less dangers. They, like the wild
beasts Of the forests, make him keep
his eyes open and his ears alert.
Though enemies mix for us the bitter
waters Of Marah. thank God that these
waters can become sweet when we re-
aIize that on account Of their bitter
ness we are able to do more valiant
service for our fellow men and for
Jesus Christ
Rut there are still other bitter Marah
waters which many of us are com
pelled to drink, ones financial inabli-
ity to provide for the wants OF our
| loved ones. You say: PERSONALLY l
could stand poverty. 1t does not affect
me much. My personal wants are very
few and easily satisfied. But 1t Is so
hard not TO be able to give my dear
ones the necessities and few or the
Injuries" Then you look up at me
with a sad smile as you say: You
must not think that l have always
lived as we are living now. Like many
people Of this city for whom the wheel
of fortune has turned, / can say that
I have seen better days" My brother,
I know it. There was a day in your
life when you did not have to consider
whether 1t was best for you to ride IN
q street car. because Of the extrava-
.gance in spending a five cent piece
And that fact makes your condition
doubly hard.
Like "A Thunderbo1t.
Then, again, from talking with a
member of your family have found
out that your financial catastrophe
came like a tornado out Of clear sky.
| It came as quickly as the late San
Francisco tragedy came to thousands
of families and left them penniless
by the Golden Gate Only the night
before that awful earthquake a young
student Of the Hopkins Art institute
was writing home. This letter left the
city at o'clock a. m, or Just thirteen
minutes before that great city was
wrecked. This is what she said: 1T
is beautiful night The breeze from
the ocean is so pure and fresh, and the
air is heavy with perfume from the
hosts of flowers that are blooming.
The heavens are full of bright stars
| God seems to be everywhere, and the
whole earth seems glad
But hardly was the ink dry upon the
paper and the letter sealed when the
horrible upheaval took place, the con
flagration broke loose and the Hopkins
Institute of Art, like thousands Of 9th
er buildings, was mass Of charred
and Kissing ruins. That is the way
vour fortune went In d FASH with the
speed Of a bullet-aye, with the veiocl-
ty Of the whirlwind-your money took
wings and flew away. Now your sick
wife has to do the housework and your
two daughters are compelled TO 90 out
and earn their daily bread. Bitter, bit
ter are the Marah waters Of financial
inability out Of which you are com
PEELED to drink daily. And yet my
friends, I do not feel so sorry for you
as you think | ought. l want to tel
YOU that there will yet come a day
when you shall thank God on your
knees that you have had to drink from
this bitter spring. Then the Maraf
spring shall become the living fountain
Of sweet love.
The best way for me to press home
the truth which I would convey Is tc
tell you the simple story Of family
in one of my eastern churches. They
were society people when | first knew
them and lived simply for social enjoy
ment. Money then was no object witt
them. The father was Q street car mag
nate. Suddenly their money, ike Q
swift red breasted oriOle, flew away IL
night. Then the father, instead ol
being money lender, became money
borrower. His mind gave way, and nc
moved as a living corpse. His lung
and heart were alive, but his mind was
dead. Then the mother discharged al
her servants and left the handsome
home and went into little four room
ed cottage where she became her owl
cook and dressmaker. The two oldesi
girls went to teaching. The third daugh
fer could do nothing, for she was ar