THE KING’S BUSINESS
806
tians, but instead of finding them insincere as she expected, she found herself much impressed with their undeniable sincerity. So interested did she become that she could hardly wait until the next meeting. She attended a number of meetings after that and talked with different workers from time to time. One day she asked her husband what he would do if she were to tell him that she believed in Jesus Christ; would he leave her? His answer reassured her, and read ing between the lines we could see that the husband also at heart had become a believer, though as yet unwilling to acknowledge it. His wife from that time on has been confessing her .faith in Jesus of Nazareth, glad to be known by that name which is so obnoxious to Jewish ears—“Gesmatah,” (meaning “converted one.”) California, nephew of a millionaire oil operator, came to the fields to learn the business. At his invitation, we accepted his hospitality, and finding he was a confirmed Eddyite, felt obliged to deal. with him in faithfulness, at which he became very angry, and seemed to think that because he had showed us a kindness we had no right to try and show him the errors of his delusion. We explained that while deeply appreciating his kindness, yet would be sorry to accept his hospitality if by so doing we were expected not to oppose his false teachings. We offered to pay for what had been received and immediately left. A few days after, passing through the town late' at night, this same young man was seen coming out of a large saloon and gambling house, and one of the boys informed us that he had been a heavy loser. Poor man, he would not listen.
Ther?, she saw one Jew after another stand up and confess faith in the One whom the “Nation abhorreth,” and her wonder increased. It was hard for her to believe they could be sincere in what they said and she decided to take some of those who had testified aside, one by one, and ask them confidentially, in Yiddish, (as though there was some subtle power in the Yiddish tongue to expose the ulterior motive which she felt sure must have prompted those Jews to say they believed in Jesus) if they really believed those things in their hearts. It was plain to be seen they were Jews all right; their features, their accent and their gestures were unmistakable, yet she seemed to think there must be something wrong somewhere, for no Jew would stand up there like that and say those things unless they got paid for it.- She questioned one after another of those Hebrew Chris j p HE last month has been very warm and sultry throughout the Kern fields, the thermometer at times registering as high as 114 degrees, but we now feel quite accli- matted and can manage to go all day long in the sun without being greatly fatigued. Each month'brings its own peculiar expe riences. Out here one feels as though they were in “foreign fields,” for really twice- born people are few, hence ?it is very refreshing to meet with one here and there who has learned to love our gracious Lord. One man who accepted the Lord said that he could not get away from his dear old father’s prayers and that he was sure his father really knew God. We used this as an argument to induce him to close with Christ, and afterwards he exclaimed: “I feel such a love for the Lord Jesus!” ' There have been some sad experiences, too. A young man from the University of
------------O ------------
WORK IN THE OIL FIELDS By Frank J. Shelley
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker