THEIR ORIGIN--DEPREDATIONS IN ALL AGES--AN ATHEIST RENOUNCES HIS ATHEISM--WONDERFUL ANSWERS TO PRAYER--A TOUCHING INCIDENT--ANOTHER ATHEIST CHANGED--ANNIE WITTENMYER--ASSISTANCE FROM THE EAST--MRS. M. E. ROBERTS--REFLEX INFLUENCE OF WORK DONE FOR OTHERS--MAN'S WEAKNESS AND GOD'S POWER.
HE
year 1875 is memorable in the annals of Nebraska. Those who lived in
the State at that time will never forget it. That year the State was
visited with what is known as the "grasshopper plague." The
grasshoppers, which were so destructive to the crops, were a species
of locust. They appeared first in 1874, but were more destructive in
1875, and they did more or less damage in 1876 and 1877. They were
natives of the high and dry regions of the Rocky Mountains, north of
latitude forty-three. Here, whenever the conditions are favorable,
they lay their eggs, and the young are hatched in such vast numbers
as utterly to astound those who have never had any experience with
them. They can not long endure low and moist regions com-
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bined with extreme and sudden changes of temperature, and for this
reason Nebraska can never become the permanent habitation of the
grasshopper. In the spring of 1877 millions of them were hatched out,
then followed rains and sudden changes of temperature, and in a
little while they nearly all disappeared, having done very little
damage to the crops.
History informs us that in all ages,
the locusts, of which the grasshopper is a species, have committed
great depredations. Locusts were one of the plagues sent upon the
Egyptians. "Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and
the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all
that night;" . . . "and the east wind brought the locusts. They
covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened;
and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the
trees which the hail had left; and there remained not any green thing
in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of
Egypt." (Exodus x, 13-15.) "And the Lord turned a mighty strong west
wind, which took away the locusts, and east them into the Red Sea"
(verse 19).
They came with the wind, and
disappeared with the wind. So with the grasshoppers of Nebraska. They
came with the strong wind, and disappeared with the same. They travel
only when the wind
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is strong and in the right direction. Rising high in the air, with
their wings spread, the wind carries them along with but very little
effort on their part.
Mr. Volney, in his "Travels in Syria,"
gives an account of the awful ravages of the locusts: "Syria
partakes, together with Egypt and Persia, and almost all the whole
middle part of Asia, in that terrible scourge. I mean those clouds of
locusts of which travelers have spoken; the quantity of which is
incredible to any person who has not himself seen them. When these
clouds of locusts take their flight in order to surmount some
obstacle, or the more rapidly to cross some desert, one may literally
say that the sun is darkened by them." Dr. Adam Clarke quotes
from Baron de Tott, who gives a similar account of them: "Clouds of
locusts frequently alight on the plains of the Tartars, and, giving
preference to their fields of millet, ravage them in an instant.
Their approach darkens the horizon, and so enormous is their
multitude, it hides the light of the sun. They alight on the
fields, and there form a bed of six or seven inches thick." The
graphic description, given of the grasshoppers, by these travelers,
agree with the accounts given by Moses and Joel, and are in harmony
with our observation and experience in Nebraska. In 1874, in the high
and dry regions above referred to, they were hatched by the mill-
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ions, and when large enough to migrate, they left their native
land and swooped down upon the green fields of Nebraska, destroying
almost every green thing. They came in such vast numbers that they
appeared, at times, like a cloud. 1 have seen large fields of corn
completely destroyed in a few hours, and immense wheat-fields eaten
up in a day. Sometimes they would settle down upon a field of corn so
thick, they would completely cover every stalk from the root to the
tassel; the ground beneath would be perfectly black with them, and in
places they would be from one to four inches deep. Large fields of
corn, just beginning to ripen, which at noon appeared green and
beautiful, before sundown would be entirely destroyed, and nothing
remain but the naked stalks. And woe be to the gardens they entered!
A garden-patch was their delight. Turnips, radishes, beets, carrots,
and everything in the bulb line was entirely destroyed. The inside of
these vegetables was all eaten out, and nothing but the skin, or
rind, remained. Tansy, red-pepper, and onions were their peculiar
favorites.
Sometimes the women would tie up their
cabbage and cauliflower with paper sacks and cloths, in order to save
them, but these wrappings could no more stop their ravages than a
straw could dam up the Mississippi River. They would eat through the
paper and cloth almost as quick as
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you could penetrate them with a sharp knife. Every green thing gave way before them. The awful description given by the Prophet Joel of the locusts of his day, most aptly illustrates the grasshopper scourge of Nebraska in 1875. He likens them to a mighty nation. "A nation is come upon my land, strong and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion. He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig-tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white." (Joel i, 6, 7.) The above is a most fitting illustration of the grasshopper plague. They were indeed "without number." Their teeth were more to be dreaded than "the teeth of a lion." Not only were green fields and beautiful gardens "made clean bare," but orchards and hedges were stripped of their foliage, peeled, "made white," and withered and died. The prophet continues his graphic and awful description of the locust plague: "The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth" (verse 10). "A day. of darkness and of gloominess, a. day of clouds and of thick darkness." "A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them" (ii, 2, 3). "Before their face the people
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shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness" (verse
6).
I have seen with my own eyes, many
beautiful farms, which were as the "garden of Eden" before they came,
but in a few hours after they came, were "a desolate wilderness." I
have looked upon the people whose hearts were "much pained," and
whose faces "gathered blackness," at this mighty army of robbers.
Many a strong man's heart sunk within him, as he saw in a day the
last vestige of his crop destroyed, and the living for himself and
family for the next year swept away.
An atheist, living some miles north of
Lincoln, had his entire crop destroyed by these marauders. He had a
large family. Their crop was their only dependence for a living that
year. Many of his neighbors had suffered the same fate. The prospect
for an abundant harvest never had been better. But the grasshoppers
came like a cloud, settled down upon their fields and gardens, and in
a few hours all was destroyed. The heart of this atheist sank within
him, and his face turned deathly pale. Shortly after the dreadful
calamity, he said to some of his neighbors, in a voice tremulous with
emotion: "1 believe there is a God, and if God do n't help us, I
don't know what we shall do." His atheism and infidelity at once left
him, and it was said by his neighbors that he
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became a firm believer in the Christian religion, and never
afterwards was he heard to utter a single word against the existence
of a God or the truth of the Christian religion. The grasshopper
scourge, led many to see, as never before, how weak and helpless man
is, and how utterly, dependent he is upon a higher power. The people
were greatly humbled. They felt that "vain is the help of man." They
were led to see clearly their dependence upon God, and prayed more
earnestly than ever; and the result was, many wonderful revivals of
religion. The people never were more devoted than when the country
was devastated by the grasshoppers. Our quarterly meetings were
seasons of wonderful power, and God overruled this great scourge for
the people's welfare. Great material prosperity is not always
conducive to deep piety. Financial crashes, material reverses, and
failure of crops are often the best things that can possibly befall a
people. Along with panics, financial reverses, and the failure of
crops have swept gracious revivals of religion.
Brother S. P. Vandoozer, presiding
elder of the Covington District, related the following incident to
Bishop Bowman and the cabinet during the Conference held in Omaha, in
1875: "A pious family, members of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
lived in the bounds of his district. They
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were firm believers in the power of prayer. About twelve o'clock,
one beautiful day in August, the grasshoppers settled down upon their
field of corn. The corn was black with the devouring insects. The
wife was at home alone. She knew very well if they remained a few
hours the corn would be entirely destroyed. This corn was their only
dependence for a living for the year. When she saw them settle down
upon the corn, she went into the house, kneeled down, and prayed. She
told God that the corn was their only hope for a living that year,
and earnestly asked him, for the sake of his Son, to cause the
grasshoppers to leave, and while she prayed her faith took hold on
God, and she said to herself: 'They will leave.' She arose from her
knees, went out of the house, and there the grasshoppers were, eating
away like ravenous wolves devouring their prey. Her faith began to
waver, and she went back into the house,--fell upon her knees and
began again to pray, and while she prayed was enabled to grasp the
promise, 'Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.'
She said to herself: 'They certainly will go.' She arose, went, out
and looked, and lo! they were still there, eating away as ever. She
watched them a little while and her faith began the second time to
give way. She rushed back into the house, fell upon her knees the
third time, and began to pray more earnestly than ever
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that God might remove the scourge; and as she prayed, she again
grasped the promise with an unyielding grip, and said: 'They will
go.' She arose, went out and gazed for some moments upon the
destroyers. Although there were no signs whatever of their leaving,
her faith did not waver in the least. She said to herself; as she
looked upon the destroyers, and listened to the crackling of the corn
as this mighty army made way with it: 'They will leave, they will
leave.' In a very little while they began to rise, slowly at first,
then more rapidly, then all of them, like a mighty cloud, arose and
passed away. While the neighbors' crops all around them were entirely
destroyed, their field of corn was unharmed. It stood alone in the
neighborhood, a monument of the mighty power of prayer." The next day
Bishop Bowman preached on "The Tyndill Prayer-test," and during the
sermon related the above incident,. while tears rained from many
eyes, and loud shouts of "Glory to God" were heard all over the
congregation.
