ANNIVERSARY MEETING AT THE CHICAGO MEDICAL MISSION
(Concluded)
Ernestine Hoagland: “I never before saw such marked instances of the Lord’s working as in Joliet. A few weeks ago Brother Sadler spoke in a number of the churches there, and of course that did a great deal toward getting our work started. People began to know about us. Then Sister Sadler spoke in the prison, and became acquainted with some of the W. C. T. U. workers and other prominent ladies. Brother and Sister Sadler were with us two weeks, and since then four of us have been working in Joliet. Three of us have been continually engaged in the work, and the Lord has wonderfully blessed. One nurse has been giving health and gospel talks to the neighbors of her patient, and they frequently go in to ask her questions. The doctor is very much pleased with her work. He told a man a few days ago that he wanted him to get one of our nurses for his sick boy, because our treatments had saved his patient’s life. One of the leading physicians under whom one of our nurses is working told the patient’s relatives that he would rather have the good care of the nurse than all the medicines he could give. And there are numerous instances in which the use of tea and coffee and other unwholesome foods has been given up.”
“When we first went to Joliet, we did considerable work with the Life Boat, Good Health, and Signs of the Times. I have been visiting these families, and I find many who are interested. Last Sunday I spoke in one of the churches, and told about the work of the mission here. The minister afterward came to me and said, ‘We are glad you have come to speak to us. We want you to help us more, and we are going to have revival meetings next week. We want you to tell the people more about your work. We ministers are all the time telling the people what the love of God can do, but you have told us to-day what the love of God has done.’”
“Yesterday I had a telephone message from the superintendent of prison work for the W. C. T. U. of this State. She asked me to go to the prison to-morrow to speak. I have had opportunity to lead several young people’s meetings, and have talked at a number of prayer-meetings, besides numerous cottage meetings. Ministers seem glad to have us tell their people about our work in Chicago. We have been able to introduce our health foods into many families. There are so many experiences that it would take a long time to tell them. I thank God for the wonderful way in which He has blessed us.”
Jessie Counselman: “I have just returned from answering a call for a nurse which came from a suburban town. It was a case of typhoid fever, and I found the doctor somewhat skeptical about our treatments. But the patient began to improve, and the doctor’s confidence in hydrotherapy began to grow. Soon the patient became so much better that it was not necessary for me to stay longer, and I planned to return to Chicago. The doctor insisted upon my taking care of another patient, suffering with typhoid pneumonia. He wanted me to go and give him some treatments, and said he would pay the fees himself if I would go. The boy began to improve immediately, and in less than two days the doctor had hopes of his recovery, which he had not had before. He seemed very appreciative of our treatments. He insisted upon my going home with him to rest a day before returning. Here I had an opportunity to give our principles to the family, and to talk with his wife upon the subject of hygienic dress, etc. I feel very grateful for the Lord’s blessing that rested upon this work.”
Fannie Emmel, matron of the Life Boat Rest: “I am very grateful this morning for the privilege of having a share in this work. They tell me that my work is in one of the hardest fields, but I do not seem to appreciate that, only as people call my attention to it, because, in the first place, when the Lord called me to the rescue work, I made up my mind that He knew what He was about, and I accepted the privilege of working for Him in this capacity. I was neither looking for hardships nor for an easy place, but simply to know what He wanted me to do.”
“I came to Chicago with the intention of selling the Life Boat among the business men. I was engaged in this work for some time before duty called me to the Life Boat Rest, at the time of its establishment on South Clark Street. I had always been a coward, but the Lord gave me assurance, clear and plain, that He would take care of me. The Lord gave me that precious promise in Ps. 121:8: ‘The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ And I said, ‘Amen, Lord.’ Very often some one in this section of the city asks us if we are not afraid as we go about our work. The pockets of those by my side have been picked, and I have passed along the street by those lying senseless, having been knocked down. And it is a great wonder to some why our workers are never molested. The other day a druggist near by, who has been very kind to us, said, ‘Why, Miss Emmel, aren’t you afraid to go along these streets as you do?’ Then I had the privilege of reciting to him the precious gospel story, and telling him how the Lord had taken away fear from my heart and given me courage. He said, ‘You could not hire me to go along South Clark Street without my gun in my pocket, and my hand on it.’”
