THINGS THAT

DURE
.

R.MILLER

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Class

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Book
Copyright^
-

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT.

Cfjmgs

tfjat

Cnbure

DR.
A

J.

R.

MILLER'S BOOKS

Joy of Service Heart Garden Beauty of Every Day Lesson of Love Beauty of Self-Control Making the Most

of

Bethlehem to Olivet Book of Comfort

Life

Ministry of Comfort Building of Character Morning Thoughts Personal Friendships of Come ye Apart
Dr. Miller's Year Book
Jesus

Evening Thoughts Every Day of Life Finding the Way For the Best Things Gate Beautiful Glimpses through Life's
place

Silent Times Story of a Busy Life

Strength and Beauty Things that Endure Things to Live For Upper Currents Windows When the Song Begins Glory of the Common- Wider Life

Young
lems

People's

Prob-

Golden Gate of Prayer Hidden Life

BOOKLETS
Beauty of Kindness
ness

Blessing of Cheerful- Loving

Learning to Love my Neighbor Marriage Altar

of Bethany Master's Friendships Secret of Gladness Secret of Love Gentle Heart Secrets of Happy Home Girls Faults and Ideals Life Glimpses of the Heav- Summer Gathering enly Life To-day and To-morrow
Still

By the

Waters

Mary

Christmas Making Cure for Care Face of the Master

:

Go Forward
Inner Life Joy of the Lord

Turning Northward
Ideals

How? When? Where? Unto the Hills In Perfect Peace Young Men: Faults and

Cfjtngg

tfjat

<nbure

BY
J.

R.

MILLER
1

AUTHOR OF 'SILENT TIMES," "for THE BEST THINGS," "the BOOK

OF COMFORT," ETC.

EDITED

BY
FARIS

JOHN

T.

NEW YORK

THOMAS

Y.

CROWELL COMPANY
PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1918, by Thomas F. Crowsll Company.

Published September, 1913.

CI.A351559

FOREWORD

W HEN
nounced,
of

the death of J. R. Miller was anof the tens of thousands

many

who

every year looked forward to the appearance

new volumes from

his

pen feared that

his helpful books. his world-

there would be no

more of

But a pleasant surprise awaits

wide audience.

While

fulfilling

a promise to

him

to complete for publication two volumes

on which he was at work until the pen

dropped from
ered

his

weakening hand, I discovmanuscripts rich material

among

his

which has never been published in book form.

So

it is

possible this year to offer another

series of

volume in the

books of which already

copies

more than two

sold.

million

have

been

The chapters

of "Things

That En-

[v]

iforetoorb
dure" are here presented just as they came

from the heart and brain

his greatest

of

him who found

joy

in helping others.

John T.
Philadelphia, U.8.A*

Faris.

[vi]

CONTENTS
I.

Things that Endure

Page

II.

The Cost

of Reaching the Best

is

III.

When

Kindness

Unkind
of the

17

IV.

The Interweaving

Days

27

V.
VI.
VII.
VIII. IX.

Doing and Not Doubting

37

No True Work

Is

Vain

43
51

Be Thou a Blessing

Making a Living and Making a Our

Lives

Life

59 67

Words of God

X.

Two Ways
of Being

77

XL The Duty
XII.
XIII.

Always Strong

85

Strength for a

New Year
,

93
105

More than Meat

XIV.

The Sin
Life

of Drifting
Responsibility of

113

XV. The Value and

XVI.
XVII.

One
121 129

The Folly

of Drifting into Marriage

How Not

to

Show Sympathy
[

137

vii

Content*
XVIII.
Choosing Our Friends

Page

145
157

XIX.

The Entanglements

of Love

XX.
XXI.
XXII.
XXIII.

Learning the Lessons of Love at

Home
Learning the Lessons of Patriotism
Is

165

173
181 189

Worrying a Christian Duty?

or Marring Beauty

Making

XXIV.

On the

Footpath to Success

197

XXV.
XXVII.
XXVIII.

Causes of Failure
to One's Calling

205 215

XXVI. Sticking

The Misuse

of the Gift of Speech

of Talking too

223
231 239

The Danger

Much

XXIX. Books Worth While

XXX.

Talk about Tempee

of Keeping One's

247

XXXI. The Advantage

Temper

257

XXXII. The Grace

XXXIII.

of Being Obliging

265

What to Do with Our Money XXXIV. What to Do with Our Hands XXXV. Some Indirect Ways of Lying
XXXVI. Putting away
Childish Things

273

283
291 299

XXXVII. Remember the Way

307

[ viii ]

<3P[Hngg

tfrat

Cttimte

CHAPTER
^fjtngg
tfrat

ofrrtmre

was one of the conceits of anthat the oarsman,

cient poetry

Charon,

was permitted on one

occasion to visit this earth.

From
As he
are

a lofty mountain top, he looked down upon

the
cities,

palaces,

and works of men.

went away, he

said, "All these people

spending their time in building just birds'

nests.

No wonder they fail and are

ashamed."

Building birds' nests to be swept away in the

floods,

when they might be erecting palaces

of immortal beauty, to dwell in forever

indeed,

thus,

must much of our

life

and work ap-

pear to the angels who look down upon us

from heaven and see things as they

are.

Many

things that

men do

leave no
little

permanent

results,

nothing to show a

while after-

ward that they have been wrought.

No

doubt, there are things evanescent in

themselves, which yet leave

an enduring im-

[3]

Cfnttga tfmt <#nbure

pression.

rose has but a brief existence,

and yet

it

may

leave a touch of beauty on the

hearts of those
ley advises,

who behold
lose

it.

Charles Kings-

"Never

an opportunity of

seeing anything beautiful.

Welcome beauty
who
the foun-

in every fair face, every fair sky, every fair

flower,

and thank Him

for

it

is

tain of all loveliness,

and drink
your eyes
;

it in it is

simply

and earnestly with

all

a charm-

ing draught, a cup of blessing."

There may be good, therefore, in even the

most transient things we do.

They may

leave

touches of beauty on the lives of others, or

may put inspiration toward sweeter and better

living into other hearts.

But

there

is

a large

class of things that people

do which neither

do good to others nor store away any treasure

for those

who do them.
life,

It

is

possible to live,
last.

however, so that everything we do shall

In

all

our busy

we may be laying

gold,
life's

silver,

precious stones, on the walls of

temple, materials which will not be consumed

nor tarnished in the

work.

fire

that shall try men's

In the sphere of unseen things, results

[4]

Clunga

tfjat

Cttimre

are rated, not by dollars, but by moral values.

Here a cup of

cold water given to a thirsty

one in the name of Christ will count for more

than the piling up of a fortune for one's

In
this sphere, also, the

self.

appear empty at the

rich, leaving to the

man whose hands end of his life may be

world an enduring inheri-

tance of good.
There
is

Writes Kingsley again

no failure for the good and wise.

What though thy seed should fall by the wayside And the birds snatch it, yet the birds are fed; Or they may bear it far across the tide
To
give rich harvests after thou art dead.

Our work
by
love

will last
is

only when
in the

it is

inspired

and

wrought

name

of Christ.

Nothing that we do
There
is

for ourselves will endure.

self-

no immortality for vanity and

seeking.

The glory

of self-conceit

is

only a

bubble that bursts and leaves but a wrack of

froth behind.

But what we do
live.

in love for

Christ and our fellow-men will

One made
it

a costly piece of embroidery, weaving into

many

silver

and gold threads.

The work was

it

then laid away for a time, and when

was

4E$fttg* tfjat Ofrttmre

looked at again the whole delicate and beautiful fabric

had decayed

nothing was
life

left

save

the

gold and silver threads.

These were

bright as ever in imperishable beauty.

The
will

only threads in the web of a

which

endure are the gold and

love for Christ

silver threads
in.

which

and love for men put

We do not begin to realize what power even

the smallest things,
if

love be in them, have to

put brightness and

a blessing into dreary or

of a kindly word
it

empty

lives.

The memory

stays ofttimes for years in a heart to which

brought cheer and uplifting.

to a darkened

flower sent

room

in some time of sickness

or sorrow leaves fragrance which abides ever

afterward.

note of sympathy, with

its

word of cheer and

love, is cherished as dearer

its

than gold or gems, and

forgotten.

message

is

never

The

greatest deeds without love

record, but

make no enduring
spires

when

love in-

them the smallest

ministries of kindness

leave imperishable memories in the lives which

they help and

It

bless.

ought to be one of the deepest longings

[6]

Cfjingsf tfjat Ofrtimre

of every true heart to leave in this world

something which
blessing

will last,

which

will live in

and good.
where
as I
I tread?

"Is the world better or worse

What What

have I done in the years that are dead?

have I

left in the

way

passed

Foibles to perish, or blessings to last?"

It

is

pitiful to

spend one's years in doing

things that are not worth while, things that

will perish

and leave no record of good

in which

in

any

life.

We

should not be content to let a

single

day pass

we do not speak some

gracious word or do a kindness that will add

to the happiness, the hope, or the courage and strength, of another
ever
life.

We

should seek

by

ministries of love to redeem our days

of toil
liness,

from dreariness, emptiness, and earthand make them radiant in Gcd's eye
they write for eternity.

and

in the story

"For me

to

have

made one

soul

The better for my birth; To have added but one flower

To

the garden of the earth;

[7]

Cftingg

tfjat

Cnfcmre
for truth
lies;

"To have struck one blow

In the daily fight with

To have done one deed

of right

In the face of calumnies;

"To have sown One thought

in the souls of

men
life.

that will not die

To have been

a link in the chain of

Shall be immortality."

tt

Cfre Coat of Uteatfjing

tfie

2fre*t

CHAPTER

II
tfje

Cfje Cost of Cteaclnnp;

2foat

OME

one has been making a

is

little

calculation which

interesting.