That year, two families living near
where Fairmont now stands, with many others, had lost their entire
crop by the grasshoppers. They were poor, and had come to Nebraska
for the purpose of getting themselves homes. They took homesteads
near the railroad. For many weeks they had lived on short rations.
The time came
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when the last cake was baked and the last mouthful eaten. There was no meal in the barrel and no oil in the cruse, and no money or anything else with which to buy more. If God did not feed them by a miracle, as he did Elijah of old, they must starve. Elijah's God was their God, and in him they trusted. At family prayer that morning they laid their wants before God, and asked him to come to their assistance and supply their needs. That day, R R. Randall, now a member of my Church, from whom I obtained all the facts connected with this incident, was in charge of a railroad excursion from the East. Among the excursionists was a lady who was a blatant atheist. She denied the existence of a God, denounced the Scriptures, and ridiculed the idea that God answers prayer. She was loud in her profession of atheism, and proud of her infidelity. A hot box compelled the engineer to stop the train in sight of the houses of these poor families about noon the same day they had eaten the last mouthful of provisions. While waiting for the box to cool, the children of these families came out to the train. They were thinly clad, and their garments were patched until they were like Joseph's coat of many colors. The passengers got out of the coaches and gathered around the children, and began to ask questions. The children told them the artless story of their pov-
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erty. They said they had eaten the last mouthful of provisions
that morning, and that their parents had prayed for God to send them
help, and they expected God would answer their parents' prayers. The
hearts of the excursionists were touched, and tears were seen in many
eyes, as they listened to the simple story of the children. A
collection was at once taken, and it was by no means a meager one.
The passengers did not hunt for the smallest piece of money they had.
Silver and gold and greenbacks were poured out in abundance, and the
little girls, with their aprons full, returned with joy to their
homes. The infidel lady witnessed the touching scene with the deepest
interest and the greatest emotion. And when all was over, the hot box
cooled, and the train about to move on, Brother Randall said to her:
"What do you think of that? Is there a God, and does he answer
prayer?" She broke down, the tears came to her eyes, and she said: "I
never saw anything like it. There must be a God, and he certainly
answers prayer." Her atheism and infidelity at once took wings and
flew away, and the belief in a God who hears and answers prayer took
possession of her heart. To-day, as in Elijah's day, God answers
prayer.
I held a quarterly meeting during the
grasshopper scourge, at Brother Fair's, in Fillmore County. It was in
August. The weather was
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very hot and dry. There had been no rain for weeks. Everything was
burning up with the heat. What the grasshoppers did not eat, it
seemed the intense dry weather would destroy. On Saturday night, at
family prayer, I prayed that God might send a shower of rain upon the
dry and parched earth. About midnight one of Brother Fair's boys
awoke and said to his father: "Pa, it is going to rain." "What makes
you think so, my son?" said the father. "Because the preacher prayed
for rain, and I know it will rain." How wonderful is a child's faith!
If we all had the faith of children we would have many more signal
answers to prayer than we have, and many more wonderful
demonstrations of the Divine power. Sure enough, true to the child's
faith, the rain came. Early next morning the rain literally poured
down, and the people and all nature rejoiced after the refreshing
shower. A child's faith, how simple and beautiful it is!
"Mamma," said a little child, "I prayed
for God to forgive me, and he heard my prayer."
"How do you know?" said the mother.
"Because I asked him."
A wife had long been praying for her
unconverted husband. At times her distress of spirit was so great
that, when about her household duties, her troubled countenance was
sad to behold. One day her little girl of seven summers,
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seeing her arise from her knees with the same weary, anxious face,
ran up to her and said: "Mamma, won't God say yes?" and receiving no
answer, she asked again: "Mamma, why won't God say yes?" A light
flashed upon the woman's troubled soul. Had she prayed in faith and
humble trust in the Redeemer? Then she said: "Lord, increase my
faith;" and then she offered the prayer of faith, and then her glad
soul rejoiced in the salvation of her husband. Her little child had
taught her how to offer the prayer of faith. From the children we
learn many lessons. How true, "A little child shall lead them!"
About this time, Mrs. Annie Wittenmyer
visited Lincoln. She was the first corresponding secretary of the
Ladies' and Pastors' Christian Union of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and was at this time laboring in the interest of this
society. She was afterwards president of the National Woman's
Christian Temperance Union. The active part she took in hospital work
during the Civil War, in administering to the wants of the sick,
wounded, and dying soldiers, her great talents, deep piety, and
untiring energy in almost every good work, won for her a national
reputation. Many in the great day of eternity will have reason to
praise God for Annie Wittenmyer. While in Lincoln, we had the
privilege of entertaining her as a guest at our own home a short
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time. And, although she was with us but a few hours, and sat but
once at our table, that delightful visit will never be forgotten. We
let no time run to waste while she was present, for we wanted to get
all the information from her we possibly could. We asked her a great
many questions, which were answered with the greatest pleasure. She
was past fifty years old before she did any work in public. She gave
us a most interesting account of her maiden speech. It was delivered
at a camp-meeting in the East. She was so frightened that two
ministers, one taking hold of her right arm and the other her left,
had to assist her in getting upon a bench, where she stood and talked
for over an hour to the people. To her it was a memorable occasion,
and would never be forgotten. I said to her:
"We ministers sometimes have what we
call liberty, and sometimes we do not. How is it with you? Do you
always have liberty when you speak?"
"O no!" was the reply. "About
two-thirds of the time I trail, and about one-third of the
time speak with satisfaction to myself. Sometimes I do more good,
however, when I trail than I do when I speak with ease and
satisfaction."
"How is that?" said I.
"Well, I will tell you. About a year
ago
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Brother Cookman, pastor of one of our Churches in New York City,
requested me to speak to his people. I complied with the request, and
had a most delightful time. Brother Cookman was pleased, his people
were pleased, and I was pleased. We were all delighted. Some months
afterward he requested me to come again and talk to his people, and I
went. This time, however, I had a very hard time. I trailed all the
way through my speech. When I went into the parsonage, after the
service, I said: 'Well, Brother Cookman, I had a hard time to-night;
I am afraid I did not do your people any good at all.' 'O yes, Sister
Wittenmyer, you did my people more good tonight than you did when you
were here before. When you were here before, my people said: "O, that
is Sister Wittenmyer; nobody can talk like her!" and they went away
from the church discouraged, feeling as though they never would try
to do anything, because your effort was so far superior to any effort
they might attempt to make; but to-night they said, "Why, almost any
one could do that well!"'"
I remember once trying to preach
in Lincoln on Sunday night. I felt it was the most complete failure I
had ever made in my life. I left the church chagrined and mortified.
A few mouths afterward I met a man in Omaha who
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heard me preach that sermon. He referred to the sermon and the
text, and said: "Under that sermon my daughter was awakened and
converted, and has been living a faithful Christian ever since."
A minister was called unexpectedly one
evening to preach in a pulpit not his own, and announced as his text,
"Will a man rob God?" He left the church in deep depression, with a
sense of utter failure. Sixteen years afterward, when on a voyage, a
stranger accosted him, and, calling him by name, said: "I am heartily
glad to see you! A sermon you preached sixteen years ago-or, rather,
the text--was the means of my conversion. I went to church, when I
heard you announce as your text 'Will a man rob God?' I was a young
man, from a Christian home, just going abroad to commence my
life-work. I was meaning some time 'to be obedient to the heavenly
vision.' That text revealed God to me; it brought me face to face
with God." He saw God, and then and there was saved. A public speaker
does not always know when he is doing the most good. What to him is a
complete failure, in the hand of God may be a perfect success.
The finances of the society for which
Sister Wittenmyer was laboring were not in the best condition at that
time, and when she referred to
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the matter I said: "Do n't you get discouraged sometimes?"
"O no," was the prompt reply. "You
would not get discouraged either if you had seen what I have seen.
