THE CALL OF THE LAND 



common among men, nearly or quite always 

 has its seat in ill health. Liver, stomach, 

 nerves, the blood something, some part or 

 function of the physical organism, is out of 

 gear. The fire flies because of grit in the 

 bearings. Even if you make much of men's 

 depravity, alleging that some are grumpy 

 by nature, the evil based primarily not in the 

 body but deeper in the spirit you must 

 admit that even in such cases ill health gives 

 it its damning malignancy. The custom of 

 sending medical missionaries along with 

 other missionaries to the heathen world has 

 a significance beyond what appears. A 

 health agency is not the veritable Gospel, 

 but it is the Gospel's best possible ally. 



Men need health in order to that inward 

 tranquillity, calm and balance so indispensa- 

 ble to soul growth as well as to physical or 

 mental enterprise. So congested have the 

 avenues of life become in these latter days, 

 that mental poise, serenity, the peace that is 

 like a river, are well-nigh impossible at 

 best, and they are quite so if bodily pains 

 or weaknesses help distract. To commune 



90 