A bar of iron
its

of a certain size, in

rough

state, is

worth

five dol-

lars.

If

it

be

made into

horseshoes,

it is

worth

twelve dollars.

When

it

has been put through

certain processes and then

made
is

into needles,

instead of horseshoes,

its

value

increased to

three hundred and fifty dollars.

piece of iron, however,

The same

made

into knife blades,

becomes worth three thousand dollars, and

made

into balance springs for watches,

is in-

creased in value to the enormous

sum of two
These

hundred and

fifty

thousand

dollars.
is

figures are not vouched for, but it

no doubt

true that a bar of iron

is

capable of becoming
its

worth a great deal more than in

state
it

rough

would bring in the market.

iron reaches its higher values
It has to be

The

through

certain processes.

put into the

Cf)mg$
fire,

tfjat

Ofrttmre
rolled, pressed,
it is

and has to be hammered,

and
polished.

cut,

The more

worth

in

the end, the longer and severer processes

it

must
into

pass through in preparation.

It requires
it

more heating and pounding to make

watch-springs than into horseshoes or knife

blades.

There

is

an

illustration here of the

is

way

in

which the best that

in

human

lives

can be

brought out.

It can be done only

by the proand

cesses of education

and

self-discipline,

these processes are not easy.

The boy who

is

would

live

up

to the best that

in

him can-

not spend the greater part of his time on

the playground, nor can he
school
slip

along through
translations.
toil.

and

college with keys

and

He must dig out his lesson with sweat and

The
is

girl

who would

live

up

to the best that

in

her must deny herself many tempting

times,

and attractive diversions and good

must devote
ing, work.

and

herself sedulously to study, read-

We

are disposed to sympathize

with and pity young people who are called to

endure hardship,

self-denial,

pinching econ-

[12]

Cfje Coat of fteacfnng

tfje

2fost
But

omy, disappointment, defeat, and

no hardness, no

trial.

we should rather commiserate those who have

self-denial,

no necessity for
re-

economy, no struggles.

These are apt to

main

all their lives

only like the bar of com-

mon
grow

iron, while those

who must endure the

and

severe discipline are the only ones whose lives

into nobleness strength, usefulness,

Christlikeness.

Even
life

of Jesus

it is

said that he "was

made

perfect through suffering."

We can save our

can bring out the
of the

only by losing

it.

We

better nature only

by the crucifying

worst.

We

can develop our character, our

true

life,

only by the denying of ourselves in

those things that belong to the lower phases

of

life.

We

must keep our body under,

possibilities

if

we
our

would attain the best

higher nature.

of

Many

people dread the hinlie

drances and obstacles which

in their

way,

but, rightly seen, these are opportunities for

making something

of our
lies

life.

The law

of sacrifice

at the heart of all

find illus-

beautiful living.

Everywhere we

[13]

Cfnng*
trations of this.
forest.

tijat

Cttimre

great oak stands in the

its

It

is

beautiful in

majesty.

It

is

ornamental.

It casts a pleasant shade.

Be-

neath
its

its

branches the children play.

Among
birds
his

boughs the squirrels frolic

and the

sing.

The woodsman comes one day with

and the tree quivers
"I

axe,

in all its branches

under his sturdy blows.

stroyed!" cries the oak.

am

being de-

So

it

seems, as the

great tree crashes down to the ground.

The
birds

children are sad because they can play no

more under the broad branches.

The

grieve because they can no more nest amid the

summer
history

foliage.

But

let

us follow the tree's

It

is

cut into boards and beams, and

built into

a beautiful cottage, and now human

hearts have their

is

home and nest

used in some sacred

Or temple where God

there.

it
is

worshipped.

Or

it

goes into the sides of a

great ship which speeds over the seas.

losing of
its life

The

was the saving of

it.

It died

that
ful.

it

might become deeply and truly useand vases we use

in our

The

plates, cups,

[14]

Cije Cost of Cteatfnng

tfje

2fa*t

homes lay once as clay in the earth, quiet and

restful.

Then came men with

picks,

and the

clay was rudely torn out and thrown into a

mortar and beaten and ground in the

mill,

and pressed under weights, then shaped by

the potter's hand, then put into the furnace

and burned, at

last

coming forth

in

beauty to

begin a history of usefulness.

could speak,
it

If the clay

might cry out, but the end

its

proves that what seemed destruction was

making

into beauty

and

value.

These are simple

illustrations of the

law

which applies also in

die to be a blessing.

human

life.

We

must

People said Harriet

it

Newell's
missions

life

was wasted when she gave

to

and then died and was buried with

her babe, far from

home and

friends,

bride,
all in

missionary, mother, martyr, and saint,

one short year,

without having told one hea-

then of the Saviour.

gentle
life

really

But was that beautiful, wasted? No; for a hundred

inspiration

years her
to

name has been a mighty

missionary work, and her influence has

brooded everywhere, touching thousands of

[15]

Climsst tfmt
hearts of gentle

Ofrrtiure
as

women and strong men,

her story has been told.

lived

Had

Harriet Newell
life

a thousand years of quiet, sweet

in

her own home, she could not have done the

work that she did by giving her young

in

life

what seemed unavailing

life

sacrifice.
it.

She

lost

her

that she might save

live.

She died that

sacrifice

she might

She offered herself a

that she might become useful.

We

can reach

our best only through pain and

cost.

[16]

Wfyn

fctntoiefitf

fe

Enfemfc

CHAPTER

III

Wbtn

fctttimeg* fe Uttfemb

HE

demand to-day made

is

that
It

all
is

things shall be
so in homes.

easy.

Nothing must be

hard for children.

tenderly nurtured.

They must be

Their burdens must not

Their tasks must not be

be

made

too heavy.
exacting.

made too
fied.

Their wishes must never

be refused.

Even

their

whims must be grati-

writer gives an example of the

is

way

this

method of training

carried out.

"0

George," spoke a young mother in a tone of

rebuke to her husband, who had been reproving the
said,
little

daughter of the household, "you

'Don't,' just

now

to Dorothy.

How

could you ?

Just think what you have done

interfered with her individuality."

You have It may

anything.

not always be with the same delib-

erate thought that mothers never deny a child

Not always

is

the motive to pre-

serve the child's individuality from repression.

[19]

Cfnnga
Still

tfjat

Ofrtimre
this

there

is

in

homes a great deal of

spirit of indulgence

which moves along the

line of least resistance in

home government.

The same

is

true also in

many

schools.

Everything must be made pleasant.

The

teacher must always make the lessons so interesting that

listen to
it

will

not tax the pupils to

them and

so simple that it will not

require

any

effort to

understand them.

It

is

thought to be unreasonable to expect pupils

to

do any hard thinking for themselves.

distinguished teacher says that pupils of this

dainty kind would like to

their studies sent

lie

in bed

and have

up

to them.

It

may seem very

way
for

pleasant for

to have their

work made so
them
to

young people easy. But that is

of their

not the
lives.

make the most

is

To

evade effort

to fail of achieve-

ment.

For the student to have the hard work

is

done for him

to rob

him of the

results of

faithful study.

There are some things we

can get done for us, but nobody can achieve

our education for

us.

If

we

insist

on never

doing the things that are unpleasant we can-

[20]

Wfyn
rewards.

fcinimed*

ts;

WLnkixib

not expect to receive the benefits and the

This does not mean that the hard work of

the student
is

not pleasant

it

may

be pleasthe

ant, yet not easy.

The harder he works,

find in his studies.

more pleasure does he

student

The

who

is

diligent

grows

enthusiastic.

He

"burns the midnight

oil" in pursuit of

knowledge.

He becomes eager in his research.

in his work.

He finds

joy

On

the other hand,

when the pupil has no

from them.

interest in his studies

he makes no progress in them, gets nothing

He

probably blames

it

on the

teacher, saying that he does not

lessons interesting.

make the He does not make things

no thinking
is

so simple, so easy, that

neces-

sary, no knitting of brows,

no hard study.

He

is

quite ready to teach, but the best

is

teacher

not the one

who

leaves nothing for

tells

his pupil to do.

it

Good teaching
of

the least

can

it

makes the pupil do the work.

The demand
tell

many

pupils

is

that the

teacher shall always be interesting.

He

shall

everything about the lesson in such a

[21]

Cfuttgg
bright, charming

tfjat

Cnbure
the pupils shall be

way that
is

made happy.
others.

There

the same

demand

in

other lines where one

man

is

set to guide

The people
thinkings
if

in the

pews demand that

the preacher shall interest them.

They do not

want hard

they go
is

to church to be

entertained and
fault
is

they are not entertained the

If they

with the sermon.

grow

sleepy

they say the preacher

heavy and does not

make his sermons impressive. Books must be made interesting or people will not read them. They pronounce them dull if
know how
to

they do not sparkle in every sentence.

This demand to be entertained

spirit of indolence.

is

of the

Every one who

insists

that

he must not be required to work hard in his

search for knowledge will miss the attainments

which

will

be won only through patient

toil.

Parents want to be kind to their children and

sometimes they overdo their kindness by in-

dulging their dislike of hard duty, their distaste for self-denials.

"To

spare our chilit

dren," says one, "only to

make

more certain

that we shall have failed to harden them for

[22]

Wf)tn

kittimtsto fe Mnfemfc

the battles of life; to

make

it

more probable
;

that they will go

down

in the struggle

to send

them out only

world

to suffer

and bend and break

under the ruthless pressure of the modern

that

is

perhaps the worst crime that

can be committed against the future of the

race and the happiness of humanity."
is

Life

full of tragedies

coming from such kindness.

The

loving-kindness of

fect illustration of love.

