Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-05-10

must take her along" Who Is she? I
she a Christian? Yes" answers tn
man. For years and years she la
been an ardent follower of Jesu
Christ" Together we help her along
After awhile she completely gives out
Water! Water.' she cries. "Giv
me water" There is no water. !
deathiy pallor ovcrspreads her features
We get her out upon the hillsides, bu
no sooner is she laid down upon thu
ground than she breathes her last
Why is all this? Why? Why did ST
Mary's hospital go, and st. Patrick
church md the First Methodist churcl
60, and scores Of institutions of mere,
all go up In flames? Why are so many
| men who have always tried to follow
Jesus and have always given to Coo
their money now left penniless? Why
does God here seem to strike the JUS
and the unjust unlike? cannot say
/ do not know. can give no rationa
reason any more than 7 can tell you
why God came into your home and
took your young wife from your side
and left you with three motherless lit
tie children TO rear. "Why?' is n pool
word to ask at this time. All that we
can do is to say: God is good. All
things are working together for good
to them that love God" Therefore II
is only the glorious word Of faith
which will bridge over us this awful
chasm Of despair. Faith, faith, faith
Let us have faith in good God and
leave the explanations to him for the
light Of heaven. Earth can never ex.
plain this tragedy.
The whole World Kin.
But there is still another lesson. This
tragedy. as no other tragedy during the
past century. has proved how much
the American people are akin and how
much they are willing 10 help each
other God hath made Of one blood
all nations to dwell upon the face Of
the earth" Hut. though We may all be
Of one blood, vet no power on earth
will make us call each other brother
so appropriately as when the heavy
hand Of trouble is laid upon brothers.
heart
l know many people may not agree
with me. They affirm that this is
mean and contemplate world md that
human heart Is not in sympathy with
human heart but the actions Of the
American people toward suffering San
Francisco give that statement the lie.
No sooner did Los Angeles and the
other cities hear what had happeped
TO their sister. San Francisco, than the
money began TO flow in streams. Doc.
tors and nurses volunteered their snry-
Ices for help. Schools were closed 10
send the children home for clothing and
food to be expressed to San Francisco
Mt once. Churches were turned into re.
ceiv!ng stations for goods Tie rail
roads said. I'VE will carry the refugees
free The express companies said, I'VE
will carry the breadstuffs free The
great dry goods stores said. You can
come and buy your goods at cost
price, And what Los Angeles was do
ing Boston and New York and Phila.
delphia and Pittsburg and Milwaukee
and Denver and New Orleans and all
tho other American cities are doing
Another Lesson.
But learn from the awful catastro.
ohe another lesson. II is this: Men
and women seem to be blind to the
'ver present signs Of danger. Because
he tragedies OF the past. like the light.
1lngs. have struck right and left and
lit everywhere, except at their own
ives, they seem to feel that they them |
selves are impervious to dangers and
VIII never be- smitten down. They
Iink. because they live in San Fran |
'lSco. an earthquake will never Jolt
hem into ruins. as Pompei and Her
ulaneam were destroyed They think, !
because they live on Long Island. thev /
AN never be submerged as was Gal |
'cston. They think because they live |
n st. Louis, a cyclone can never dc.
troy them. as Louisville, KY. and
Ga, were DESTROYED. oh.
es, they can think OF earthquakes and
and tidal waves 1000, 1000
r even 5000 miles away from home.
hey may even picture one in Charles.
on, but not one at their own doorsteps
why, do you know that Italians
ave built vineyards upon Vesuvius
nd for years have been living on The
cry hilsides of the burning volcanop
o we are all living and dwelling upon
ne very threshold of death. "Oh." saws
ONE one. Il feel so sorry for those
e0ple of San Francisco. They have
OF only lost hundreds of millions Of
ollars, hut this earthquake has abso.
ltely ruined their city for dwelling
lace and business place" Is that
}! do not believe that. do not be-
eve that San Francisco as a dwelling
lace is any more ruined than st.
ouis was ruined after the great cy.
one few years ago. or Louisville
as ruined, or JohnstOwn was ruined.
Galveston was ruined. or Charleston
as ruined, or Lisbon was ruined. The
word of death can he unsheathed and
rike anywhere. We are all living upon
le brink of destruction Do not pity
IL people Of San Francisco for possible
lture dangers which threaten them
~ more than you pity yourself, no
after where you may dwell.
we have had this thought pressed
cry close upon our hearts of late. DO ,
III think this earthquake will strike
os Angeles:' was again and again
ked me amid those awful silences ,
irihR when we were waiting for !
'ws from the northern part of the :
ate. Il do not know" | would an. I
yer 1T may. 1t may not. No one s
n tell. 1t may come to our own CITY {;