272 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aprii. 1. 



temperance people and Christians in the State 

 of Ohio, while reading some of these things I 

 came on to a letter telling of the starvation in 

 India; and I mentioned the case of the little 

 girl whose mother was trying to drown her. 

 A mother, and a very good friend of mine, 

 heard me tell about the little girl, and she 

 said she did not blame the poor starving moth- 

 er so very much, and added something to 

 the effect that children were better off out of 

 the world than in "such a world as this." 

 Dear friends, Satan is opening up a new scheme 

 of his right along in this very line. Even 

 here in America, where, I might almost say, 

 no one ever lacks food, mothers have been 

 iiuddering their children, giving, as an ex- 

 cuse, they wanted to save them from the mis- 

 ery that may be before them. Well, this 

 friend of mine, woman though she is, rather 

 reflected on the wisdom of God in making 

 such a world, or, if you choose, in permitting 

 people to come into it, only to starve to death 

 by the millions. I have just got another let- 

 ter from that sister of mine whom I quoted in 

 our previous issue about the flowers. Permit 

 me to copy a single sentence : " There is one 

 thing that puzzles me much. Why does God 

 allow so much suffering through famine in 

 India?" Many good people, perhaps Chris- 

 tian people, have thought of this very thing. 

 It has stumbled me, I am free to admit, not a 

 little. Now may God give me grace and wis- 

 dom when I attempt to answer such a ques- 

 tion. Dear Christians, fathers and mothers, 

 let ijs beware how we lose faith so as to criti- 

 cise the great God above. If we should let go 

 of his strong arm, and lose faith in the Bible 

 promises, we might almost as well all commit 

 suicide. God forbid. Why, the thought is 

 just awful. Since the world began, there nev- 

 er was a time when the great Father above 

 was showering such wonderful, such munifi- 

 cent, such bountiful gifts on his children as 

 just now. He, in his infinite love, has given 

 the United States enough to keep the whole 

 50 millions in India from starving. Our mil- 

 lionaires have the money ; and from some il- 

 lustrations we have had, some of them would 

 hardly know it is gone ; but notwithstanding 

 all their wealth and wisdom of a certain kind, 

 they are yet to discover that real happiness 

 and true enjoj-ment can not be purchased . If 

 their money was spent in wisely benefiting 

 their fellows they might find some pleasure in 

 life. We are told that Carnegie has said, " It 

 is a disgrace to die rich." I hope he will re- 

 member it, and I believe I will write him a 

 letter reminding him of his saying, and ask- 

 ing him to remember starving India. 



Well, now, for the text. Does God love the 

 world ? Why, most assuredly he does, and 

 with such a love that he gave his only begot- 

 ten Son. De^r father and mother, when you 

 love any person or any people so much that 

 you would give your only child to suffer and 

 bleed and die for their sins, your love could 

 not longer be questioned. God knows human- 

 ity better than any one living. He knows of 

 the suffering, and it is on account of suffering 

 humanity that he gave this only Son. He 

 gave him, not only that we might have food 



to keep us from perishing, but that we might 

 have everlasting life. Oh ! this is true, every 

 word of it. It is the greatest truth the whole 

 wide world contains ; and the relief from the 

 famine, the relief from the ravages of strong 

 drink, the relief from greedy millionaires, 

 must come through Christ Jesus. There is 

 no other help. Breaking up the saloons by- 

 law is a good thing ; but such an act can not 

 for an instant compare with converting the 

 sinner to Christ Jesus. A man in our employ 

 got into intemperate habits — or, rather, he re- 

 vived old intemperate habits. At a meeting 

 of the board we decided we should have to 

 give him up and get rid of him. But no one 

 else could be easily found to fill his place. 

 One of the boys suggested making a deter- 

 mined effort to win the man to Christ Jesus. 

 He was profane as well as intemperate, and 

 the idea seemed almost ridiculous. Well, this 

 young member of this firm plunged right into 

 the work of making the man a Christian. He 

 got the ministers enlisted in the case, hunted 

 up all the facts, went at it as a detective would 

 go to work to win a thousand dollars reward 

 offered. It was not a thousand dollars that 

 the young member of the firm was working 

 for, however. It was to save a soul. Dear 

 friends, that man to-day is one of the most 

 promising and useful men in our establish- 

 ment. He is not only free from strong drink, 

 but tobacco also. A foul word now never 

 passes his lips. He is reading his Bible, going 

 to church, and praying every day that God may 

 help him to be clean and pure. Which course 

 is best worth our while ? Which course will 

 be worth most to the world — trying in vain to 

 keep strong drink out of the man's way, or 

 converting him, body and soul, to be a follow- 

 er henceforth and eve) more of that only Son 

 whom God gave to the world to save the world 

 from just such troubles as these ? I need not 

 argue the case ; you all know I am right. The 

 worst skeptic who reads Gleanings, in .fact 

 the very ones who have written me ugly let- 

 ters because I so continually point to the 

 Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the 

 world, you all know I am right. Christ Jesus 

 will stop the famine in India. The spirit of 

 Christ Jesus in the hearts of men will stop 

 the war in Africa, and will divert the millions 

 that it has cost, and is costing, to the poor 

 mothers, the little children, and the little girls. 

 Now, how much yv\\\ you do for Christ Jesus? 

 You spy you believe I am right. You ac- 

 knowledge it in your inmost soul, even if you 

 do not say it. Will you not show your faith 

 by your works ? Send something to India 

 right off this minute. There are collections 

 being taken up in your various churches. 

 You can send Ihe mbney to me if you wish ; 

 but that would be a roundabout way. We 

 want it to get there as soon as possible. Here 

 is something I have clipped from Sheldon's 

 daily : 



Five cents will save a life for a day. 



One dollar will feed twenty men, women, and chil- 

 dren for a day. 



Five dollars will .save a person's life until the rain 

 conies in July, and the famine pressure is relieved. 



Twenty five dollars wll furni--h cheap garments for 

 fifty women, or seventy-five blankets needed for pro- 

 tection against the cold. 



