464 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



Sept. 



come and work for me, for that, after hav- 

 ing read these Home Papers, they feel as if 

 they could really enjoy trying to live a Chris- 

 tian life, if they could have the atmosphere 

 and surroundings of such an establishment 

 as ours. They often tell of the low state of 

 the Christian element where they are, and 

 of the difficulties that surround one who 

 tries to climb up higher, with so little en- 

 couragement as they get from such surround- 

 ings. My friend, such feelings, if you have 

 ever had them, come from Satan. If you are 

 disgusted with the state of affairs where you 

 are, you will most probably be so here. 

 Those who meet me during my every-day 

 life do not find me much if any different 

 from the common run of people, and, with 

 sadness I say it, perhaps with no more spir- 

 ituality. The point I wish to make is this : 

 God does not think it best to make your path 

 to the celestial city a straight and easy one ; 

 and it would surely spoil you for a good and 

 tried soldier of the cross, if it were so. Nay, 

 further: he has very likely seen fit to leave 

 your path to a certain extent obscure, so that 

 you do not even know which is right at all 

 times, nor which is wrong, without coming 

 to him over and over again, and also going 

 to your fellow-men over and over again. I 

 know this is humiliating, and, in a sense, 

 discouraging ; but we need humbling, and I 

 am not certain we do not need repeated dis- 

 couragements. We need to lose courage in 

 trusting our own weak judgment, but never 

 in trusting God. Were this not so, we should 

 get proud. You have, many of you, great 

 faith and confiderice in me. Do you not 

 know that, if it were not for discourage- 

 ments and dilficulties I should be almost 

 sure to get proud and overbearing? May 

 God forgive me for getting so sometimes, as 

 it is. If my way were plain, and I always 

 did every thing wisely, or I knew right from 

 wrong without asking God or my fellow-men 

 for advice and counsel, that very wisdom, in 

 the hands of one weak human being, would 

 be to my harm. 



At our Sabbath-school a short time ago, 

 the matter of answers to prayer was being 

 discussed. One whom I have learned to re- 

 spect, and whose opinions I value most high- 

 ly, said God could not answer a prayer to the 

 effect that all difficulties might be removed 

 out of our way. Did you ever think of that 

 before, my friends ? 



Should you ever come here to Medina, you 

 would likely find a few who would tell you 

 that I had helped them on the way to eternal 

 life, and those few would be the ones whom 

 I have met in our county jail. I found them 

 in trouble, and eager to listen to me, even 

 when I talked of God and the Bible ; and 

 for some reason that I don't quite under- 

 stand myself, I can always talk to those in 

 trouble in a way I can not to those who have 

 liberty and opportunity to go about and talk 

 to whom they choose. Perhaps, too, God 

 has called me to this particular labor, and 

 has endowed me with a gift for prison work. 



Last Sabbath evening, after the young 

 people's prayer-meeting, I was told there 

 was a horse-thief in the jail. A " horse- 

 thief!" How the words strike on one's ears! 

 The people, the papers, laugh and joke at 



such an event, and hardly seem to think any 

 thing more is demanded, but to rejoice that 

 the thief is caught. I, too, rejoiced that the 

 thief was caught ; but as I remembered the 

 sad stories I had heard from similar ones 

 thus situated, I longed to sit down by his 

 side in that lonely cell, and see if there was 

 not, after all, away down deep, a human 

 heart in spite of the name he had perhaps 

 justly earned, of being a horse-thief. He 

 was glad to see me. In fact, after I tell my 

 errand, and make them understand the na- 

 ture of my work, these poor fellows are al- 

 ways glad to see me. I told him I knew lit- 

 tle of the laws of our land, and, in fact, they 

 were outside of my line of work. It was the 

 laws of God I had come to speak with him 

 about. There was little for him to debate 

 about in his own mind now, in regard to the 

 way he should take, for, to human eyes, that 

 way was straight enough before him now, 

 and it led to the penitentiary and years of 

 servitude. Why should he or any one else 

 think of such a piece of folly as stealing a 

 horse, with the idea that the money that 

 came from it could bring one spark of hap- 

 piness, whether he were caught or not ? 

 Gently, gently, friends. In our blind ignor- 

 ance of the hearts and lives of others, how 

 often we unjustly condemn ! He was guilty 

 thus far : His home was in Wisconsin, 

 where he lived with his brother, the children 

 of Christian parents ; but, like many other 

 boys, they got into bad company, and learn- 

 ed'to dvink, swear, and serve Satan. They 

 had planned to come to Ohio to hunt for 

 work, and his brother purchased a horse and 

 buggy, saying he could probably sell it for as 

 much, or more, after they were through the 

 trip. 



After the horse and buggy were sold, our 

 friend learned, for the first time, that it was 

 only hired from a livery stable. He plead 

 with his brother to write at once back to 

 their father, and have him purchase the out- 

 fit of the livery-man, and save them from 

 trouble. The brother would not, and threat- 

 ened him if he gave any clew to their where- 

 abouts. What was liis duty V My friend, 

 would you hand a brother over to the peni- 

 tentiary, if his secret were intrusted to youV 

 For three long years he held this secret, and 

 it made him unhappy and miserable. If 

 they were discovered, of course he shared 

 the punishment as an accomplice. He had 

 no witness to prove that he was not one. He 

 dared not write a word home, but remained 

 a poor castaway from friends and kin. At 

 length he confided the secret to a man he 

 worked for. and asked his advice. After a 

 time he had trouble with this friend, and be- 

 fore he had time to think, the message flew 

 on the wires, an officer approached, and, 

 with the irons on his wrists, he was a pris- 

 oner. In one sense it was a relief to him . 

 Now he could write to his mother, without 

 fear, and he had written to her just before I 

 found him. His brother had left him in an- 

 ger, some time before, and there was no hope 

 that he would come to his deliverance. The 

 scorn and derision of the world were turned 

 upon him. His past life had been rather 

 bad, so even that could not be offered in his 

 defense. Every avenue was cut off. He 