Let me give you an incident," said she: "Our society was in debt some
three hundred dollars. We ladies planned a course of lectures, in
order to pay off that debt. We secured several of the best and most
rioted lecturers in the field, and, after the course was delivered,
we were eight dollars worse off than when we began. We felt badly. A
number of the ladies were disheartened. One day some of us were
talking over the matter, and wondering how we were to liquidate the
indebtedness, when Brother Hughes came up, and we told him what we
had been talking about and what we wanted. He said: 'Why don't you
ask God to send you the money?' 'Sure enough; we had not thought of
that. We will ask God to send us three hundred dollars.' 'Ask God to
send you a thousand!' said Brother Hughes. So we agreed together to
pray for a thousand dollars. A few months afterward the two New York
Conferences were in session. I spoke to the New York East Conference
one night, and the next night addressed the New York Conference. At
the close of the meeting, as I walked down the aisle, Brother
Remington met me, and handed me a check for one thou-
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sand dollars for our society. There was the answer to our prayers.
I could give you other incidents similar to this. No, I do not get
discouraged."
The people of the East were very kind,
and money and clothing in large amounts were given to aid the
grasshopper sufferers. Some six hundred dollars were sent to me
during the year, which amount I gave to the most needy on my
district. An emporium was established in Lincoln, where large
quantities of clothing were stored, divided, given, and sent to the
destitute. I knew of many families on my district who were very
needy. Mrs. Davis and I requested Mrs. M. E. Roberts to help us in
selecting clothing for these needy ones. We spent the day in doing
this, and Mrs. Roberts afterwards declared that it was the most
delightful day's work she had ever done. She is always happy when she
can help others. While engaged in this work she felt conscious she
was rendering invaluable service to the suffering poor. Nothing
brings such rich joy to the heart as the work of benefiting others.
All that is done for humanity has a reflex influence. While it goes
forth to benefit those intended, it comes back with a richer blessing
to the benefactor. Many know from experience the truth of the
Savior's words, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
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Many of the preachers of my district
were living on a mere pittance. They were struggling hard with
poverty--barely able to keep the wolf from the door. I knew well
their needs. Flannels and muslins and calicoes were carefully
divided, that all might share equally, and certain garments were
carefully laid aside for Brothers A and B and C. While carefully
assorting the goods, Sister Roberts came across a beautiful pair of
lavender kid-gloves, and, holding them up in her hand, said: "O see
here, what a lovely pair of gloves I have found ! To whom shall we
give them?" We thought of Sister A and then of Sister B. We suggested
first one and then another. "Lavender kid-gloves! lavender kid
gloves! For whom would they be appropriate?" We were at a loss to
know. What did grasshopper sufferers need of lavender kid-gloves? We
discussed the matter pro and con for some time, but could not decide
who should have them.
Sister Roberts afterward said: "We were
a little like the Sanitary Commissioners in the South during the war.
Among the many things sent to relieve the wants of the suffering
soldiers was a box of paper collars. The commissioners were very much
perplexed to know what to do with them. For whom they would be
appropriate they knew not. Finally they sent them back, saying: 'We
have fried them, and boiled them,
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and baked them, and we can not do anything with them; so we send
them back to you." Whatever became of the lavender kid-gloves I do
not know to this day; but we could find no earthly use for them.
In the grasshopper plague we have an
illustration of the wonderful influence and power of little things. A
snow-flake is a little thing. Who cares for one snow-flake? But a
whole day of snowflakes, drifting over the fences, blocking up the
roads, and gathering upon the mountainsides, to crush in awful
avalanches, who does not care for that? A spark of fire is a little
thing. Who cares for a spark of fire? A drop of water may extinguish
it; a touch with the foot or hand may put it out. But drop that spark
of fire in the grass on a dry and windy day, and soon it becomes a
rolling wave of flame; and fences and hay-stacks, and barns and
houses melt away before the devouring element. One of the most
fearful of all things is a prairie-fire on a dry and windy day. It
sweeps everything before it, and its track is marked by desolation
and gloom. A grasshopper is a little thing. Who cares for such a tiny
insect? But millions on millions of grasshoppers, flying like a
cloud, and settling down upon fields and gardens, literally covering
everything, who does not care for them? A woman whose corn had all
been destroyed by them said:
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"I would not have felt so badly if a
drove of buffaloes had entered the field and eaten up my corn; but to
have it all destroyed in a few hours by such insignificant things as
grasshoppers is really aggravating."
The grasshoppers brought gloom and
sadness to many a home and many a heart, and we have no desire at all
to see them again; yet, under an overruling providence, they were not
without profit to many of the people. Man's weakness and God's power
were seen in a light never before manifested. Without the
intervention of Almighty God, man is at the mercy, in spite of all
his knowledge and power, of a little, insignificant insect. Many were
led to cry out with David: "I will lift up mine eyes to the hills,
from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made
heaven and earth."
