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

gers, you shall find them clothed In
rags and with the plnched cheeks Of
want and wandering around from
street to street as did John Howard
Payne, plteously looking at the fireside
Of happy homes and yet with no homes
of their own" Have you not read the
parable: when saw we thee an-hun-
gered and fed thee or thirsty and gave
thee drink? When saw we thee q
stranger and took thee In or naked and
clothed theeY" And the King shall
answer and say unto you, "Inasmuch
as ye have done II unto one Of the
least of these, my brethren, We have
done II unto me-" Does not Christ
mean by these words that when you
look after the poor you are looking
after his messengers and caring for
him?
The poor, the poor, the helpless poorl
o God, they seem to be everywhere.
They are thy angelic visitors. How
many Of them last year have we helped
in thy name? Have we put one cloak
about the bare shoulders? Have we
lifted one morsel Of food to the famlsh-
ing lips? Have we gone to one helpless
widow, struggling to keep large fam
ily Of little ones together, and said:
"SIster, here is coal to keep you from
freezing. Here are coverlets for your
beds. Here are garments for your
wardrobe. Here Is food for your cup
board. Here Is schooling for your chill
dren. know that God has sent you to
me that out of my abundance / may
give you aid" Answer me friend, with
all your money and with all your luxu-
rles Of the past year, did you go out of
your way one step In order to help
Gods poor? Did you look after just
one family when there are so many
hungry and naked ones In the city
where you dwell? What-did you not
help feed just one hungry familyf
Then you have slammed shut your door
Of gospel opportunity in the face of the
"angellc visitors" Gods poor are al
ways around. They have come to bring
you d spiritual blessing from heaven,
as the three strangers Of old brought
a divine blessing to Abraham and Sarah
from their Master and King.
"Poor Fellows"
But when this noble Hebrew herds
man runs forward to PROSTATE himself
at the feet of the three strangers l see
him sharply scrutinlze their faces. He
not only sees that they wear the travel
stained garments Of poor men, but me-
thinks | hear him mutter: Poor fel-
lows! Poor fellows. Perhaps they are
exiles from their own country. Per
haps on account Of kings hatred they
are fleeing for their lives. Perhaps
they once had sheep and oxen and
horses and manservants, as have, but
now, on account Of bitter persecution,
they have lost ALL must be especially
kind to these poor fellows who are fee
ing for their lives" Cannot you I'M
agne such thoughts passing through
Abraham's mind as he runs forward to
greet the three strangers? l can. And
I firmly believe that when any man
goes to the help OF the prosecuted and
the unjustly treated he Is welcoming
to his home "angellc visitors" who will
always bring to him a spiritual blessing
from God.
How many people there are who are
being unjustly prosecuted! How many
there are who are being lied about and
misrepresented! Like the devils that
were torturing the poor maniac's body,
who was running naked among the
tombs of the Gadara dead, their names
seem to be legion. Many Of these poor
fellows who are being unJustly treated
are dying Of broken hearts, as did the
late Daniel d. Tompkins, who was one
of the most pathetic characters OF
American history. In his prime no
name was more powerful In the po-
lltical world than his. He rose from
office to office. At last he became gov
ernor of New York state and then
vice president Of the United States.
The White House was almost his. But
suddenly his enemies were able to
head him off. Though his whole life
stood for honesty and purity and truth,
his political foes charged him with mis-
appropriating some Of the public funds
when he was chief executive Of New
York state. He Indignantly denied the
charge, but he could not produce evil
dence to vindicate himself. His. enc
mics had stolen it. His forehead, like
that Of Cain. had black mark of guilt
placed upon it, and he was Stunned by
his fellow men as an embeZZler OF pub
lie funds. Thus Daniel D. Tompkins
was compelled to retire from public
life and went down into dishonored
grave. Hardly had the grave closed
over his body when vouchers were dis
covered which proved not only that
Daniel D. Tompkins haG used the pub
! lie funds Alright, but that he had spent
a large part of his own private fortune
for the public good.
A Tragic story.
"Alas, alas" you say, what tragic
storyw But the history Of Daniel d.
Tompkins Is that Of hundreds and
| thousands of men and women about
us. Pure and true and noble are they.
Not dishonest hair Is to be found In
their heads But people are whispering
against their characters and whisper
ing against their purposes of life
and whispering against their homes.
| Though their enemies bring forth not
one sclntllla of proof Of wrongdolng,
| yet we sit Idle and utter not one pro-
| test In their behalf Who Is there that
| has the courage to stand up In defense
Of a man or woman who Is under the
ban Of society? How often does II
happen that some unscrupulous enemy
traduces q man or woman by hints and
innuendo and the poison spreads
stealthily through the community be-
cause II Is not arrested at the begin
ming? When will every Christian per