Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-06-22
SATURDAY might
SERMONS SssAs0
BYl..:<l.l,z.',gNA&
REySAMUELW. pURvTS.D.D

Its contents are unnumbered millions.
Only postofiices are counted. The one
city of London has 1.06s of them with.
in city limits. New York IS next. with
n larger percentage of letters TO the
population. Then there Is Chicago
Paris. Philadelphia, Berlin and Buda'
pest and tens OF thousands of cities
and villages IN every land. Much OF
the worlds tragedy goes by mail to-
day. The lover watches for the letter
that never comes The silence OF the
mail bag tells Of waning affections.
With anxious. fearful eyes the old
mother watches the postman coming
up the long street. Maybe he has n
letter from her absent boy! In next
block the letter carrier turns his face
quickly as he hands out black bordered
envelope telling OF death In distant
city. That thin letter tells in cruel
business brevlty that dividends have
failed, stocks are worthless, savings
for old age are swept away. But like
TO think there are n thousand love let
tiers to one of faithlessness. thousand
mothers reach out smilingly for the let.
ter from absent son. thousand good
news letters TO one bad.
A Tragedy Of the Mail Bag.
The newspapers are telling story
that Is stranger than fiction. God does
not always right injustice here on
earth. but now and then comes an Incl.
dent that makes us stop and think.
Here is the story that made tears
spring to my eyes: "Vindlcation has
come 10 Rev. Charles Burdette OF
Springfield. Mass. brother of our be
loved Bob Burdette of humorist fame,
after thirty years OF silent suffering
that clouded his whole life and left
him under unjust suspicion. Thirty
years ago when Mr.. Burdette was n
registry clerk at the postofilce at Peo
ria. ILL.,, n number Of letters containing
$500 disappeared. Although no form
al charge was made against the clerk
only the faith OF the postmaster, Gen.
eral d. W. Magee, civil war veteran.
prevented his leaving the service
branded as thief Mr. Burdette as
serted his innocence and left the mat.
ter with God Unable TO live down the
suspicion and conscious OF his limo
cence. he entered the ministry and dc
voted himself to missionary work In
the far east. On Monday morning
Feb. 10. 1911. an old and battered mail
bag was taken from the San Francisco
office for repairs. When the worlmen
cut open the bag In the work OF re-
pairing between the heavy leather lin.
ing was found an old MANILA envelope
containing the $500 that disappeared
so mysteriously from Peoria In the
summer OF 1850. thirty-two years ago
The Art Of Letter Writing.
Do you ever pick up an old time
Handy Letter Writer" at the second
hand book store? Its quaintness
makes you smile. doesn't IT. II take
my pen in hand 10 write you these few
lines TO let you know we are all well
ut present. thanks to kind and mer.
clful Providence. hoping you are en-
joying the same great blessing. In
well chosen language the writer Gov
cred several pages telling of trade In
the counting house, crops In the field.
the marriages. births and deaths OF
the community and closed with an
eighteenth century flourish. But letter
writing Is lost art today. Folks
send souvenir postcard saying:
"Aln't this place grand:" Eve past
through this town yestady." Mean
while the cry of the business and so
cIal world Is that not even the high
school and college graduate can write
a correctly spelled and fairly written
letter Occasionally one gets n letter
that Is chatty, refreshing. breezy and
carries the spirit OF the writer with
II. Some letters hing their under
lips. some laugh like the summer wind.
some are gossiplpg scavcngers. raklng
the garbage OF n community and send.
Ing il through the mail: some are an
CRY. They bring sorrow afterward.
Some are grumpy. some are pcnned In
gall OF bitterness. some snap like
dragon. Burn such as soon as written.
lNcn WFltc one 10 u SMUT tii' u soht's
missionary: boy or girl away from
home. letter of praise or one of con
ISOLATION. Your bread cast upon the
waters will come back after many
days.
People as Living Letters.
Lots OF men never read Gods mes
sage as found In the Bible. But they
do read. Christians. All they know OF
God Is through us. Makes one sober.
Christ wrote no letters. Indeed. |
might suspect he couldn't write were
II not II speaks Of his writing on the
ground one day when the Pharisees
brought n sinful girl to he stoned to
death. But men read his life, and It's
the inspiration Of the centuries Cheap
postage aud hourly service Is not more
effective than the page we present 10
men. What Is your message? | listen
10 n bit OF music or view a painting