The Life Boat for 1907

Are You Acquainted with God? 50 Cents a Year PYBLISHED MONTHLY Single Copies, 5 Cents Volume Cen 3anuarp, 1907 Slumber One ligllSbatet III. City Sleabcivarters: 472 State Street, Chicago Organize For Missionary Work •pu8rs Ito!un An Illustrated Monthly Journal Devoted to Charitable, Philanthropic, Health and Soul-Winning Work. Entered as second-class matter, July 17,1905, at the Postoffice at Hinsdale, Ill., under Act of Congress of March 3,1879. - Volume X HINSDALE, ILL. :: JANUARY, 1907 Number 1 THE NEW YEAR. Think not of the failures behind you, Shrink not from the dark before; PEARL WAGGONER. The Master already has trodden Oh, how are you going to use it— The way you must travel o'er. This gift of a bright new year, Just grasp the sure hand of Jehovah, Which lies now unopened before you— Lean heavily on His might, A season of hope and cheer? And with Him untiringly labor— Full soon will the Hand that made it, For soon there shall come the night. Its pages for you unseal; The time you are living is earnest; New prospects, new cares, will confront you, 0 Christian, arouse, awake! New duties both stern and real. Lift up those who've fallen beside you, Then how are you going to meet them? And help them the goal to make. Take time just to pause and think, The sad, and the weak, and the erring— And settle if boldly you'll greet them Oh, lend them a kindly hand, Or, wavering, from them shrink. Until they with you, with rejoicing Yea, settle with whom you will face them, Shall enter the promised land. And whom for a guide you'll choose Through all the grim labyrinths and mazes Where many their way may lose. PROVIDENTIAL GUIDINGS AFTER THE There's only one Guide who can lead you EARTHQUAKE. By paths which are safe and true: For final defeat or for vict'ry, MRS. AUGUSTA C. BAINBRIDGE, The choice is now left with you. San Francisco, Cal. The old year just past, was it squandered [Every one who was at any time a refugee In idleness—folly—sin? in Golden Gate Park after that terrible earth- Turn over the page then, so blotted; This new one with God begin, quake, remembers with gratitude the magnifi- cent work carried on by the San Francisco W. Pray God for forgiveness, then leave it— Dwell not in the shadowy past; C. T. U. under the leadership of Mrs. Bain- For all of your sins He has promised bridge. Her work was officially endorsed by Behind His own back to cast. the military authorities, and Lillian M. N. And ye who already are servants Stevens, the president of the National Wom- Of Christ, whom as King you own, an's Christian Temperance Union, in her Remember, this new year beginning, presidential address at the recent National You enter it not alone. convention held at Hartford, Conn. said: As backward you glance o'er the old year "When the story of San Francisco shall be And think of your efforts small, fully written, the page which will bear most Oh, feel you discouraged, and seems it You scarce have done aught at all? clearly the impress of divine love will be that which records the self-sacrificing deeds of Arise in the strength of your Master! Mrs. A. C. Bainbridge, president of the San Your lamp for the vigil trim; Press forward, and onward, and upward, Francisco County W. C. T. U., and her co- And leave the results with Him. workers ; loving ministries for the little chil- 2 THE LIFE BOAT. dren, for endangered girlhood and for be- we could get enough water to wash them, wildered, sorrowing womanhood." you can appreciate what it meant. As I We invited Mrs. Bainbridge to come and tell our workers how the Lord opened the way for picked them up, I said, "Father, whatever her without money or any special standing you have for me to do, I will do it." or influence to carry on this great work for HOW THE WORK BEGAN. humanity. It should be an encouragement to every humble, trusting child of God who shall As soon as I got my house put into some read these lines ; and let those who believe kind of order (as it was quite disturbed that God has nothing to do with the affairs by the earthquake) I felt impressed to go of men read this account thoughtfully.—Ed.] to the Golden Gate Park and see what I On Tuesday morning (remember the earth- could do for the people there. As I went, quake came on Wednesday morning) as I the thought came to me, What can you do started out to fulfil the engagements of the for, these people? The next thought was, day, I was late and thought I had missed What would you like to have done for you my baker. On the way to the street car I if you were in the situation these are? God saw the wagon turning the corner to my talks to you quickly when you listen. I home ; some voice seemed to say to me: knew I would like a quiet place where I could "Buy a lot of bread." The thought came, I read and, think. I had no money and no do not need any bread, I have gems, bis- place to start a reading room and I said, cuit, zwieback, etc., I do not want to buy "Lord, what shall I do?" The thought, came any bread to-day. The baker drove on to me to speak to the first soldier I saw, and toward me and just as he stopped the wagon the first one, was Major G. W. McIver, who beside me to take my order, that thought had charge of the Golden Gate Camp. It came again very positively, "Buy a lot of was a peculiar providence, as he was the bread to-day." Again I refused to yield to one military man on the coast who was it, although I did go so far as to buy two particularly favorable to the work of the loaves. W, C. T. U. Had some other officer been I was sorry afterward that I did not obey there I would probably not have received any the Voice, because when the earthquake came favor, but that morning at that time, that and there was no bread to be bought, those minute, he stood upon his porch. two loaves of bread were all the bread that What I was going to say to him, I did not five families had for four days, and when know. The Lord has promised to put words the men, women and children around me into our mouths. As I told him what I begged me to give them bread, I did not wanted to do, he said, "Can you do this have it to give them, when I could have had work? do you understand it ?" I said, it. I was greatly humiliated, as anyone "Yes." The next question was, "As you look would be, because_ my Father had given me upon this camp, how long do you think they the message to buy bread and I refused to need it?" I said, "A year at least." He then obey. took me into office after office and said, "Give- I had another peculiar experience that I Mrs. Bainbridge what she wants." One of had good reason to remember for some time the officers showed me the largest sized tent afterwards: just the day before the earth- he had, but it was too small, and he took quake I had washed our flannels, and as it me back to Major McIver with the message was a foggy day I had hung them up to dry that "Mrs. Bainbridge says these tents are by the kitchen stove. In the evening I felt too small." McIver replied that in a strongly impressed to take them down for few days the large sized military tents would be fear they would get soiled, but nevertheless on the grounds, and if I would wait he would I left them hanging. The next morning see that I had one of those. I agreed to wait, when the pictures tumbled down, the plas- and went home. Returning at the time ap- tering came off the wall, the chandeliers were pointed, the tent was ready. He sent an smashed and the stove and stove pipe were orderly with me and also 'a doctor in the shaken down, our flannels were under it all; service to choose a location. He asked me and when you bear in mind that we had to where I wanted to be and I said, "I want to wear those flannels for twenty days before be wherever the people are." He said, "Yes, THE LIFE BOAT. Mrs. Bainbridge, I want you in the middle task was to find a caretaker. I knew in hav-' of things." ing that emergency tent I must have a woman In two days the tent was pitched, but that could be there all day and all night, and not furnished. As I was wondering how to having no one I knew that I could call get furniture I was directed in thought to upon I said, "Father, send me someone to Mr. Clinton, the boss carpenter of the camp. - care for that tent." As I went to him I was given the assur- I had hardly breathed a prayer before I ance that I should have the furniture, and so the first question I asked him was, `What sized tables are you going to make for me?" He scratched his head and said, "Why, I have that floor to put in and those tables and those shelves, and Mc- Iver told me I must have them done by night." And so that was done, and as in the meantime I had been corresponding with friends both inside and outside of the W.

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