“Our work is supported by the gifts of the people, and the Life Boats, which are sold in the saloons and brothels along the line of our work. We go from door to door, not intending to miss a single one. As far as I know, the last year the gospel message in the printed page has been carried into every saloon and brothel in the slums on the south side of this wicked city. We also go into the business houses. It does us good to see the business men, and have an opportunity to bring our work before them. For the last six months the commission merchants on South Water Street have supplied us with fruit, vegetables, etc. The Life Boat gives us an opportunity of meeting the unfortunate girls in a way that we should never be able to without it. We tell them how we have helped some other girl, how the Lord has blessed her, how we have secured work for some, and how they have been placed in a home, with good, kind friends. Thus we fasten a chain of influences about these poor souls which often proves the means of helping them. When we speak to these girls, and tell them of our interest in them, they often answer, ‘Yes, but you are the only ones who will help us.’ Then we invite them to the Life Boat Rest, and there we take them around, and show them how every article and piece of furniture has been supplied in answer to prayer. And they have to acknowledge, whether they wish to or not, that the Lord does bless us. I have learned that we are in our work for two purposes—to save those who want to be saved, and to faithfully witness for God.”
“I am thinking just now of a cozy home on Thirty-first Street, with a good husband, where there is a precious girl who has been helped by the Life Boat Rest. She gave her heart to Jesus. Now she is happy. And she is not the only one.”
Dr. Francis Wessels: “I am indeed thankful for the privilege of being here this morning and of seeing the practical results of self-sacrifice. As one looks at the bright faces here, and sees the love of God shining forth, he can not help thanking God that this work was ever started. And we know that the influence of the few disciples who followed Christ resulted in the carrying of the gospel to us who were once heathen. What a privilege to engage in such a work, and by our efforts to stimulate others to work! I am sure that many who do not belong to this denomination have been stimulated to engage in similar work through the example that has been given in Chicago. I have been living in London for some time, and, as you all know, it is a very wicked city. There is great need for just this kind of work; and I hope God will raise up some of you to go there and begin the work. I hope it will be my privilege to be here more than once. I hope to be able to see just how this work is done, and how each of you is getting along in it. Let me say, in closing, that God never neglects to answer one prayer, and never fails to give fruit to every effort that is put forth in His name.”
Louise Paulson: “I am sorry that the matron of the Children’s Christian Home is out of the city. But I can say that the Lord is working on the hearts158of the children. He is blessing the work. We can see the influence of our work on the children’s mothers, who come to visit their children from time to time. Several of them have learned the love of God through the work of the Children’s Home.”
Mrs. Garthofner, matron of the training school: “I thank the Lord every day of my life that He has placed me here. I thank Him for the part He has given me in this great work. I enjoy it thoroughly, every bit of it. I do praise Him for the remarkable way in which He helps us, and I thank Him for intrusting me with a place in His work.”
Mrs. Moorman: “I have a letter here from an inmate of Joliet prison. He is what is called a ‘lifer’; that is, one who is in prison for life. This letter was written to Mrs. Sadler. Since going to prison, he has given his heart to God. He thinks a great deal of the Life Boat, and each month circulates his copy among twenty of his fellow prisoners. He writes as follows:—”
“STATE PENITENTIARY, JOLIET,
“Dec. 25, 1900.
“Dear Mrs. Sadler: Yours of the 17th is before me, and you do not know how sorry I am to learn of the misfortune that befell you while on your mission of mercy to us unfortunate men. But I do hope that the fracture is mending; for this I have prayed regularly ever since I learned of the accident. I spoke to several of the boys this morning in the prison chapel, informing them of the sad misfortune; and if you could have heard some of the expressions, I am sure you would have been pleased, and I can assure you that there are many boys behind prison bars praying for your speedy recovery. But I believe, dear sister, it was as great a disappointment to you as it has been to us; and the boys, while somewhat disappointed, appreciate the motive that prompted you and Brother Sadler to make the journey.”
“Just say to Brother Sadler that our hearts are ever true, our feet are planted in the narrow way; and do not forget to tell him,—it will please him to know,—we are going home to meet him on the other side. You say you trust the Lord will keep me to the end. You may rest assured that I will never let go my hold on the Man who died on Calvary to ransom me from sin and death. And as I often say to the boys, if the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ is worth anything, it is worth striving for right here, right now, in this very prison. As I sit here and think of you and of my surroundings, it seems as if my very heart would burst with emotion, as I think of days gone by. Mine has been a misspent and wasted life. God forgive me for it; for the lessons I have learned have cost me dear. Good-by. God bless you and Brother Sadler.”