grounds, the detention home school, the juvenile court and all it implies, the biggest fight of all was yet ahead. But that little fight helped us to see the necessity for the big fight. We were being educated through the misery and misfortune of the children.—Ben B. Lindsey, The Survey.
(2037)
MISERY EXCITING SYMPATHY
The subjects which especially awakened
the pencil of Thomas Rowlandson were the
denizens of the squalid quarters of London.
Muther says of him: "The cry of misery
rising from the pavement of great cities had
been first heard by Rowlandson, and the
pages on which he drew the poor of London
are a living dance of death of the most
ghastly veracity." (Text.)
(2038)
Misfortune—See Desires Inordinate.
Misfortune, Meeting—See Nature, Enjoyment
of.
MISFORTUNE, SUPERIORITY TO
The Caucasian mountaineers have this
proverb: "Heroism is endurance for one
moment more." The fact is recognized that
the human spirit, with its dominating force,
the will, may be and ought to be superior to
all bodily sensations and accidents of environment.
In a recent psychological story
called "My Friend Will," Charles F. Lummis
pays a striking tribute to the power of the
human mind over accident and chance, when
he makes his "friend Will" say: "I am
bigger than anything that can happen to me;
all those things—sorrow, misfortune and
suffering—are outside my door. I'm in the
house and I've got the key!" (Text.)
(2039)
Misrepresentation Rebuked—See Honesty in Business.
MISSION FRUIT
A young married woman, wife of a Mohammedan,
was lying ill in one of the mission
hospitals in North India. While there
she was daily taught of the love and compassion
of the Savior, and she soon desired
to know and serve Him. Her husband was
told of her wish and was exceedingly angry
and had her removed immediately from the
hospital. He prohibited the mission ladies
from visiting her. But just before the conveyance
came to take her away she called
the doctor and missionary to her and said:
"I can be taken away from you, but not
from Christ, for I can pray to Him even
behind the purdah, but I want you to remember
my desire. You know Jesus well, I
only know Him a little; when you meet me
at the judgment seat of heaven, just go to
Him and tell Him who I am and how
anxious I was to publicly confess Him on
earth. Make it plain to Him, please."
(2040)
There is an old Indian legend that a poor man threw a bud of charity into Buddha's bowl and it blossomed into a thousand flowers. So we throw the bud of Christian truth into isolated and scattered communities, into the far-off lands, and lo, it bursts forth into a thousand fragrant blossoms and bears fruit in every activity of human life.—J. A. Huntley.
(2041)
The first fruits of the gospel on mission fields are growing and ripening by the river of the water of life, day by day. No more weighty proof of the success of missions can be found than the transformation of individual character and the every-day life.
One of the Chinese brethren is a ferryman,
poor in money, but rich in faith. One
evening he ferried a passenger over the
river, who had a lot of things tied up in a
cloth. After throwing the cash for his fare
into the bottom of the boat, the man departed
hurriedly. The Christian went to pick up
the money, and found a pair of gold bracelets,
worth $400, which the man had dropt.
He tied up his boat and tried to find the
man, but he was lost in the crowd. The
boatman went home much troubled. According
to Chinese law, he could keep them
if unclaimed. After prayer, he decided to
go to the chapel. The preacher heard the
story. Said he: "Your passenger doubtless
was a robber, and these things have been
stolen. I will go with you to the mandarin,
and we will give the bracelets up to him. A
search will be made, and the owner found."
This was done, and the mandarin said: "Well, I have never seen or heard anything like this. Your religion must be a true religion, and your God a living God, thus to influence a poor man to give up wealth for conscience's sake." (Text.)
(2042)
See Transformation.
