Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-10-13

rage and escaped punishment. Salu
this old Missourlan: "The people did
not fear the regular soldiers. They
were all right. But 1t was the thieves
and the libertines who pretended they
were regular soldiers that they feared.
We were simply helpless In their
hands"
Then he described how one night q
lot of thieves clothed as soldiers came
to his fathers house and literally took
everything away. They drove his
mother out In the winters cold, and
she died as result Of the exposure.
They put a rope about his fathers
neck and dragged him about and
threatened to lynch him. With the
butt end Of a gun they mashed one OF
his feet so that he was a cripple for
life. Then they drove away every
horse and cow and pig and chicken
and burned up all the grain and the
fences and the outhouses and left only
the bare fields. What did you DOR
asked. "Well," he said, Il was only
q boy of fourteen. But my brother
and myself Joined the bushwhackers.
We each took a gun and vowed that
we would kill every northern man we
met" "What then happenedT' l ask
ed. Then the old man looked at me
and answered: "The most important
part Of my life. In ST. Charles county
there lived an old minister by the name
Of Rev. Mr.. Blackwell. He was q
northern man and Republican. He
heard what we two boys had done, and
he knew that If we continued as bush
whackers we would end up In life or
crime. as did the James boys, who
started out as criminals because their
father and mother were treated as my
parents had been treated. l used to
know Jesse James parents well. And
I know that what / say Is true. So at
the risk of his own life Rev. Mr.. Black
we'll, a Republican and northerner,
went into the mountains and hunted
I'D our camp and said: Boys, have
come to save you. Come back and live
with me. Because thieves and scoun-
drels have robbed your parents and
killed your mother do not become Grim
lnals yourselves and die at the end OF
a hangman's moose And, sir, as the
result of his plea we went back to
Blackwell's home and went back TO
honesty and truth and right"
Saved His Life.
"What became of Mr.. Blackwell" l
asked. HE lived to be very old
man." was the answer. "a few years
ago went back to Missouri and hunt
ed him Up and begged him to come and
live with me, but he was too old to
come" Then faraway look came into
the old Missourian's eyes as he said:
"Oh. can never forget that man. BY
his willingness to lay down his life for
me he saved my life and my brothers"
Friends, are you men like this? Would
you risk your lives to save another from
sin and death? When men and women
are being prosecuted and outrageously
treated and are trembling upon the
brink of sin, are you ready to reach out
your hand and say: Brother, sister,
come to me. Come into my home
Come and sit by my fireslde. What l
have is thine" If you will, you shall
not only receive angelic visitors, who
will bring mighty blessing to your
home, but you will save men and wo-
men and boys and girls for Christ.
Your arm, your voice, your self sacri-
fee, may mean the temporal and the
eternal salvation Of immortal souls II
in Christ's name you go to their aid.
They are Gods angels whom you may
entertain. as Abraham thought he was
greeting the three travel stained, home
less and perhaps prosecuted and exiled
strangers.
But. stepping out into the broader In
terpretatlon of my text, we assert that
angelic messengers can approach our
homes with the scowllng visage OF hate
and with the clnched fist Of anger, as
well as In the futtering rags OF the
pauper and the distorted, terror strick-
en- countenances of the prosecuted.
"Oh, no." you answer; that cannot
be. An angel Is not demon. An angel
Is one who would lead us to the higher
life. How can the sullen brow OF an
enemy do thisT Well, my friend, let
us turn again to the Bible. Study there
the most powerful and the most famil-
lar sermon ever elyered-namely, the
sermon on the mount, spoken a
short distance from Lake Galilee.
What did Christ say? Did he lay
down the great doctrine that we should
be kind to others just in proportion as
others are kind to us? Did he say:
"Men. be just to friend and foe. Never
forget a kindness which nelghbor
does you and never forget the injury
of q treacherOus foeW Did he say,
Build a walled-in castle. Have the
moat deep and wide. Have watch
towers above the walls, where you can
always keep a lookout to lower the
drawbridge for your allies, and have
spears and swords and bows and ar
rows and sings with which to drive
back those who have betrayed your
trustY No. That Is not Christ's COM
mand. Listen how he describes the
way In which you should welcome
some Of your angelic visitors. These
| are Christ's words, not mine: Love
your enemies" That means give them
the best places at your table and your
| warmest welcome. "Bless them that
curse you" That means go out Of your
way to speak kind word for those
who are denouncing you and trying to
undermine your character. do good
| to them who hate you and pray for
them which despitefully use you." DO
you hear it? My Lord and my God,
have we read thy words Alright? How
few, how very few Of US have wei
coined at our doors those who have re-
viled us and prosecuted us and have
said all manner Of evil things against us