Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-06-29

ones the necessities and n few OF the
luxuries." Then you look up Mt me
with n sad smile as you say: "You
must not think that have always
lived as we are living now. Like many
people of this city for whom the wheel
of fortune has turned, 1 can say that
1 have seen better days" My brother.
I know It. There was day In your
life when you did not have to consider
whether It was best for you to ride in
a street car because of the extrava-
gance In spending five cent piece.
And that fact makes your condition
doubly hard.
Like Thunderbolt.
Then. again, from talking with a
member OF your family / have found
out that your financial catastrophe
came like tornado out OF clear sky.
1t came as quickly as the late San
Francisco tragedy. came 10 thousands
OF families and left them penniless
by the Golden Gate. Only the night
before that awful earthquake q young
student OF the Hopkins Art institute
was writing home. This letter left the
city at 8 O'Clock n. M, or Just thirteen
minutes before that great city was
wrecked. This is what she said: 1T
Is a 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-
migration broke loose and the Hopkins
Institute OF Art, like thousands OF 9TH
er buildings. was n mass OF charred
and kissing ruins. That Is the way
your fortune went. In fash, with the
speed OF bullet-aye. with the veloci-
ty OF the whirlwind-your money took
wings and few away. Now your sick
wife has to do the Homework and your
two daughters are compelled to go out
and earn their daily bread Bitter, BIT
ter are the Marah waters Of financial
Inability ont of which you are com !,
PEELED to drink daily And yet, my
friends. do not feel SO sorry for you
as you think I ought. want to tell
you that there will yet come day
when you shall thank God on your
knees that you have had to drink from
this bitter spring. Then the Marah
spring shall become the living fountain
OF sweet love- ta
The best way for me to press home
the truth which l would convey is to
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 with
them. The father was street car mag
nate Suddenly their money. like a
swift red breasted oriole. few away In
a night. Then the father, instead OF
being money lender. became a money
borrower. His mind gave way, and he
moved as a living corpse. His lungs
and heart were alive. but his mind was
dead. Then the mother discharged all
her servants and left the handsome
home and went into litsie four room
ed cottage. where she became her own
cook and dressmaker. The two Oldest
girls went 10 teaching. The third daugh.
ter could do nothing. for she was an
invalid. The boy was too small to
work. and he was kept at school. TOO
badw every one said. TOO bad
Think OF what that family had and
now what they have come to-
The BlessinR OF Amiction.
But time passed on. The invalid
daughter died. The other two daugh.
tiers grew stronger and stronger. IN
stead Of being useless social sbutter-
flies they became noble, self reliant
women. The boy grew up and went
TO Princeton. and is now a strong.
brainy man. The family have moved
Into a larger house and now the aged
mother is again able to take life easier.
Other hands do the family cooking.
And what was the great moral and
spiritual results OF that family having
to drink the Marah waters? Some time
ago that mother said to me: ut. was
awfully hard for us when we lost
everything but honor. Many of our
best friends then turned their backs
upon MS. But I want to tell you that