God is God is

the most per-

never unkind
in-

he

cannot be unkind.

Yet he never
not good.

dulges his children, giving them their own

way when
when pain
sists

their

own way

is

He does He
in-

not answer their cries to be freed from pain

is

the best thing for them.

it

on obedience, however hard

may

be, be-

cause no other

way can bring

blessing
is

and
the

good.

God's severity with his children

greatest kindness. This ought to be the model

for parents in dealing with their children.

Anything

else leads to

the spoiling of

life,

the

marring of character.

Perhaps no other

failis

ure in parental training in these days

great or so ruinous as that which
is

so

produced

[23]

Cfnng*

tfjat

ofrtimre
is

by overkindness, or what
kindness.

thought to be

All

who are

teachers of the

young

are in danger of erring in the same way.

The

popular sentiment to-day

never cause any one pain.

is

that we should
it is

But

not thus

that the divine teaching runs. "Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God." Pain is the way to the highest, truest life. God gives joy, the most perfect
joy, but we reach
it

through suffering.
well that

We
let

must love our children so

beauty of soul in

we can

them meet and endure pain

in order that the

them

shall be perfected.

Then
highest,

for ourselves, if

we would reach the

we must be

willing to suffer, to

pay

any price of

self-denial or restraint that the

image of Christ in us be not marred.

praise peace, but peace the holiest and highest
if
is

We
than

anything

less

not the peace we

want

to rest in.
runs,

prayer by F.

W. H.

Meyer
quillity

"From

the torpor of a foul tran-

may

our souls be delivered into war."

There

is

a story of a sculptor who worked for

years in poverty and obscurity to reach his

[24]

Wf)tn fcutime**
ideal.

te Mnfeinfo
finished in clay.
city that night

At

last the

work was

But sudden
freeze
his

cold

came upon the

and the old man knew that

his

model would

and be destroyed.
attic,

He had

no

fire in

poor

which served both as studio and

In the morning they found
clothes

sleeping-room.
the statue
bed,

wrapped with the

from

his

warm and unharmed.

But the sculptor

given his
life

they found dead.

He had

to

save his masterpiece.

We

should be ready to

suffer even unto death that our ideal

may

be

kept unmarred.

Nothing of

cost or sacrifice

should be spared that our lives

best.

may

reach the

[25]

Qfyt Slntertoeatring of

tfie

J^apa

CHAPTER

IV
tfje

Cfje 3lntertoeabmg of

J&ap&
live

is

a good thing to learn to

by the day.

We should devote all

our strength to the doing well of

each day's tasks, and then should

disengage ourselves altogether from

tanglements.

its

en-

Emerson puts

it

well

"Finish

every day and be done with

it.

You have done

absurdi-

what you
ties

could.

Some blunders and

is

no doubt crept in; forget them as soon

as
it

you can.
well

To-morrow
;

a new day ; begin

spirit

and serenely and with too high a

that

to be

cumbered with your old nonsense.

is

This

day
with

is all

good and

fair.

It

is

too dear,

its, hopes

and

invitations, to waste

a mo-

ment on the yesterdays."

Yet important as

is

the duty of fencing off

is

the days and keeping them separate, there

a sense in which no day stands alone.

The

days are links in an

receives

endless chain.

Each day

an inheritance from yesterday, and at

[29]

'Cfjingfli tfjat

<$ntatre
day which comes

its close

passes

it

down

to the

after.
ories

We start every new day with the memof all our days trailing after us. We
all

have

the knowledge gathered during the

years that are gone.

rience of the past

We have also

the expe-

by which our lives have been

enriched, or possibly hurt.

too, in the associations

We are bound up,

and friendships which

have been formed.

day's
life
is

In countless ways, yester-

and to-day's are intertangled. Each

little section

day

but a

of

a great web,

containing one figure of the pattern, the

warp

running through
life is

all

the days and years.

serial story,

opening with infancy,

is

closing with death,

and each day

one

little

chapter in the story.

We

best prepare for to-morrow

when we

make to-day beautiful with truth and faithfulness. To-day is the blossom, to-morrow is
the fruit.
is

To-day

is

the sowing, to-morrow

realize does

the harvest.

Far more than we

to-morrow depend upon to-day.

has
yet
its

The

Bible

promises of divine care and provision

all

such promises imply our faithfulness in

[30]

Cfie 3ntertoeatring of
duty as the condition of their
link

tfje

J^aptf

fulfilment.

dropped in the chain of obedience and

mean a break in the continuity of the blessing. Every minute is a key which, when touched, strikes a note somewhere in the
fidelity will

future.

If the touch be a true one,

it will

help to

make music of love and joy. If it be a wrong touch, it will make a discord in the
life.

melody of

"Every moment of each hour Has its power to raise and

lift,

Or

its little

hindering power.

Nothing idly passes by;

Naught too small to give its gift: Bind their wings, then, as they fly
Till

they bless you, hold them tight."

If those

who

are preparing for their

life-

work had any true conception of the relation of early studies and discipline to future power and success, they would think no work too
hard, no study too exhausting, in order to

make ready

for their chosen calling.

It

is

said that one of Turner's great sea-pictures

has been sold recently for nearly twenty thou-

[31]

Cfjtngs! tfjat nbure

sand pounds.
It
is

well

known that Turner

It is

gave the

closest attention to details.

said, for instance, that

he once spent a whole

lake, tossing peb-

day on the shore of a quiet

bles into the water, to study the effect of the

sunlight on the ripples as they were started

by the stone and spread over the

face.

lake's sur-

His companions twitted him on having

his visit to the lake.

wasted his day, as he had nothing to carry

back to show for

I have learned
plied.

"But

how

the ripples look," he re-

"I think I shall be able to get someall."

thing out of the day after

Turner's day was not wasted.

It

is

to

such patient attention to minute details in

preparation that his great pictures owe their

wonderful perfection and beauty.

Behind

all

worthy success
infinitely

lies

ever a preparation almost

painstaking.
technique,

Those who despise

discipline,

routine,

drill,

in

the

days
fine

of training, never can win honors for

attainment and achievement in after years.

Self-indulgence to-day means mediocrity

less

to-morrow.
[32]

or

Cfje Slntertoeabmg of
One up a
said
is.

tfce

Pap*

tells

of seeing a builder idly picking

piece of

wood

as he stood talking to a
it

friend.
:

He

turned

over in his hands and

"See what a beautiful piece of oak this

its

Notice the fineness of

will

grain.

This

wood

take a higher polish than a piece of

ordinary oak.

Can you guess why

this is?"

he asked.
"Well,
it

His companion could not answer,

is

because the tree from which

it

came had to endure a great deal

It did not
trees.

of buffeting.

grow

in a forest, sheltered

by other
and

It stood apart in

some

field

alone,

this
tle

wood gets

its delicate

grain from the batit

with the elements which

all
its

had to wage
It

through

history as a tree.
it

was

beaten on every side, and

was

this expe-

rience of hardness which has given to this

piece of
fibre."

wood such an
is

exquisite quality of

What

true of trees

is

true also of

men

they grow best, into the

finest character, into

manliest strength, the noblest influence, in a

life life

of struggle,

toil,

self-denial.

The

easy
it

may

seem more pleasant to-day, but

[33]

string*
does not
life
fit

tfjat

<#n&ure

us for masterful and victorious

to-morrow.

The same law applies in spiritual life. Our to-morrow depends upon our to-day. It is possible in a Christian home to put into
the hearts and minds of children such qualities

and

principles that they shall be able to mas-

ter the world's evil

it.

when they go out to face go out

its

When men

build a great ship to

upon the
of iron,

sea they store

away

in

keel
ribs

enormous reserves of strength

stanch

immense beams and stays, massive

If the vessel were being built

plates of steel.

to

sail

only on some peaceful river or even

in quiet days, it

to go

upon the ocean

would

be a wasteful expenditure at such large cost

to put such enormous strength in her frame.

But

the builders are wisely equipping the ship

for the most terrific storms she

may

ever have

to encounter.

"Common chances common men can bear, And when the sea is calm, all boats alike
Show mastership in floating; But in the gale of life,

[34]

Cfce Sntertoeatring of
And when
the

tfje

I^ap*

adverse winds

Are wildly raging, Then the stanch ship onlyAnswers nobly to her helm, and can Defy the fury of the tempest's wrath."
If

we

live well

the days of youth and opfail

portunity we shall not

stress
if

in the days of
life,
it

and

need.

God

is

in all our

and

we are only

faithful each
fall

day as
to our

comes,

nothing but good shall

beautifully
is

lot.

Very

the truth set forth in these lines

"He

holds the key of all unknown,

And
Or,
if

am

glad;

If other hands should hold the key,

he trusted

it

to me,

might be sad.
if

"What

to-morrow's cares were here

its

Without
I'd rather he

rest?

unlocked the day,

And

as its hours

swung open

say,

'My

will is best.'

"I cannot read his future plans,

But
I

this

know:

have the smiling of his face

all

And

the refuge of his grace

While here below.

[35]

<3Efjmg tfjat O&tirare

"Enough,
this covers all

my

needs,

And
For what

so I rest.
I cannot,

he can
still

see,

And

in his love I

shall

be

Forever

blest."

T36]

&oing anb &ot doubting

CHAPTER V
J^omg anb Mot J^oubtmg

OME
l\

good people
in

talk altogether
strain.

too

much
is

a doleful

In-

deed any doleful talk in a Christian

too much.

We

have no

right to

go about airing our

fears

and doubts.
fears

In the
doubts,
Christ.
if,

first place,
if

we need not have

and
to

we have truly committed our

life

Surely we are safe in his hands.

But

in spite of our secure trust

still

and our divine them out to

makes

keeping, we
tain days,
others.
ter,

have gloomy feelings on certo speak

we ought not
is

It

not good witnessing to our MasBesides,

it

for one thing.

life

harder for others.

be a discourager.
for us to lift
it

We

have no right ever to

it is

Usually

not possible

away

people's burdens.

Indeed
this

would not be well that we should do

if

we

could.

These burdens are God's gifts

;

to his children

it is his will

that they should

if

carry them for a time, and

we

lifted

them

[39]

Cfringg timt o&itmre

off

we might be interfering with the

sin against

discipline

of divine love

and doing harm, not good.

But

we surely
him

our brother when by

fears

giving him our

less

own doubts and

Rather,

we make

brave and strong for his hard duty or

it is

his sore struggle.

the duty of

love always to try to

make him stronger by

words of cheer and hope.

There
not
let

is still

another reason

why we

should

our doubts and fears have wing.

in our

While we keep them

pressed,

own

breast, unex-

we can the more

brave.

easily get the

mas-

tery over them.

Talking gloomily makes our

own heart

less

When we

have said a

discouraged word we have given

way

in

some

measure to the disheartenment which

to get possession of us.
yield to this temptation,

is

trying

And

every time we

we are allowing the

enemy

to

add another strand to the cable

which, by and by, will bind us in the habit of

life

that will

make

us slaves of depression.

When

Dr. Charles S. Robinson was pastor

of a church in

New York,
[40]

he repeated in the

course of a sermon this stanza:

"Oh, how

many

a glorious record

Had Had I Had

the angels of

me

kept,

done instead of doubted,

I

warred instead of wept."

He

asked the congregation to repeat

it

after him,

and then added, "You may forget

a prominent lawyer, in a

the sermon, but do not forget the verse."

Years after

this

private letter, recalled the incident, and spoke

of the help which he

and others had

received.

Dr. Robinson replied:

"I remember the serIt gives

mon and my
help anybody.

little verse.

me more

joy than I can describe to know that I

Sometimes I think the highest
heaven
will

reward I

shall ever get in

be the

words, not exactly, 'Well done,' but 'Well

tried.'

Now and then,

however, some thought-

ful,

generous person like you comes along and

says, 'Well,
did.'

when you

tried that time

you

So I try again."
lesson of this stanza
life
is

The

one we

all

may

profitably let into our

not to doubt, but

Doubt par-

to do; not to weep, but to war.

alyzes energy; doing brings the strength of

[

41

Cfnttgg
God
into

tfjat

o&rtrore

hand and

heart.

The moment we
begins to impart

begin to try to obey,

God

grace to help us to obey.

Brave struggle
weakness

leads to victory; weeping causes

which ends in pitiable defeat.

Dr. Robinson's thought of a reward for
trying well
efforts,
is

good.

God

will

not forget our

even

if

we

fail of

the result we hoped

from them.
it

It was said to David,

"Whereas

was in thine heart to build an house for

it

my

name, thou didst well that

heart."

was in thine
This

We shall have reward, at last, for the

good things we sincerely try to do.

should encourage us when we have wrought

faithfully,

but do not see fruit from our labor.

[42]

$0

<arrue

Wovk

3$t

Wain

CHAPTER

VI
3fe

Mo

Crue Woxk

Wain
fails.

JO true work for God ever

Was

there

ever

in

this

world

such other apparent failure as

there was at the close of the
in

the

life

of

Jesus

day he died?

Nothing
in

seemed to be

left.

The Cross had buried

all

black floods of shame

that was beautiful

life.

and worth while

the
little

in that blessed

Even

handful of followers he had gathered

about him during his troubled years had lost

all

confidence in

him

as the Messiah.

Yet we

know

that what seemed failure was most glo-

rious success.

The

history of Christianity
is

these nineteen centuries

influence of Jesus.

the story of the

When you
in

have done your duty aily day,

in

when you have been true to God

your witnessing,
failed.
it is

your work,

impossible that you

have
hence

Sometime

but sometime the good

[45]

it

may
will

be years
be appar-

Cfjingg

tijat

O&tiiure

ent and the blessing from your faithfulness

will

be wrought out before the eyes of the

It
is

world.

not the noise we

make

that pro-

duces impressions.
sults the truest

Nor are
deepest.

the visible re-

and

Teachers sometheir pupils

times feel that their

work with

has failed because they do not see the tearful

eye after the tender lesson and the instant

change in the

life

after the earnest appeal.

The preacher

thinks his

work has

failed be*

cause his sermons do not draw crowds and do

not leave startling results.

The

best work

is

wrought

in the silence.
:

Said Frederick

Robertson

"For teachers

What
;

W.

is

success ?

Not

in the flushing of a pupil's cheek or the

glistening of an attentive eye

not in the shin-

ing results of an examination, does your real

success
lie.

It lies in that invisible influence

on character which

He

alone can read

who

counted the seven thousand nameless ones in

Israel.

For

ministers

what

is

ministerial
aisles,

success?

Crowded churches,

full

at-

tentive congregations, the approval of the

world,

much impression produced?

[46]

Elijah

thought

so,

and when he discovered

his mis-

take and found out that the Carmel applause subsided into hideous silence, his heart well

nigh broke with disappointment.

success lies in altered lives
ble hearts."

Ministerial

and obedient, humas a principle, that

We

should set

it

down

only as

God works

in us will our

work have
silently.

power, and that ordinarily

God works
;

Elijah waited, and a terrible storm swept

among

the mountain crags

but the Lord was

not in the storm.

Next there was an earthits

quake and the mountain was shaken to

base
;

but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

fire

Then came
cliff

the

lightning leaped from

;

to

cliff

and the deep gorges blazed but

in the
fire.

the

Lord was not

When
still

these

startling manifestations of energy were gone

by, then
voice"

"a
!

God

came.

There was "a

small

sound of gentle

stillness"

and
all

that was God.

How

silently the

sunbeams pour down

falling.

day long

No

one hears their

is

Yet

what mighty energy there

in

them

What

[47]

Cfringg tfmt <nbure

wonderful results they produce
the dew comes
!

How silently
;

down

in the darkness
all

yet in

the

summer morning
is

the leaves and flowers

and grasses are gemmed as with diamonds, and there

new

life

everywhere in

field

and
It
is

garden and

forest.

So

it is

in all life.

not noise nor sensation that produces true

spiritual results; it
is

God

in us, the Spirit

working through

us, the love of

God

breath-

ing in our words, in our acts, in our

life.

We

know how

silently Christ

wrought.

His voice
Spirit of

was not heard in the

streets.

The

God moves upon men's

ments.

hearts and changes

them, but no one hears the Spirit's move-

But

if

we work

thus, hiding ourselves

us,

away

and letting God use

Sometime,

and

if

we are true and

shall never
will

faithful to our duty, our

fail.

work

somewhere, there

be

blessing
once.

from

it.

We may

not see results at

Our pupils may go away from our most

teaching

earnest

apparently

unimpressed.

Sorrowing ones may appear to receive no comfort

from our sympathy or from the divine

[48]

$0
gregations

Crue Wovk
may
scatter

31$

Wain
Conthe

words of consolation we speak to them.

away

after

preacher's most solemn appeals, appearing to

carry with them no deep and lasting influence

from

his words.

But

if

God
will

is

truly in our

work, blessing and good

follow.

sometime surely
be, the strong

Years hence,

it

may

man

will

bend over the humble teacher's grave

as he says, "It

and drop a tear

was her sweet

life,

patience, her loving, beautiful

est words, her faithful

her earnof Christ

holding

up

me to my Saviour." The dewdrop sinks away into the heart of the rose and is lost, forgotten. But all day
before
eyes, that led

my

in the hot sunshine the rose is

more

lovely

and pours out a sweeter fragrance.

Your
sor-

words of comfort spoken to a sad one sank

down
lost.

like the

dew into the depths of the

grew stronger as the
spirit touched it
it,

rowing heart and seemed to be altogether

But the

life

blessed

sympathy of your

and as the

truth you spoke entered into

restored to peace and joy.

and soon was

The preacher goes home discouraged and [49]

Cfjmgsi
hides himself

tfrat

O^nbure
sight, feeling that
his sermon, because
benefit received

away from

no good has been done by

no one spoke of any help or

from
it.

other,

But among

in one life

and another and anthere

is

those

who heard him,

resolve,

new hope, new courage, new

spiration.

new

in-

One goes home and

seeks

his

neglected altar and prays, the first time in

months.

One

is

encouraged to try again to

sin.

overcome his besetting

find

One goes out to

he can minister
all

some needy one to

name.
toils

whom
is

in Christ's

One

stronger

the
life

week amid the

and tasks of a busy

and

lives

more

sweetly,

more

earnestly,

more

lovingly.

Thus the sermon that

had done no good,
buking
If only

in secret the minister

it,

wept over, after preaching

thinking

it

really blessed

many

lives,

inspiring, quickening, cheering, arousing, resin,

comforting sorrow, kindling hope.

in us in our work,

God be

we need not
noise

be anxious about results.

Our

may

make no impression, but God's silence works

omnipotently.

[50]

"Wt

Cfjou a blessing"

CHAPTER

VII

|0D

gives us nothing to keep al-

together as our very own.

What
and we
is

he gives us

is

still

his,
it.

have only the use of

to us.

It

lent

This means that

it is

to be returned

again to God when we have ended our use of

it.

It

is

not to be returned, however, just as

it

came

to us, the bare gift

and nothing more

and then
re-

it is

to be multiplied with use

turned with proper accruements.

There

is

another phase of this use of God's

gifts which

we should not

overlook.

While

they are in our hands they are to be employed

not for ourselves alone, or at
all,

primarily,
light,

but to give help, comfort, joy,

cheer, to

and

others.

When

the

Lord

called

Abraham
friends,

to leave his country, his home, his

and go out as a homeless stranger,

whithersoever he might be led, he gave Abra-

ham

a promise of great blessing.

[

Then came

53

Cfjingg
the

tfjat

Q&tfcmre
blessing."

command, "and be thou a

He

was to receive from God, and he must also

give.

This

is

the law of the heavenly kingdom.

is

Nothing whatever
for ourselves alone.
is

given to us to be kept

Everything that

is

ours

ours to use and then pass to others.

God

gives us his love, the

most wonderful gift that

even he has to bestow, but we are not to keep

it.

We

are to love others as he loves us.

love others, that
is

If

we do not
into

proof that we

have not really taken the gift of God's love

our own heart.

God

gives us his

mercy

he forgives us.
to others.

We are to pass his forgiveness

real indubitable proof

The only

that we have received the divine forgiveness

is

that

we are extending
us.

it

wronged or injured
forgive,"

who have "Forgive us as we

to those

we are

to pray.

So

it is

of everything

we get from God, the

largest

and the

smallest blessings,

we
If

are to

pass them on.

Blessed of

God

in such

a won-

derful way, "be thou a blessing."

carried out his teaching

we but
law

and

fulfilled this

[54]

"2fc Cfjou a 2Mea*fafl"

of Christ's

kingdom
this earth

in every particular,

it
is

would make
just what

a heaven.
to do.

Yet that

we should aim
a blessing."

"Be thou

Make

it

personal.

Look back and think of

the persons with

whom
how

you have come into contact to-day

to

many

of

these have

you been a blessing?

There are few of these who did not need something you could have given.

Everybody

is

carrying a burden.

Many

have sorrows of
all

which the world knows nothing, for not

the world's grief hangs crape on the door-

knob.

What are you really doing What are you giving to them?
heavier instead of lighter.

for people?

There are

some persons who make the load of others

They
is

are dis-

couragers rather than encouragers.

the
life

One

of

ways of being a blessing

never to make

harder for another, never to be a hin-

drance, never to go to others with doubts and

fears.

This alone

is

a good thing

never be
of being

a discourager.

But that

is

only a negative

way

[55]

Cf)mgg
a blessing

tfjat

<ntatre

blessing others It
is

by not harming

or injuring them.

better than being

a plague to others, doing them injury.

it is

But

not the kind of help

divine

God wants
"Be thou a

us to give.
blessing."
is

The
This

command
It one.
is

is,

calls for

an active helping.

Blessing

a noble word.
blessing to

a great thing to be a
It
is

any

to bring him some-

thing from God, to do him good in some way

that will
pier.

make him

better, stronger,
filled

and hapwith the

We

have had our cup

;

love of

God now we are

to share our blessing

with others.
"If thou art blest,

Then

let the

sunshine of thy gladness rest

On

the dark edges of each cloud that lies

skies.

Black in thy brother's

If thou art sad,
Still

be thou in thy brother's gladness glad."

It

is

not easy to live a

life

of perpetual
it,

blessing to people.

Jesus did

but

it

was

very expensive living for him.

"Virtue went out of him," to heal and help.

He

gave out something of himself to every

one he touched.

We

cannot do people much

[56]

"2fre

Cfjou a blessing"

good, we cannot help them in deep and true

ways, without cost to ourselves.

us nothing
erb says,
is

What

costs

not worth giving.

An

old prov-

"One cannot have omelet without

breaking eggs."

We

cannot do anything
cost.

worth while for others without

If

you

begin to love another, you do not

your loving
have finished

will
its

demand
task.

of

know what you before you

serves

Love gives and

and

sacrifices

unto the uttermost.

cost,

We

need never fear the

however, when

there comes to us an opportunity of being a

blessing to another.

Blessing for ourselves

depends upon our being faithful to every duty

of love, regardless of the cost.

If

we shrink
for us

from the service because

to do,

it is

too

much

we miss the
is

gift of

God

for ourselves,

which

offered to us in the opportunity.

life is

The

true and the beautiful

the one that seeks

life it

to be a blessing to every other

touches.

"Do any

hearts beat faster,

faces brighten

Do any

To hear your To meet you,

footsteps on the stair,

greet you, anywhere?

[7]

Clung*

tfmt

Cntmre

Are you so like your Master Dark shadows to enlighten? Are any happier to-day
Through words that they have heard you say?
Life
If

were not worth the living

no one were the better

the sunshine of your stay."

For having met you on the way,

And know

[58]

|afemg a Htbmg anb leaking

a Hife

CHAPTER
leaking a
Utirittg

VIII

anb

faking

TLiit

OVERNOR RUSSELL, of Massachusetts, in addressing a graduat-

ing

class,

said,

"There

is

one

thing in this world better than

making a

living,

and that

is

making a

life."

The words
ing.
living.

are worthy of most careful ponder-

It

is

the duty of every one to

make a

"Six days shalt thou labor," runs the

"If any will not work,

old

commandment.

neither let

him

eat," was Paul's frank counsel

regarding

idlers.

We

are

taught in the
for what

Lord's Prayer to look to

God

we
it

need for the sustenance of our bodies, but

is

"our daily bread" that we are authorized

to ask for,

and

it is

not ours until we have

earned

it.

Excepting those who are too

infirmities of

young, those who by the

age are

incapacitated for labor, and the sick, the obli-

gation to make a living rests upon

all.

[61]

Cfnngtf t&at OSntiure

Yet making a
life.

living

is

not the

first

thing in

The first thing is to make a life, to build a character, to grow into a worthy manhood. Our Lord showed us the true relations of a livlife

ing and a

when he

said,

"Seek ye

first
;

the

kingdom of God, and

all

his righteousness

and

these things shall be

"all these things" to

added unto you."

which he referred

The

are things
shall eat,

we need for our bodies what we what we shall drink, and wherewithal
Jesus does not say these

we

shall be clothed.

things are unimportant

it is

necessary that

we have
earth.

daily bread as long as

we stay on the

But

his teaching

is

that

we are not

to

put

first

in our thought, our desire, our re-

quest, the supply of our physical wants.

Inliv-

deed this

is

not to be the real aim of our

ing at

all.

We
is,

are to

make

central in all

our

life

the righteousness and the

kingdom

of God.
will, to

That

we are to

live

to do God's

be what he made us to be, to do what

he wants us to do, to attain the divine beauty.

The supplying
really not our

of the needs of our

body

is

matter at

all,

but God's.

If

[62]

M
we
It
is

Utoing
he

attir

a Htfe
our
living.

live truly,

will look after

"These things

shall be added."

the duty, therefore, of each one, to

life.
is

That This means that we

intrusted to us,
life.

make a

what we are here

for.

shall develop to the full-

est possibilities the capacities

which have been

making

the very most of our

shall seek in all

It

means that we

our

experiences to

grow toward

perfection.

We
is

are always at school.

ever setting

Our great Teacher

In
all

new

lessons for us.

our

common and uncommon

there
is

duties

and experiences
re-

something back of the mere act

quired.

To

do the simplest task negligently,

life

slurring or skimping our work, hurts our

and character.

While we are serving men, we

are also and primarily serving Christ.

Our
we do

work may not be congenial, and in our

for
it

distaste

we may do

it

negligently, but

if

we

shall fail to please Christ

and to seek him

is

aright.

We may

be under a master who

unworthy, who treats us unjustly, and we

may be tempted

to think that

we are not

reis

quired to do our best for him.

But

there

[63]

Cfnitg*
Another who
is

tfjat ofrtfcmre

our real Master, and

it is

for

him that we must work.

In
all

our efforts to make a living, whatever

the pressure of need

may

be,

we should never

cease to seek God's righteousness.

That

is,

we should never,

in order to get our daily

is

bread, do anything that

not right.

Some-

times people say as an excuse for doing some-

thing dishonest or dishonorable, "I must

live."
is

That

is

not true.
live,

The

essential thing

not

that we shall
will of

but that we shall do the

God.

We

would better die of hunger

It
is

than do wrong to get bread.

said that
birds,

God

feeds the sparrows,

told, are

and yet these

we are

most careful in gathering

food from the ground to keep their wings

clean

and

unsoiled.

"I watched the sparrows flitting here and there,

In quest of food about the miry street;

Such nameless fare as seems to sparrows sweet They sought with greedy clamor everywhere.
"Yet 'mid their
strife I noted with what care They held upraised their fluttering pinions fleet. They trod the mire with soiled and grimy feet, But kept their wings unsullied in the air.

[64]

B
My
Like thee,

Hftring anb a Htfe

O
sparrow,
toil to

"I, too, like thee,

gain

scanty portion from

too, often

life's

sordid ways.

hungry,

am

fain

To strive with greed and envy all my days. Would that I, too, might learn the grace To keep my soul's uplifted wings from stain!"
It
is

not enough to get on in

life

we must
rising

get on in a

way

that will please God, in a

righteous way.
to prominence,

When we
growing

see a

man

rich, achieving

power

and fame, before we can commend him as

worthily successful we must know by what
steps he has climbed to his

high eminence.
living, or
lose

Where

are those

who

in

making a

in winning worldly success,

their life?

wreck and

Our

first

aim should ever be to build a

life

that will appear spotless

fore God.
ing.

and beautiful
is

be-

No

other success

worth achiev-

man may make

a splendid living,
fine linen,
if

robing himself in purple and

and

faring sumptuously every day, but

while he
is

mean-

not making

within himself a noble

is

and Christlike manhood, he

is

losing all that

worth while.

[65]

Our

Utoea

Woxte

of <$ob

CHAPTER IX
<uv TLibut

Wovte

of <$ob

RIENTALS

say that each

man

and woman has a message, and

that only those

message are
It
is

who utter their true men or women.

interesting to think of ourselves in this

way, as sent into the world with something

to give out or manifest.
Life
is

Lowell

tells

us that

a sheet of paper white

"Whereon each one of us

may

write

His word or two,

and

then comes night.

