136 



GLEANINGS LN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 



proposition, that by the " sweat of my face I shall 

 eat bread." 1 find inquiries about inks from several 

 places, and may it not be as I pray, that through 

 your Christian influence and assistance help shall 

 come from some other quarter? 



I could not send the materials to make the inks, 

 as liquids are required for the manufacturing of 

 some of them, and others are not combined until 

 they are brought into the liquid form. If you will 

 send mo a pad, I will do my best to supply you with 

 a suitable ink for the cheirograph. 



I will be very willing that you- should charge me 

 for an advertisement, and will thank you besides. 



Columbus, Ohio. Wm. Oldroyd. 



I have always been deeply interested in 

 eases of insanity, and it has always seemed 

 to* me, since my conversion, that Christ's 

 words should heal such cases now, just as 

 they did in olden time. From this you may 

 know why my mind fixes on your letters 

 when they touch on misfortunes of this 

 nature. After having spoken of our tem- 

 perance work some time ago, the following 

 came: 



I wanted to commence Gleanings in Jan., but my 

 wife was taken crazy and still remains so, and 1 had 

 not the money to spare; so my daughter has given 

 me a dollar for the journal, saying, "Reading it is 

 all the comfort you take." Keep on with your home 

 talk; it will hurt no one, and, as to rum, Oh, how I 

 wish that I was there to help you light it ! The rum- 

 seller is afraid of me. 1 have a son (an only one) 

 that has almost killed us all, by getting drunk. It 

 made his mother crazy, and almost kills me. I have 

 to stay at home the most of the time, to watch my 

 wife, but I worked out and earned $1.00, some 3 

 weeks ago, and sent it to you. Now I shoul 1 like to 

 know what has become of it. G. B. 



March 5, 1879. 



You see, my friends, intemperance robbed 

 this man of his only son, made his wife in- 

 sane, and, by leading astray the other boy 

 that robbed our mails, caused him to lose 

 his hard earned dollar, and placed the boy 

 where he now is, in the penitentiary. I often 

 thought of this man, and you can imagine 

 how I rejoiced when I received the following 

 letter but a few days ago : 



I cannot resist the temptation to write you. My 

 husband has taken Gleanings quite awhile, and I 

 used to say, "Now G., your Bible has come, and you 

 will be happy;" but I used to read some parts with 

 equal interest, especially your Home Papers, and 

 your unbounded faith in answer to pnayer was such 

 a mystery to me. If it- was not for that, I should not 

 be writing to you to-day. I crave the prayers of 

 you and your wife for God to help me in some way. 

 Two years ago, I was confined to my bed quite awhile, 

 and my head felt so bad I did not know what to do, 

 but thought I should be all right, when I could get 

 around again; but Oh! God help me! I found that 

 my mind was all unhinged. It seems as if I had shed 

 barrels of tears and almost prayed without ceasing 

 for (iod to give me back my reason, or take me to 

 himself. 



Neither my husband nor myself are Christians; 

 we have many faults, but have tried very hard to do 

 as we would be done by. I am very, very wicked, 

 and it seems as if God had forgotten me. I have 



such a terrible headache that it makes me insane, 

 and I have been so wicked as to wish for death, and 

 try to kill myself. God forgive me. It seemed as if 

 I could endure this living death no longer. My con- 

 stant prayer is that I may never be sent to an 

 asylum; I feel sure it would make a raving maniac 

 of me, to send me away from my husband. He is 

 poor, but he says I shall never go while he lives. 

 My head has never been right one hour since I was 

 taken sick, but when I am the worst, 1 don't harm 

 anyone; only it is so hard to bear with my tears, and 

 appeals for help. No medicine does me any good. 

 My husband has done every thing in that line that 

 he could. Now I beg your pardon for asking your 

 prayers, and advice. Oh! say something to comfort 

 us in this our terrible affliction. Mrs. G. B. 



February 2, 1880. 



May God give me wisdom to guide you, 

 my suffering sister, as well as the hosts of 

 friends that seem to be rising up to help in 

 this work of helping each other. In "W. O.'s" 

 case, nothing more was needed than for God 

 to influence his fellow men a little in his be- 

 half. You have all seen how our prayers 

 for him have been answered. Mr. Midler 

 says in his book, that obtaining money in 

 answer to prayer was comparatively an easy 

 matter, compared with some other things. 

 Not that any thing is hard with God, but 

 that it is hard for us to have the necessary 

 faith that our prayers shall be answered. In 

 the case of our friend "M.," little more was 

 necessary than that she should go to work 

 for others. God has raised up kind friends 

 to point out to her her errors, and I am sure 

 that, with the strong, earnest help from 

 "A.,'' she soon will be rejoicing in a new 

 life, if she is not already doing so. Do you 

 not see that the case of our sister whose rea- 

 son is shaken on its throne, and who realizes 

 it, is quite a different thing? Can God, or 

 will God, hear and answer such appeals? 

 He may not see tit to remove that awful suf- 

 fering just yet, but he will give peace, and 

 he will give strength to bear it, if not with 

 clieerf ulness, at least with a resignation that 

 will enable her to say "Thy will be done.'' 

 If she will earnestly and thoroughly take up 

 her crosses, whatever they may be, I feel 

 just as sure that light will come to her, as I 

 did in the case ot"W. O." On receiving 

 her letter, I wrote to her as follows : 



May God help you, my suffering sister. I believe 

 it was he who moved you to write me, and I pray 

 and trust that deliverance may be at hand for you, 

 if you will go to your minister and tell him your 

 ti-oubles and distresses, as you have me. Go among 

 Christian people too, when you are able, and get 

 them to pray for you, and I feel sure relief will come. 

 God works through his humble, faithful, consistent 

 followers, and you can certainly find some such near 

 you. 



For the sake of the dear Savior who died for .you, 

 do not give up and do not despair. Trust him; be- 

 lieve he has some purpose in thus afflicting you, and 

 that it is jour duty to show the world that you can 

 be patient and resigned for his sake. Read, or have 

 your husband read to you, about him that was born 

 blind. Pray to be delivered from the temptations 

 you have mentioned, and bear in mind, O my friend, 

 that God is alwai/s near you, and that you are before 

 him when you arc tempted to do wicked things. 



