Democratic messenger., 1906-10-13

ban of society? How often does IL
happen that some INSCRIPTIONS enemy
traduccs man or woman by hints and
innuendo and the poison spreads
stealthily through the community be-
cause ii Is not arrested nt the begin
ming? When will every Christian per-
celve ii 10 be his duty TO defend the
reputation OF other people from charges
based on mere gossip?
Furthermore, II you and | are only
willing to 20 to the aid of those who
are being prosecuted God will not only
personally bless us. but we will save
many men aud women who are being
unjustly treated from entering life OF
sin and crime. ! was never more Inn
pressed with this fact than some time
ago when ! was visiting an old Mis-
tory OF his llfe lie was young boy
at the time Of the breaking out OF the
civil war. Any one who has read the
history of Missouri knows that every
man who lived ut that time within the
states border was encouraged to don
soldiers uniform. and there were
some who volunteered who had no 9th
or motive than to commit depredations
upon that suffering people. Clad in
that uniform. such men committed out
rage and escaped punishment. Said
this old Missouran: "The people did
not fear the regular soldiers. They
were all right. But II was the thieves
and the libertnes who pretended they
were regular soldiers that they feared.
We were simply helpless In their
hands"
Then he described how one night
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 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 outhonses and left only
the bare fields What did you doT"
| asked. Well" he said, Il was only
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 happened?" | ask
ed Then the old man looked at me
and answered: The most important
part of my life. In ST. Charles county
there lived IN old minister by the name
Of IseV Mr. Blackwell He was Il
northern man and n Republican. He
heard what We two boys had done. aud
he knew that if we continued as bush
whackcrs we would end up in a life of
crime. aS did the James boys. who
started out as criminals because their
father and mother were treated as my
parents had been treated. | used 10
know Jesse James parents well. And
know that what say IS true. So ut
the risk of his own life Rev. Mr.. Black
we'll II Republican and northerner.
went into tire mountains and hunted
up our camp aud 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
nals yourselves and die at the end of
II haugInan's moose And. sir, as the
result of his plea we went back to
Blackwell's home and went back TO
honesty aud truth and right"
saved His Life.
what became of Mr.. Blackwellf" |
asked. He lived 10 be very old
man" was the answer a few years
ago went back to Missouri and hunt
ed him up and begged him 10 come and
live with me, but he was too old TO
come" Then faraway look came into
the old Missouran'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 fireside What
have is thine" II you will. you shall
not only receive angelic visitors. who
will bring n 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-
flee. may mean the temporal and the
eternal salvation Of immortal souls II
In Christs 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
depreciation of my text. we assert that
angelic messengers can approach our
homes with the scowiIng visage OF hate
and with the clinched fist of anger. as
we'll as in the huttering rags of the
paupcr and the distorted. terror strick-
en cotsitcnanccs Of the prosecuted.