Every

life is

meant

to be a

word

of

God.

Christ was the

Word.

He came

to manifest

in his incarnation the whole of God's being.

Men

looked into his face, and saw the ef-

fulgence of the Father's glory and the very

image of
sense the

his substance.

He

was in the

fullest

Word.
if it

But every human

of

life,

even

the least,
it, is

fulfils

the divine thought for

also a

word

God, revealing something

of God.

[69]

Clung*
It
is

tfjat

dtfcure

easy to believe this of a few men, like

Moses, David, Isaiah, John and Paul, through

whom
one to
tell
all,

definite

and

distinct revelations

have
is

been given to the world.

But

there

no

whom God
It
is

does not give something to

to men.

not the same message for

or for any two.

;

To

one

it is

a revealing
;

of science

to another, a poet's vision

to anto

other, fresh light

from holy Scripture;

another, a

new thought of duty; to another,

be,

a special ministry of love.

Whatever our message may

withhold
it.

we dare not
disciple,

Suppose that the beloved

having leaned upon the breast of Jesus and

learned the secret of his love, had gone back
to his fishing after the ascension, failing to
tell

men what had been spoken

its

to him,

how
life
it,

he would have wronged the world!

that fails to hear

Any

message and deliver

it

wrongs those to
to carry blessing.
lowliest,
it,

whom

was commissioned
life,

But every

even the

which
its little

fulfils

the divine thought for

adds

measure to the joy and treas-

ure of other

lives.

[70]

4ur Hfoca

Woxte
all

of <$ob

"There's never a rose in

the world

But makes some green spray sweeter;

There's never a wind in
all

the sky
fleeter;

But makes some bird wing

There's never a star but brings to heaven

Some

silver

radiance tender,

And

never a rosy cloud but helps

the sunset splendor;
robin but

To crown

No

may

thrill

some heart,

His dawn-light gladness voicing.

God gives us all some small, sweet way To set the world rejoicing."

The
is

follower of Christ has

deliver.

a very
tells

definite

message to

St.

Paul

us that he

to manifest the life of Jesus in his mortal

flesh.

Many lives of Christ have been written,

life

but in every Christian

there should be a
these lives, writ-

new one published and

;

it is

ten not in handsomely bound volumes, with

fine

paper and

gilt edges,

and with

attractive

illustrations,

but in men's daily

lives,

that are

needed to save the world.

Says Whittier:

The dear Lord's best interpreters Are humble human souls; The gospel of a life Is more than books or scrolls.

[71]

Cfnngg
It
is

tfjat Ofrtirore

important that we should understand

to manifest the life of Jesus in our
is

how we are

own

life.

It

not enough to talk about him.

silver

There are those who with

tongue can

speak of Jesus eloquently and winsomely, of

whom it cannot be
that his
life is

said, even in widest charity,

reincarnated in them.

When

the apostles were sent out, they were not to

witness for Jesus in words, but were to be

witnesses unto Jesus in character, in disposition, in service.
is

It

is

not more preaching that

needed to advance the kingdom of

;

God

among men
Christians.

it is

more gospels

in the lives of
tell

It

is

not what we

people

about Christ that makes his name glorious in

their eyes, that

makes them want to know him,

sins, their
it is

that draws them to him with their

needs, their sorrows, their failures
:

what
to be

they see of Christ in our own

life.
is

What was

this life of

Jesus that
life?

repeated in every Christian

central figure was love
love

Its great

not what passes for

and
J

among men, but

love full of compassion,

love serving even to the lowliest degree

[72

0ur
giving,

Utoe*

Work*
gentle,

of <$ob

at greatest cost, love that was patient, for-

thoughtful,

love

unto

the

uttermost, which went to a cross to save the

world.
half of
It
its

was indeed a wonderful

blessed

life.

The

meaning has not yet been

discovered, even after nineteen centuries of

scholarly study

and research and of precious

Christian experience.

Every day

reveals

some

new beauty
covers

in the character of Jesus

in his love.

and un-

new depths

When we think
let these

of being like Christ,

we are

apt to gather out a few gentle qualities and

likeness.

make up our conception of ChristTrue, he was a kindly man, a pa-

tient, quiet

passionate,

man; he was thoughtful, comunselfish, loving. But we must

is

not forget that the cross

bol of the life of Jesus.
to improve on a

the truest symartist

An
lines.

was trying

dead mother's portrait.

He

wanted to take out the

son said
his
it

But the woman's

would not be a true portrait of

if

mother

the lines were effaced.

They
lines

told the story of love, serving,

and

sacrifice

which made her what she was.

The

[73]

Cinngg

tfjat

Cntmre

were themselves the truest features in the

whole portrait.

No picture

of Jesus

is

true which leaves out

the marks of love's cost, the print of the nails,

the memorials of his suffering.

festing of Jesus
is

No

mani-

true which does not re-

produce in spirit and act his devotion to the

will of the

Father and
It
is

his love of

men unto

the uttermost.

not enough that we point

others to an historic cross standing on Cal-

vary, far back in the centuries

the cross in our

they must see

own

life.

When we

speak to

our neighbors of the pity of Jesus, his eager

desire to save the lost, his giving of his life

a ransom, they must see

is

all this in us.

This

the manifesting of Jesus for which

we are
to
re-

sent into the world.

Only when we do surrender our

Christ that he enters into us can

lives

we thus

peat his

life.

There

is

a legend of the later

days of Greece, which

illustrates this.

A prize

was offered for the best statue of one of the

deities.

country lad, who believed in this

particular god with all his heart, had a pas-

[74]

<ur Utoe* Torbs of

sionate desire to

<$ofcr

make

the statue.

He wrought
skill

manfully, but, lacking the artist's

experience, the figure he produced

and

was wantthe legend

ing in grace and beauty.

Then

relates that this god, seeing the lad's loving

endeavor worthily to manifest his character

before the eyes of men, helped him.

While

the other competitors were laughing at the

boy's crude work, the

god himself entered

into that pathetic marble failure, glorifying

it

with his own radiant beauty.

This
trates

is

only a heathen legend, but

all

it illus-

what Christ does for

who

truly live
diligent
his

for him,

and with loyal heart and

to

hand seek indeed

beauty.

show to the world

He

enters their hearts,

life

and

lives

out his own blessed

in them.

Poor indeed

may

be our best striving, but Christ in us

will glorify it.

[75]

Ctoo Way*

CHAPTER

Ctoo Way*
E
ought not to
live in

the past.

We

ought to forget the things

that are behind and reach for-

3
fore.

ward

to the things that are beis

"Forward and not back,"

the motto

of Christian hope.

The

best days are not

any days we have

Yet some people
past.

lived already,

but days

that are yet to come.

live altogether in their

They

love to recite the deeds they have

done in former years.

old

They

believe in their

ways and talk deprecatingly of the new

ways, the innovations, the changes, of modern

days.

and

treasures.

graves.
ures as

The past holds all their life's hopes They sit uncomforted by their They mourn over its vanished pleasif

never more would a rose bloom or

its

a violet pour
live as if

perfume on the

air.

They

the future

had nothing for them

no joys, no hopes, nothing to be achieved, no

[79]

Cfjtngs; tfjat
love,

Cnbure
like

no beauty.

They seem

men who
ice

have been caught in a great sea of

frozen fast in
it,

and

so that they cannot extricate

its

themselves from

grip.

The past

holds

them

in a captivity

from whose meshes they

cannot escape.

This
ever

is

not a good use of the past.

How-

happy we may have been

in the days

that are gone, that happiness will not satisfy

our hearts in their present cravings.

cannot
live

We

to-day on yesterday's bread. Last

winter's fires will not

winter.

warm our house next

will

Last summer's sunshine

not woo

out the foliage nor paint the flowers of this

summer.
been in

The
its

past, however rich

it

may have

blessings, cannot be a storehouse

from which we can draw supplies for the needs

of the passing days.

We

cannot

live

on

memories.

Yet there

is

a right use of the past.

it

There

are ways in which

may

be made to yield
life

blessing, help, and good, for us in the

of

to-day. It should be to us a seed plot, in which

grow

beautiful things planted there in the

life

[80]

<3Ttoo
of

Waps
is

bygone days.
all

Our to-day

always the
deeds we

harvest of

our yesterdays.

The

have done and the words we have spoken are

not dropped, left behind, as things with which

we

shall never

have anything more to do.

They

are part of ourselves,

off.

and we never can

shake them

We
if

should carry forward the lessons and

the gains of the past.

We

do not

live well

we

fail

to learn

many

things as

we pass
all

through our years.

us

We leave childhood behind

to

when we go forward
is

manhood, but

that

lovely

and good

in childhood, all its

impressions and visions,

we should keep
to do so
is

in

our mature years.

Not
fail

to lose
It

much
is

that

is

richest
if

and best

in living.

always sad

we

to assimilate the re-

sults of the experiences of the various stages

of

life

through which we move.

There
is

is

true forgetting of things gone, which

not

mere

oblivion,
is

but

it is

the incorporating of

whatever
phases of

permanent in them with the new

into which they lead.

life

We

put

away

childish things

when we become men

[81]

string*

tfjat

Cnbure
Starlight
in the

because we require them no longer.

fades

when morning comes, because

it is

new

glory

not needed.
calls

We
us

leave school days

behind when duty

afield,

but we carry
live

from our school days lessons by which to

more wisely in the midst

All through our years

of toil

and struggle.
the
seeds in days

we should reap

harvests of which

we sowed the

that are behind.

