The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-06-07

Chasten them. For into their broad,
green fields came the ravenOuS crick
cts in wide, black streams down the
mountain sides. Over the growing
grain they spread as a PAIL and the
tender sprouts were consumed to the
ground. In their track they left no
stalk nor growing blade
Starvation now faced the Saints.
In their panic they sought to fight the
all-devOuring pest. While some went
wildly through the fields killing the
Crickets, others ran trenches and tried
to drown them. Still others beat them
back with sticks and brooms, or
burned them by fires set in the fields
But against the OnComing horde these
efforts were unaVailing. Where hun.
dreds were destroyed hundreds of
thousands appeared,
Despair seized the Saints, the bitter
despair of a cheated, famished people
-deluded even by their God. In their
shOrn fields they wept and cursed
knowing at last they could not stay the
pest.
Then into the fields came Joel Rae
rebuking the frenzied men and women
The light of high faith was upon him
as he called out to them:
Have | not preached to you all win
ter the way to salvation in times like
this? Does faith mean one thing in
my mouth and another thing here?
Why waste yourselves with those
foolish tricks Of fire and water? They
only make you forget Jehoyah-you
fools-you poor blind fools-tO palter
So"
He raised his voice. and the won.
dering group about him grew large.
Down, down on your knees anG
pray-pray-pray, tell you the Lord
shall not suffer you to perish."
Then, as but one or two obeyed
hin
so your hearts have been hard.
ened? Then my own prayer shall save
you"
Down he knelt in the midst Of the
group, while they instinctively drew
back from him on all sides. But as
his voice rose, a voice that had never
failed to move them, they, too, began
to kneel, at first those near him, then
others back of them, until a hundred
knelt about him.
He had not observed them, but with
eyes closed he prayed on, pouring out
his heart in penitent supplication.
AS his words rang out, there had
| been quick, low, startled murmurs
from the kneeling group about him;
and now loud shouts interrupted his
prayer He opened his eyes, From
off toward the lake great focks of
gulls had appeared, whitening the sky,
and now dulling all other sounds with
the beating of their wings and their
high, plaintive cries. Quickly they
settled upon the fields in swirling
drifts, so that the land all about lay
white as with snow.
A groan went up: They will finish
what the crickets have left"
He had risen to his feet, looking in.
tently. Then he gave an exultant
shout
NO! No!-they are eating only the
crickets! the white birds are de.
vouring the black pests; the hosts of
heaven and hell have met, and the
powers of light have triumphed once
more over darkness! Pray-pray now
with all your hearts in thanksgiving
for this mercy"
And again they knelt, many with
streaming eyes, while he led them in
prayer of gratitude for this wondrous
miracle
All day long the white birds fed
upon the crickets, and when they left
at night the harvest had been saved.
Thus had Heaven vouchsafed a second
miracle to the Lutte of the Holy Ghost.
| 1t is small wonder then if his views OF
the esteem in which he was held by
that power were now greatly enlarged.
In August, thanks to the Heaven.
sent gulls, they were able to celebrate
with feast their first Harvest
Home" In the center of the big
stockade bowery was built, and un.
der it's shade tables were spread and
richly laden with the first fruits their
labors had won from the desert
white bread and golden butter, green
corn, watermelons, and many varieties
of vegetables. Hoisted on poles for
exhibition were immense sheaves of
wheat, rye, barley, and oats, coaxed
from the arid level with the water they
had cunningly spread upon it.
There were prayers and public
thanksgiving, songs and speeches and
dancing. 1t was the flush of their first
triumph over the desert. Until night.
fall the festival lasted, and at it's close
Elder Rae stood up to address them on
the subject of their past trials and
present blessings. The silence was
instant, and the faces were all turned
eagerly upon him, for it was beginning
to be suspected that he had more than