Detroit evening times., 1945-02-01
BRIGHTER
SIDE
~ BY Damon
Runyonc

hoiiHf WV Notbs'NSf ''sff'H
the victim TO overcome is the
feeling of resentment that II
should have happened TO him.
1t becomes like pulse beat
why me? Why me? Why
me?"
Did he commit some black
sin somewhere back down the
years? Did he betray the sa-
cred trust of some fellow human
being? Is he being punished
for some special wrongdolng!
Why me ?"
He wakes suddenly at night
from sound sleep TO conscious
ness of his affliction and 10 the
clock-like ticking in his brain
why me? Why me? Why
me?"
He reflects, "Why not that
stinker Smith? Why not tina,
louise Jones? Why not that
m,Brown? Why me? Why
me Why me ?"
Was he guilty OF careleSSneSS
or error in judgment? Why
me Why? Why Why ?"
1t is question that has
been asked by afflicted mortals
through the ages. IL IS being
asked more than ever just now
AS the MANNED men come back
from war broken in body and
spirit and completely bewll-
dered. Asking:
"Why me:"
I DO not have the answer, OF
i course. Not for myself nor
for any one else. |, too, am just
a poor mugg cropping in the
dark, though sometimes | think
of thc words of young Eirhu rr.
proving Job and his three pals.
Lock into the heavens. and
see and behold the clouds which
are higher than thou"
The Book Of Job may have
been an attempt TO solve the
problem why the righteous suffer
and TO point out that such suf-
-ferlng- is often permitted aAaL
test of faith and a means OF
grace. They sure put old job
over the hurdles as an -iIIuStIa--
ton
He was character who lived
IN the land of Uz, way back in
the times recorded in the Old
Testament. He had more money
than most folks have hay and ne
Was also of great piety. He stood
good with the Lord. Who took
occasion TO comment favorably
on Job one day with Satan, who
had appeared before Him.
srI'HERE IL no one like Job
remar Ike Il the Lord TO
Satan. Gle Is q perfect and up
right man. lie fears God and
eschews evil"
"Well, why not ." said Satan.
you have fixed him up 80 he
il sitting pretty In every way.
But YOU just let n spell Of bad
luck hit him and see what hap
pens. He Will curse you 10 your
face"
"You think 10 ." said the Lord.
"All right, will put all his
belongings in your power 10 do
with a. YOU please. Only don't
touch job himself"
Not long afterwards the Sa-
beans copped all OF Jobs oxen
and asses and killed his serv-
ants and his sheep were burned
up and the Chaldeans grabbed
hlS camels and slaughtered more
Of his servant and a big wind
blew down a house and de- =
stroyed his sons.
But so far from getting sore
( at the Lord as Satan had fg-
Sured would happen after these
little incidents. job rent his
mantle and shaved his head and
fell down upon the ground and
worShiped and said:
Naked I came out Of my
mothers womb, and naked shall
I return thither: the Lord gave,
and the Lord hath taken away;
blessed be the name of the
Lord"
Now had / been Satan I
would have given Job up then
and there, but 10, and behold,
the next time the Lord held a
meeting Satan again appeared
and when the Lord started
boosting Job for holding fast 10
his integrity, Satan shifted dis
dainfully and said:
"Skin for skin, yea, all that 4
man has he will give for his life.
but just you 'ouch his bone and
his flesh and see what your Mr..
job does"
"All right" the Lord said 81
will put him IN your hands, only
save his life."
THEN Satan smote poor Job
L with boils from the soles of
his feet TO the crown of his
head. j reckon that was the
worst case OF boils any one ever
heard of, and Jobs wife re-
marked:
"Do you still retain your in
tegrity? Curse God, and die,
Woman" Job said, you are
fool. Shall we receive good
at the hand Of God and mot
evils"
But when those pals of jobs
Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophsr
came to see him he let out
quite beef TO them and. in .
fact. cursed the day no w..