We never can get away from our past. We carry it all with us. We carry its memories.
The
children used to be told that the strange

music they heard when they held a marine

shell to their ears

was the memory of the

sea's

moanings and surgings, treasured away

recesses of the shell while it lay

in the

on the shore.

It

is

only a fancy, but the fancy illustrates

in

the

way

which memory treasures up the

records of the past to become the soul's music

along the years.

We

talk

much

of living
off

by the day.

We

say we should fence

the days, so that

neither yesterday's shadows nor to-morrow's

care

may come

into to-day's

life.

But

there

[82]

Ctoo
is

Wty*
The days
threads

a sense in which we cannot sever any day

from time past or time to come.

are
all

woven together as parts of one web,

and we cannot tear them apart.

extend into to-morrow.
if

The

of yesterday run through to-day

and then
life

One day's

alone,

that were
it
it.

all,

would have no meaning for

us;
in

would have neither memory nor hope

There could be no friendship, for

friendship draws

much

of

its

sweetness out

of the past, from memories of faithfulness,

constancy, strength, and helpfulness, which

give assurance of unfailingness in the stress
of to-day.

We
we

need our past, for

it is

there

the roots of our lives grow;

future, for
live

we need

the

for

its

hopes.

In our

darkest days we are comforted by the re-

membrance of the

stars that shone

down upon

us out of the bright skies of the past, and by

the hope that the stars will again come out,

that there are better days waiting for us on

before.

[83]

Cfnttsa tfmt QSntrore

"Were this our only day, Did not our yesterdays and to-morrows To hope and memory their interplay, How should we bear to live?

give

"But each day

is

a link
pass away;
to think

Of days that pass and never For memory and hope to live, Each is our only day."

[84 J

C&e

Ptttp of 2fremg Hltoas*

Strong

CHAPTER XI
Cfje ^utp of 2fremg 3Utoa?a

Strong

is

always a duty to be strong.

is

Weakness
virtue.

never set
is

down

as a

There

abundant proof

of divine
ness.

sympathy with weak-

God

is

the friend of the weak.

WeakIt

ness draws his help in

is

an especial degree.
affection.
is

so in the realm of
is

human

A child
is

that

hurt or sick or blind

watched over
strong

far more carefully than the one that

and
of

well,

and draws to
help.

itself

a larger measure

sympathy and
its

contributes of

The whole household strength to make up for the

This
is

weakness of the invalid.

tion of the

an

illustra-

way

the love of

God

discriminates,

giving help, not according to men's strength

but according to their weakness.

We may

be sure, therefore,
all

if

we are weak,

that we can get

the more of God's strength

because of our lack of strength of our own.

[87]

Clung*
This
is

tfmt <nimre
said,

what
I

St.

Paul meant when he

"When

am

weak, then

am

I strong."
is

In-

deed, the consciousness of weakness

secret of strength, for it opens the

the
for

way

God
in

to help.

However a man may have

failed

his

efforts,

when at

last

he learns his

own

hopelessness of the struggle in his

is

own

strength, he

ready for victory

Self-confidence
is

if

only he

turns to God.
because
trust
is

weakness,
Self-dis-

it

asks no help from God.

it casts itself

strength when

upon

the

divine power.

Thus weakness
into

is

redeemed from the despair

if it

which

it

would sink

had no resources
It
it

beyond

itself.

It could then only be trampled

into the dust.
is

down and crushed

after

one

of the glories of the divine love that

reaches

human

hopelessness, that
it

it

seeks to save

the

lost,

that

brings

its

help to the broken

and defeated rather than to the whole and

the unconquered.

This

is

a secret which

all

who are

in the

grip of temptation should hasten to learn.

Mr. Drummond on one occasion was asked

[88]

2famg Bltoapa Strong

to use his influence with a

man who had

be-

come addicted

to the use of strong drink.

Mr.

Drummond was
and you
a steep

riding with the

man and

asked him, "Suppose your horses ran away

lost control of

them and they turned

hill,

what would you do?"

replied that he could do nothing.

The man "But sup-

pose," added
sat

Mr. Drummond, "that some one

side

by your

who was stronger than

said promptly, "I would

you?"

The man

give him the reins."

Mr. Drummond pointed out to

the peril in which his
tite
life

his friend

stood because appe-

had gained the mastery. Then, reminding

of Christ,

him of the nearness and helpfulness

he urged him to put the reins into his hands.

Always the divine strength

hold of

is

ready to take
it

human weakness and change

this is the

into

power.

While

law of divine grace,

it still

remains true that

to be strong.
sired or

it is

our duty to seek always

is

Weakness

never to be de-

sought after as something beautiful,

as a quality in a noble character.

[

We

need

39

Cfnng$

tfwt Cttimre

strength in order to
life.

make anything
is

of our

Nothing worthy

ever

attained or

achieved by a driveler.

Thousands of men

with

fine possibilities

never come to anything

because of their lack of energy.

One

of the

Psalms has in

it

call

which every one should

life
:

make to
glory,"

his

own inner
is

"Awake up, my

There

a great deal of senseless

condemnation of ambition.

The world

is

not

by any means a bad

set only

one.

No

doubt there are

ambitions which are not good, because they

an earthly goal before them.

is

But
not

the

young man who has no ambition

here not merely to exist as
if

worthy of the place he occupies

in this world.

He

is

he were

a worm, but to make something noble and

radiant of his
is
life.

In every human soul there

life

a glory hidden, a
It
is

with immortal possi-

bilities.

the duty of every one to

wake

up
on

this glory, that it

its

may

find itself

and put

beauty and strength.

A man
among

had an eagle which had grown up

the barnyard fowls.

For a time

the

bird seemed content to be only a chicken.

But

[90]

2fremg Mltoayti Strong

one day
it
it,

looked

up

into the sky

and someFlap-

thing in

sleeping until now, awoke.

it

ping

its

wings,

soared

away toward the

sun and came back again no more.

Too many

men meant
selves

for the eagle-life content them-

with a barnyard existence.

feel

Now and
up

then they

something divine stirring within

them, but they are too indolent to wake

their glory

and to make the

effort necessary

to take their place in the

upper air and among

all their

the mountain crags.

So they spend

days down in the dust, among the lower

things, never

waking up to the meaning of

their immortality. It
is

strength we need, strength at the

life

heart of us, to stir within us the divine

that sleeps there, and to lead us out to become

all

that

God would have

us become, to do what
lines strike

he made us to do.
the right note:

Dr. Babcock's

Be

strong!

We We

are not here to play, to dream, to drift.

have hard work to do, and loads to lift. Shun not the struggle; face it. 'Tis God's

gift.

[91]

^fungtf tjat Cntrore

Be strong!
Say not the days are evil, Who's And fold the hands and acquiesce Stand up, speak out, and bravely, Name.

to

blame?

shame!

in God's

Be

strong!

It matters not

how deep intrenched

the wrong,

How

hard the battle goes, the day, how long.

Faint not, fight on!

song.

To-morrow comes the

[92]

^trengtfc for a

$eto gear

CHAPTER
Jtoettgtf) for

XII

a $eto gear

ought to make something of

every year.

They should be
higher.

like

new
not to
plane.

steps on the stairs, lifting

little

our feet a
live

We ought

any two years quite on the same

be content with any attainment
is

To
best

even for two days

not living at our best.

The
weary
of,

of

Christians

grow

faint

and

in their very faithfulness

not weary
Roumonotony,

but weary in their tasks and duties.

tine is intensely wearisome.

Tasks are large

its

and exacting,
not reap.

life is

dreary in
in vain.

work seems ofttimes

We sow

and do
dis-

We

find

disappointment and

couragement at many points.

Hopes bright
its brilliant
is

to-day lie like withered flowers to-morrow. Life

seems full of illusions.

Youth has

dreams which come to nought.

Work
The

hard.

He

that saves his

life loses it.

price of

success in

any

line is the losing of self.

We

[95]

Clung*
He who
self

tfmt a&tfrore
if

must wear ourselves out

we would do good.
makes

takes care of himself, withholds himtoil

from exhausting

and

sacrifice,

nothing of himself.
to redeem the world.

It cost Christ Calvary

The mind
if

that was in

Christ Jesus must be in us,

his co-worker in

we would be

saving the

lost.

So we grow

faint

and weary, not of but

strong.

in our service for

Christ.

But we can be
for us.

God has
St.

strength

How

does his strength come to us?

It comes to us in

many

ways.

James

tells

us that every good and perfect gift cometh

down from
then,

the Father of lights.

No

matter,
it

how

the strength comes to us,

really

comes from God.

We may

find it in a book,

whose words, as we read them,

warm

the heart
service.

and freshly inspire us for struggle or

We may

find it in

a friendship whose cheer

fill

and companionship and helpfulness

us with

new courage and hope.

understand, does
us

Far more than we

God strengthen us and bless through human love. He hides himself

who touch
[96]
us with their

in the lives of those

^trengtf) for a j^eixi

affection.

gear
through

He

looks into our eyes

human human

eyes and speaks into our ears through

lips.

He

gives
in

power to us

in

our

faintness,

and hope

our discouragement,
their

through the friends who come to us with

love

and

cheer.

The

Bible

tells

us a great

deal about the ministry of angels in the olden

days.
to

They came with

their

encouragement
After our

weary or struggling

ones.

Lord's temptation, angels came and ministered to

in

him

in his faintness.

In his agony

Gethsemane, an angel appeared, strength-

ening him.

No
in

doubt angels come now to

minister to us and strengthen us, but they

come usually

human

love.
is

But God's strength

ways.
It comes

imparted in other
his

through

words.

We

are

in sorrow, and,

opening our Bible we read

the assurance of divine love, the promise of

the divine help and comfort

that God
and
believe

is

our

Father, that our sorrow

that
all

is

full of blessing,

things work together for good to

God's

child.

