The Washington herald., 1915-03-14

stance, Dr. Jeffcrvs talked 20 US about
tropical diseases
| One ecclesiastical question that i
being efrectually settled by the war is
that of prayers for the dead. says the
Living Church. Tho burden resting
upon the hearts OF Englishmen is too
heavy for them TO resist. The et-
fectuaI and most unhappy censorship
withholds from fathers and mothers
and wives even the knowledge of
where the son and the husband at the
| front may be. An occas ional noncom-
initial post card may be received. II
these cease. there may or may not be a
| reason given. The loved one may be in
field hospital too Ill or too badly
wounded to write. He may be in an
enemys prison. He may have been
killed and his body not have been
found: perhaps not enough left of his
body to be identified: perhaps hurried
ly buried, with many other bodies. In
an unknown grave: perhaps never des-
! tined to receive Christian burial at nll
! Who can say how intense is tho
anguish OF not knowing. TO those who
do not know, and perhaps never will
know"
Wherever q spark of the Christian
religion is left, these anguished par
cnts and wives have taken TO prayer.
But for what shall they pray? They
cannot even picture to their Magma
ton what are the needs of their loved
ones.
{ All they can do is to commend the
dear one to the care of his loving
Father. Wherever he be-on the field,
! in a prison. in a hospital. in a grave.
or lying dead and unburied-Father.
J into Thy hands we commit him. Grant
to Him. o Lord. rest, and rcfreshment.
Rest, if his body Is racked with pain
Rest. if he is suffering in prison. Rest.
il his spirit has passed from earth
Refreshment. whether his need is for a
F., cup of cold water as he lies in fever
on the ground. or for that peace and
light that are vouchsafed to those
who have passed into the waiting
place of spirits, after earth's fitful fe-
yer is over. Why should one seek to
discriminate?
As though the limits of prayer could
transcend one series of unknown needs
and We're powerless before another Sc
ries of unknown needs, AS though the
life in the trenches were not as truly
beyond the experience of those at
home as the life in paradise.
The problems which confront the
country church are receiving increased
attention, evidence of which is found
in the rural church. number of the
Watchman-EX (BaptisD. OF
the hardships suffered by the country
4 pastor that paper says:
Pastors of country churches in
America are called upon to exercise
more self-sacrifice than any other
class of religious worker. In former
times missionaries to pagan lands nee
esSarily We're leaders in self-dcnial and
devotion: and the foreign missionary
career sti1l carries with il much of the
Elamor gained in the times when il
demanded special hcroism. But under
modern conditions the life OF the for
"iSn missionary has Appropriated to
that of the Christian worker at home.
He is still called to leave home and
friends. and often family. but the
great missionary societies properly
make the financial conditions of for
ciEn missionary service easy. He has
, enough to trouble him, without being
worried about money: and so the So
cieties rightly care for him in sick
ness. pay him promptly. and give him
suitable vacations. These conditions
also obtain with the pastors of the
larger churches in America. But the
, pastor of the small country church is
in a class by himself His salary
averages more than so less than the
sum declared to be the lowest mini
mum wage required for a coal miner
or mechanic. and very often 1t is not
promptly paid. And on this insufi-
Gent wage he must dress his family
decently, entertain strangers, some
times unawares, educate his children,
and keep up his reading and study and
touch with the world. The country
churches in their business relations
with their pastors are getting more