714 



GLEANINGS IN liEE CUJ/rUKE. 



8Ei"i'. 



heart then, when he wanted to go to prison. 

 If I remetnbei' correctly, lie wrote back to 

 liis friend Moody. How" niitural it is for ns 

 to cling to those who liave been instrumen- 

 tal in leading us from dentli to life I 

 JNIoody told him to ask tlieni lo send him to 

 the penitentiary for perjiny. A new trial 

 was instituted, and tliis time the criminal 

 helped to bring witnesses to prove himself 

 guilty. Crazy again, say you V Not so, my 

 friend. The sunshine of (Jod's free love 

 was roiuid about liim. What cared he for 

 earthly applause or for earthly i)leasurev 

 What cared he for prison walls and iron 

 bars y The light of heaven, and the peace 

 that Christ can give, weie his ; and with 

 happiness in his heart, and a joy pervading 

 his whole being, that fall to perhaps but 

 few mortals, this penitent thief went his 

 way to prison. He was a new man, with 

 new tastes, new aspirations, and new joys. 

 Who could for a moment recognize him as 

 the hardened, guilty criminal of but a few 

 montlis before V Do you still feel like say- 

 ing, that men and women may be hardened 

 by sin and crime so far they ean not be 

 rhade over and cleansed by the blood of 

 Christ V If so, I would refer you to hun- 

 dreds in the city of Akron, who can tell you 

 the circumstances of all this little story 

 more faithfully than I have told them. As 

 a matter of course, he was kindly treated in 

 the penitentiary. Instead of being receiv- 

 ed as a convict", he was received as a man 

 and a gentleman — nay, even as one of Gods 

 noblest works. An easy berth was given 

 him, and no doubt he felt like complaining 

 that thev did not piniish him according to 

 the full letter of the law. What a sad con- 

 trast this is to the stoiy some tell who come 

 from there, of the indignities and the hard- 

 siiips they endured. I always feel troubled 

 when I hear a returned convict complain of 

 the treatment he received, instead of saying 

 he was treated ten times better than he de- 

 served. A few days ago I told this story at 

 our noon service ; and at the time I did so a 

 gentleman was present who lives in Akron, 

 and knew the young man well. lie said I 

 got it right in every particular, so far as he 

 could remember. The offender is dead 

 now, but he died with that new-born hope 

 in his breast— died, doubtless, rejoicing as 

 he lived the remainder of his days— rejoic- 

 ing in that full and free pardon, and in the 

 fact that the blood of Christ is indeed able 

 to cleanse even the most hardened and cor- 

 rupt from all sin. 



^6B^CC0 CBI^OPN. 



A klNDT.Y CRITICrSM IN REGARD TO OUR TOBAC- 

 CO COLUMN. 



T HAVE been reading' your Tobacco Column (call 

 (^ it tobacco paoei^) from the beginning. I feel 

 ^l like protesting ii little at the enormous " cheek" 

 manifested by some. For instance, " I began 

 the use of tobacco three years ago, for the pur- 

 l)ose of smoking bees, but," (hark at thatl) " 1 

 found it injurious to my health, and I.tjuit the use 

 of it. Tf T am entitled to a smoker," etc. You 

 surely did not send this man a smoker, for he was 



compellcjl to stop on account of his health. Also 

 the very next appeal is for an " T'neic " who quit 

 seven months before, and who, no doubt, never 

 heard of a smoker or your otfer, but stopped for 

 reasons best known to himself, and is now thrust 

 forward to receive his I'Cward foi' the self-sacriflce 

 —a sacritice which your "column " has not a thing 

 to do with, as 1 understand it. As I understand the 

 " column," those who read your otfer, and will take 

 advantage of your liberality, and eschew (and not 

 chew) the weed (thus securing a smoker " without 

 money and without price"), are the only ones en- 

 titled to a smoker. 



A man who says, " I will stop the use of tobacco 

 it you will send me a smoker," is entitled to your 

 consideration: otherwise, as in the above two cases 

 native sense is lacking, and a smoker doubtless 

 thrown away. Note the language of S. C. Stone, 

 page 634. There is hope of reforming him from the 

 habit. Then notice another one on the same page, 

 who, after more than three years have elapsed, 

 swoops down, and grasps a smoker which would 

 have been worn out had he received it when justly 

 entitled to it over three years previously. I am as 

 justly entitled to one, because 1 (juit smoking 18 

 years ago, and I faithfully promise that I will never 

 use the weed again. If I do, I will pay you for the 

 smoker. I have several on hand, so you need be in 

 no hurry about sending it W. M. Young. 



Nevada, O., Aug. 23, 1SS7. 



Friend Y., there has been a little loose- 

 ness, I admit, in regard to this matter of 

 giving smokers to those who give up tobac- 

 co; but as the column is starting a great 

 wave in the right dii'ection, it seems to me 

 we can not afford to seem to be small in the 

 matter. Hut it is true, some of the friends 

 have received a smoker for quitting a great 

 while ago. By this act they become one of 

 the great anti-tobacco band, and swell the 

 ranks ; for he who puts his name in print 

 becomes a worker against the evil. I think, 

 however, since you suggest it, that we had 

 better say in tlie future, that smokers are 

 only for those who give up tobacco because 

 of having seen the Tobacco Column. We 

 shall always be glad, however, to get testi- 

 monials from those giving it up because it 

 w^as injurious to their health. If they have 

 been benefited in health by dropping it, they 

 surely ought to be willing to help others by 

 standing up and testifying. 



1 need a smoker, and will stop using the weed If 

 you will send it to me: and if I ever take anothei- 

 chew, or smoke, I will send you the cash. 



K. A. BOAL. 



Berrien Springs. Berrien Co., Mich., Aug. 16, 188T. 



If you will send me a smoker I will (juit chewing 

 tobacco, or using it in any form; and if I fail T will 

 pay you for the same. M. K. W. Perry. 



Goodman, N. C, Aug. 9, 1887. 



I ha\e quit using tobacco. If you will send me 

 a smoker T will pay you for it if I ever use the weed 

 again. 'I'- L. Case. 



Lebanon, Mo., Aug. 13, 188T. 



Below I give you the names of three friends who 

 have quit the use of tobacco through the influence 

 of Gleanings and my persuasion, and I ask tor a 

 smoker for each. If they use tobacco again 1 will 



