Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1909-01-11

last night by Rev. Dr. G. G.. Wilding,
on "A Warning Voice from Italy.h
The church was well filled and the
! music was feature of the service.
A collection was taken at the close
for the suffering people of Messina.
Dr. Wilding spoke as follows:
Warning Call from Italy.
(Matthew xiv 44.)
1t is OF vast importance that we get
correct idea of the true purpose of
life. Misconceptions of life are
abundant and common. The sad
awakening to the stern reality of our
failure to meet Gods expectation il
pathetic and painful.
Such thoughts as these NAV come
to US as we contemplate the fearful
tragedy of December 2S in the prov-
inces of Messina and Calabria In
that country around the cities OF Mes.
sina and Reggie, land of beauty and
flowers and sunshine, what a change
was wrought In sixty seconds in the
early dawn of that terrible Monday
morning. AS we look upon those
multiplied thousands of dead and dy-
ing. wounded and crazed people, and
our hearts burst with sympathy, what
lessons are there for us?
Some of the Lessons.
Some of these lessons lie upon the
surface and we pick them up at once.
Such are these;
Favorable surroundings tend to
make people careless. Long and fruit
full seasons, brief and mild winters,
inexpensive living and freedom from
expense, all helped to produce care
free people. Let pleasure abound uri@
der the blue skies of Sicily. So of US,
In our land of prosperity and abund-
ance. We are inclined to the life Of
ease and pleasure, and to lack in serfy
BUSINESS. An easy life makes for eff
feminaey and easy self-indulgencs.
The tropical climate coaxes up to
coddle the flesh and to unduly culti-
yate the passions. Note Italy, Spain
and Mexico. Prosperity in our land
creates our artificial tropical climatei
rich food, alcoholic drinks, undue
spicery, over-eating, the use of mar
cotics, the tobacco habit and so on
to the end of the chapter. Good
things abused~ tpstead Of wisely u<ef
and we become IN enfeebled peopa4'
We cannot be governed 3 as.ssaT = lsrc
appearances. When the sun rose up-
on the fair beauty of Southern Italy
that historic Monday morning the
scene was as calm and as innocent as
Eden. Who could tell what was to
some before the clock struck sixf
Just as true is it of our lives here.
Who can look around the curve? At
any instant the fateful bolt may
cleave the blue above and leave its
mark of death upon the green earth
below.
In great upheavals old landmarks
are lost sight of. For ages past the
orators of all nations have gemmed
their utterances with pictures OF
steering between Scylla and Charyb-
dis. These sons of eloquence must
now resort to other figures. for these
two famous rocky points have disap-
peared. In sense this is true of all
national and moral reforms. Many
great and revered figures sink be-
meath the waves and are heard of NO
more, and new figures rise.
Valuable discoveries in science will
come to the light as the logical out
come of this grievous disaster Suok-
an event tends to goad and quicken
men preternaturally and the mind
reaches out and clutches at what IL
nearest to 1t. So some new steps win
be taken in medicine, surgery or nur-
sing; in charity, system or organiZa-
tion; and some new machinery or ap-
pliances are likely to be given to the
world by this world effort to help our
suffering brothers.
We shall get better knowledge Of
Italy and her people as the days pass
". We are apt to measure these peo-
pie by the few IN our land who are
associated with crime. We shall now
get q brighter and truer picture OK
this impulsive and warm hearted peo-
pie who have given to the world SO
many sons of genius.
Such events bring to the surface
the dominant traits OF people. There
are the ghouls who strip and rob the
helpless dead. We see the cold
blooded robber who at such a time
doubles the price of food. But, thank
God, these poor wretches are showed
under by the millions of noble souls
of all nations who are pouring they
generous offerings into the ample kp
of bleeding Italy. In all pr our
American communities we have these
three classes. Think bit and you
can fix them in your mind
The tendency to forget these Gals
antilles is a good and also a bad
thing. 1t is commendable in that we
grow cheerful and hopeful for tha
fighting of life's new battles. II Is
unfortunate in that we fail to get the
full benefit of full reflection in res
gard to it's message to us.
(COufiDued on mage