Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-08-17
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hB ~ LIZZIE O THQN1A5 n.y.

suggestion from them, the plain state
ment to the wife and daughters that
for the balance of the summer there
need be but two hot meals would be a
good evidence of real Christianity. The
Bible says "a merciful man regardeth
his beast" Then, if that is the case,
how about that burdened slave in the
kitchen? Il despise cold victuals" is
often said. True enough if you have
never looked at it as means of grace.
There is a diversification of labor that
rests the farmer. l know more than one
who has deemed it wise to leave certain
crops to make hay instead of spending
more time there when il meant the neg
lect of more valuable fields. The stock
is brought in at eleven, or little later.
some even keep them out of the hay
fields in the day and haul by moon light.
A most sensible idea. But how about
that hot kitchen? No bayfield, is any
more heated
1 think 1T is largely the woman's fault
when she works herself to death, or into
the asylum. She starts out. like l did,
to do too much L look back on my
start and see that it was two woman's
work Now things are adjusted. 1t is
easier to put on the vegetables and cook
them while the stove is hot Then II
you want the bread piping hot put the
fire in the stove again at eleven. But
my farmer prefers the heavy meal in
the evening. He wants his hot coffee
then and the apple pie cooked when the
morning biscuits were made is better
than at noon. Home grown -four is as
carefully looked after. and wheat at two
dollars a bushel is cheaper than to buy
flour for we also have the shorts and
bran. If you have never eaten shorts
made into pancakes, or tried the fresh
bran mullins you have missed treat.
But this is enough this time. Talk over
the matter with your family. If you
cannot go away from home have this
sort of vacation.
There will be Baptist services three
miles from us all this week. The noun
tain roads are bad, especially for even
ing services, so the people of the neigh
borhood take their dinners every day
and eat on the grounds. They have
two services daily and get home in time
to attend to their stock and do the
things necessary. The abundance they
take insures a hearty welcome to the
stranger, or the friend from any other
community who decides to go there for
one day and has not prepared dinner.
1t is an earnest. God-fearing COM
munity, so there is not the frivolity or
picnicldng that accompanies all-day
singingss They are a happy set of peo-
pie, and the week is a social as we'll as
a spiritual time. Last night their pas
tor came to the Spring Valley Metho-
dist church and preached to a packed
house. Week before last the Methodist
pastor helped in Baptist revival.
Truly it is pleasant for brethren to
dwell together in such Christian fellow
ship. There is sin enough in the world
for all of us to keep busy fighting 1T
instead of trying to tear down churches.
The forces that are being mustered into
the armies of Uncle Sam are all loyal.
but they choose their division of the
army. The navy couldn't be induced to
change to a permanent land regiment.
but. on the other hand, the navy could
not be induced to shoot down nor ridi-
Guile the men who defend their homes.
Why not take this unity into the armies
that are fighting sin? Hate sin, fight 1t
everywhere but love the sinner and join
hands with any force that is trying to
rescue a soul from Satan's clutches.
1 have written these thoughts and
chronicled the ways of these two com
munities to help other communities
that are trying to carry burdens too
heavy for them. Our preacher said
last night that when our Savior was
busy with the loaves and fishes, when
He was busy with the simple meal Of
broiled fish by the seaside He was just
as magnificent. and as much our Lord
as when delivering the Sermon on the
Mount or raising the dead. And In
this connection 1 am reminded of Phil
lips Brooks fine teaching. He said:
This truth comes to US more and more
the longer we live. that on what field.
or in what uniform. or with what aims
we do our duty matters very little. or
even what our duty is, great or small,
oh
duty certainly and somewhere, or some
how, to do it faithfully makes us good,
strong, happy and useful men and tunes
our lives into some feeble echo of the
life of God"
Faithfully yours,
LIZZIE o. THOMAS.
Tuscumbia. Ala.