1893 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



97 



always been exceedingly ind'ependent. From 

 •childhood up. he has seemed to have a special 

 fancy to take care of himself, and he has lived 

 to be nearly sixty years old, without "' asking 

 any odds of anybody."' I have often ta'ked to 

 him about this trait of character, and have 

 told him that it would get him into trouble; 

 but he seemed to think he was sufficient for 

 any occasion that might come up. After the 

 ■quarrel with the neighbor, he told me what he 

 had done. I felt pretty sure that he would 

 have to go to prison for it: but he flatly declar- 

 ed that he wouldn't go. I labored with him 

 long and earnestly, and finally was rejoiced to 

 hear him say that, if his lawyers were disap- 

 pointed, he would be a law-abiding citizen as 

 he had always been. I think his lawyers did 

 very wrong in telling him that there was not 

 any danger at all, and that they would get 

 him clear, without any question, provided he 

 could furnish the requisite means. 



I now want to make some extracts from a 

 letter he wrote to me while in prison. He does 

 not know that I am going to do this; but I am 

 «ure he will pardon me when I tell him that his 

 honest confession may be the means of helping 

 many others who have got into trouble just as 

 he did; and it may be the means oi helping 

 many others out of trouble in just the way /ie 

 has come out or is coming out. You will readi- 

 ly gather from his letter that he has heretofore 

 been an unbeliever. In fact, were it not for 

 the fact that I know his handwriting so well, 

 and his way of speaking, I might think it al- 

 most impossible such a letter should ever come 

 from him at all. Of course. I have exhorted 

 him again and again to say. "Thy will, not 

 mine, be done," and bow in submission to Him 

 who holds our very lives, and each breath we 

 ■draw, in the holtow of his hand. Here is the 

 letter that brought tears to my eyes as I read it: 



Dec. 10th I lay in my cell, sick and discourag-ed. I 

 said to myself, " I liave always been Independent, 

 and relied on myself, and now I do not know wliat 

 to do." I knelt down and offered to follow God 

 hereafter, and leave every thing to liim, if he would 

 tell me what to do. Immediately he said, "Get 

 back into bed and stay there." Pretty soon the cell- 

 tender came Mlong and said he would have to take 

 my name and number to the doctor. After a while 

 the doctor's assistant came and gave me some med- 

 icine for my cold and cough ; and during' the day 

 they sent me some crackers and tea. Next morning 

 I was told by the Lord to stay in bed; and the cell- 

 tender reported me to the doctor again. He sent 

 Tvord to me to dress myself and come over to tlie 

 hospital. I got upstairs into a warm room, with a 

 ^ood big coal Are, rocking-chairs, and good beds. I 

 undressed and went to bed. I had not been by a 

 fire for montlis, and needed good noui'ishing food. 

 I lay there for several days, but finally got able to 

 be up Christmas. The doctor and some others got 

 up a fine dinner for us; and after dinner I felt so 

 grateful that I could not keep still, so I got up and 

 expressed my gratitude, and ended by giving the 

 donors a vote of thanks. My breath was short, and 

 it was witli great exertion; but I was listened to 

 with respect. 



You may think it a little strange, the expres- 

 sion he uses, where hespeaksof the guidance of 

 the Holy Spirit; but knowing him as I do. and 

 having had many similar experiences of my 

 own, I think I can help our readers to look at 

 it as rational and reasonable. Perhaps for al- 

 most the first time in his life he has decided to 

 put his own will and judgment aside; it is not 

 to be himself any more, but thp, great God nbotie, 

 who directs what to do. dod, is to be the teach- 

 er and /ic the pupil; and all alone by himself 

 he makes that, perhaps, almost his first prayer. 

 He promises to follow the teachings of "the 

 Holy Spirit. Now, what would the Holy Spirit 

 be most likely to direct under such circum- 

 stances? Some of you may perhaps think it 



hard to believe that he would get any direction 

 at all; but we have plain IJible teachings for it. 

 " Him that cometh to me, I will in nowise cast 

 out." This poor penitent soul had got back, 

 like the prodigal son; he is ionitmy for orders. 

 Our friend tells it as though verbal orders were 

 given him. Perhaps I may add. the quotation- 

 marks are my own. The first command of his 

 new teacher was very simple—" Get back into 

 bed and stay there." That was all God wanted 

 him to do for the present. My experience has 

 been with many like cases, that the first thing 

 anew-born soul is called upon to do is always 

 very simple and easy. He obeyed as well as he 

 knew how, and then commenced the workings 

 of the vast machinery of the universe to bring 

 out the full answer to that brief, simple prayer, 

 and lead that new-born soul from the dark- 

 ness of unbelief, into the light of a Father's 

 love. First a humble servant of the govern- 

 ment comes and looks after this particular 

 patient. He decides, and it happens the deci- 

 sion comes for a wonder on this particular 

 morning. No, it did not happen, either; nei- 

 ther did it /lappcii that the doctor's assistant 

 came soon after with some medicine, and then 

 with some simple refreshment. The next morn- 

 ing, you will notice, he again asks for orders 

 foi- the duties of the day: yes, even if you are 

 on a sick-bed, God is pleased to have you come 

 to him with the opening of a new day, saying, 

 " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do V The 

 directions are plain and clear, as they were the 

 day before: "' I was told by the Lord to stay in 

 bed." He obeyed again, and in a little time he 

 was rewarded by a summons from the doctor to 

 come upstairs into a warm and cheerful room. 

 Oh how many times I have seen a new-born 

 soul invited to step up and out of the miry clay, 

 and put his feet upon the rock, as David speaks 

 of in the second verse of the fortieth Psalm ! 

 After this there followed almost three weeks of 

 confinement to a sick-bed. By Christmas time, 

 however, the doctor and others concluded it 

 would be safe to give him, with some others, 

 doubtless, a good dinner. His gratitude for 

 this kindness is just what we might expect. 

 One of the best evidences that a soul has come 

 from darkness into light, is a feeling of grati- 

 tude and thankfulness to the world about him, 

 as well as thanks to God. No doubt, all pres- 

 ent at that little dinner were touched by his 

 few words spoken in weakness. Perhaps this 

 incident indicated that it would not be too 

 much of a test and tash for his Christianity to 

 invite him to ask a blessing at the table. See 

 the following: 



New Year's day we had another nice supper, and 

 I was requested to ask the blessing. I sliall never 

 forget it, and I guess the otlier prisoners will never 

 forget It either. With tlie tears running down my 

 cheeks, and in a trembling voice, I said, "May the 

 blessings of Almighty God rest on this bountiful 

 repast, and tlie getter-up of the same; and may the 

 workings of Providence so shape things that each 

 of us. before the close of another year, may be free, 

 and become good and law-abiding citizens of the 

 United States, and be with our friends and fam- 

 ilies." 



I wonder if all the prisons in the land are so 

 fortunate as to have such wise and godly offi- 

 cers as the ones mentioned here. Like a true 

 soldier he did not flinch, nor think of evading 

 duty. It must have been a great trial for him 

 to ask this blessing; for. if 1 mistake not, he 

 would hardly have consented, a few months 

 ago. to permit a blessing to bo asked at his 

 table; but we may be sure he felt hai)pier and 

 better for a good while afterward. God honors 

 those who are not afraid to acknowledge him 

 before men. "Whosoever shall confess me be- 

 fore men, him will I confess also before my 

 Father which is in heaven." 