As we
receive

read,
it

what

we

read,

and

as all for us, there

[97]

Cfjings

tfjat

<ntmre

come into the soul a new strength, a strange

calmness, a holy peace, and we are at once

comforted.

Some day we
tractions,

are discouraged, overwrought,

life's

vexed by cares, fretted by

myriad

dis-

weary and faint from much bur-

den-bearing.

We sit down with our Bible and

its

God
I

speaks to us in

words of cheer: "Let

not your heart be troubled; 95 "Fear not, for

am

with you

;"

"Cast thy burden upon the

Lord ;" "Peace

is sufficient

I leave with

you ;"

"My
feel

grace

for thee;"
is

and as we ponder the

gone ; we
that

words, the weariness

we

are growing strong; hope revives, courage

returns.

One who reads the Bible own Word, and hears God's voice in
continually strengthened

as God's
its

promis

ises,

assurances, commands, and counsels,

by

it.

But
this.

there

is

something better than even

God

is

a real person and he comes into

all his

our

lives

with
tells

own

love

and grace. The

giveth power to

prophet

us this:

"He

the faint; to him that hath no might he in-

creaseth strength."

This means nothing

less

[98]

Jtengrfj (or a j^eto gear

than that there
divine
is

a direct importation of

strength

for

God's

fainting
is

and

weary ones on the earth.

ful revelation.

This

a wonder-

It tells us that the very

power

of Christ

is

given to us in our weakness,

passed from his fulness into our emptiness.

One may stand by us

in

our trouble and

may

make us a
love,

little

stronger by his sympathy and

;

by

his

encouragement and cheer

but he

cannot put any portion of his strength or

joy into the heart.

Christ, however, gives

strength, imparts of his

vine
is

own

life.

What

the

to its branch, Christ

is

is

to us.

If the

branch
its life

hurt in any way, bruised, broken,

its life

wasted, the vine pours of

to supply

into
to

the wounded part,

heal
it.

its loss

and

That

is

what Christ

does.
is

He

giveth
per-

power to the

faint.

His strength

made

fect in weakness.

The greater our

will

need, the

more of Christ's grace

come

to us. Thereshall never

fore there are blessings which

we

get

till

we come

into experiences of trial.

till

We
is,

shall never

know God's comfort

[99]

we have

sorrow; but then as we learn what grief

Cfjtngs; tfjat O&ttmre

we
shall learn also

how God

gives strength

and consolation

in grief.
this

How

can we make sure of receiving

promised strength?
that wait

The answer
shall

is:

"They

upon the Lord

renew their

strength."
It
in

What is it to wait upon the Lord ?

believe

means to trust God patiently, to

God's
love, to accept

God's guidance, to
live in

keep near God's heart, to

unbroken
his

fellowship with God, leaning

upon
is

arm,

drawing help from him.

waiting upon God.

Prayer

part of

When we go

to him in

our prayers, instantly we receive a new supply of grace.

As we wait upon God,

from him to
stream,
us, into

abide in Christ, keep

our fellowship with him unbroken, there flows

our

lives, in

unbroken

strength

according

to

our needs.
is

When we
less
;

are strong, the blessing given

but when we are weak and faint, the gift

is

of power

increased.

As

the waters of the

sea pour out into every bay and channel,

every smallest indentation along

its

shore, so
is

God's strength

fills

every heart and

linked

[100]

Jtettgtf) for a
to him.

^eto gear
receive,

Of

his fulness

we

and grace

for grace.

Note

also the

word "renew"

in the promise.
shall

"They

that wait

upon the Lord

renew

their strength."

As

fast as the strength is

exhausted,
give out,

it is

replenished.

As
us.

fast as

we
like
oil,

God

gives

anew to

It

is

the widow's barrel of meal and cruse of

which could not be emptied, but which were

filled

up

again, as supplies were drawn from

them.

We

are to go on with our work, with

our struggle, with our doing and serving,

never withholding what duty demands, never

sparing ourselves when the

calls of love to

God

or

man

are

upon

us, sure that, waiting

upon God, we

shall ever

renew our strength.

We

are in living communication with

the stars and calls them
all
is

him
their

who made

by

names and holds

fainteth not nor
all

the universe in being,

who

weary.

He

is

back of us

the while

is

all his

fulness of life, all his

important strength
life

and every emptying of

Thus
it is

from us

instantly replenished, for he

giveth power to the faint.

[

when

101

Cfnng*
we give
you,"

tfjat

<rtimre

to others in Christ's

name he
;

fills

the

emptiness.
is

"Give and

it

shall be given

unto

the Master's word.

life

Thus

it is

when

sorrow takes out of our

our loved ones.

We

think we can never go on any more, that

the sun can never shine for us again, that

we

can never rejoice or sing as before, that we can never take up again our work, our tasks.

But God

does not leave the place empty.

to be strong, to be always strong

We want

strong
tion.

in purpose,

strong to meet temptaliving,

Strong for work, strong for holy

strong in the bearing of sorrow, strong in influence

among men.

We
life's

want to walk

erect

and unwearied along

lowers of Christ.

paths, worthy fol-

We
"Be

do not want to be

stumbling and falling every day.

God

to us all
of

is:

strong."

The call of But we are

conscious

weakness.
evil

We

cannot stand

against the forces of

that ever assail us.

We cannot walk erect and steadfast under the

burdens of
life.

What can we do?

God
casts his
till

Over
light.

all

the unopened year

There can be no experience

the

[102]

J>trengtfj for

a J^eto gear
will

year ends for which there

not be strength.

God

never gives a duty but he gives also the

it.

needed power to do

He

never lays on us
it.

a burden, but he will sustain us under

He
but

never sends a sorrow but he sends the comfort

to meet
it.

He

never
its

calls to

any

service

he provides for

performance.

We

need

only to be sure that we wait upon God, and

then

all

the strength

we

shall need will be

given, as

we go

on,

day by day.

"I asked for strength: for with the noontide heat

I

fainted, while the reapers,

singing sweet,

Went forward
Then came

with ripe sheaves I could not bear.

with sympathetic care.
I leaned
till

the Master, with his blood-stained feet,

And

lifted

me

Then on

his

arm

all

was done;

And

I stood with the rest at set of sun,

My

task complete."

[103]

J^ore

tfjan |teeat

CHAPTER

XIII

Movt
HE
us

tfjan

.peat

most important thing about

is

not our condition or our cirlife

itself.

\Wk
is

cumstances, but our

Experiences are only incidents

all

the reality in

of us

not the family.

The house The rough weather may

is

ourself.

tear

away
;

the roof, or

fire

may

destroy the

building

but the family

life is

not affected
is

by
the

either storm or flame.

life.

The body

not

Sickness

strength, or
flesh.

may waste the beauty and accident may wound and scar the
life is

But the true

aspires,

the soul within,

that which thinks,

chooses,

feels, loves, suffers, wills,

and

achieves.

Amid

ever-

changing

experiences

joys

and

sorrows,

hopes and fears, gains and

tears,

losses, smiles

and
life

the

real life goes on.

"Is not the

more than the food, and the body than the

raiment?"
It matters
little

what becomes of

our money, our clothes, our house, our prop-

[107]

C&tng*
erty,

tfcat

Cttimre
infinite

but

it is

a matter of
real

importance
shall a

what becomes of our

life.

"What

man
shall

be profited," asked the Master, "if he

gain the whole world, and forfeit his

life?"

The problem of living in this world is ever to grow into more and more radiant and
lovely character, whatever the conditions or

experiences

may

be.

It

is

in this that

we most

of all need Christ.

tions,

We cannot escape tempta-

but we are so to meet them and pass

through them as not to be hurt by them, but

to

come out of them with new strength and

soul.

new radiancy of
and
difficulty,

We

cannot miss trial

live victoriously,

but we are to

never defeated, always overcoming.

We

can-

not find a path in which no sorrow shall come

into our lives, but

we are

to live through the

experience of sorrow without being hurt

by

it.

Many
tion

people receive

harm from

the

fires

which pass over them.

Many
and

fall in

tempta-

and

lie

in dust

defeat, not rising

again.

Many

are soured and embittered by

the enmities, the irritations, the frictions, the

[108]

.pore tfmn .peat

cares of
living
is

life.

But

the problem of Christian

to keep a sweet spirit

amid

all
fires

that

might embitter, to pass through the

not have the flames kindle upon us ;

and

if

ye take

up
in

serpents or drink

any deadly thing, to be

no wise hurt thereby.

No

one but Christ can keep our

lives in

the countless dangers through which

we must

pass in this world.

Danger
in

lurks in every

shadow and hides

in every

patch of sunshine.
the circles of

There are tempters even

sweetest love. Peter, one of Christ's most loyal

friends,

became as Satan to his Master, tempt-

ing him to avoid his cross.

Our

best friends

may tempt
which duty
in

us to self-indulgence, seeking to

withhold us from the self-denying service to

calls us.

them

possible

The sweetest joys have harm for our lives. Only

lives

by committing our

day by day into the

hands of Christ can we be kept in safety amid

the perils of this world.

He

is

able to keep

us from falling, to guard us from stumbling,

and to

set us before the

glory of his presence

without blemish in exceeding joy.

[109]

Cfjings;
In
all

tfjat

OSntmre
no other but Jesus
gentlest, purest,
child's

the world there

this for us.

is

who can do
strongest
life

The

mother cannot keep her

in absolute safety

and bring

it

without

blemish
truest,

home

at last to God's presence.

The

wisest,

whitest-souled friend cannot

hold your

life in

such holy keeping that no

blemish, no marring,

no hurt,

shall ever

come

to you.

Few thoughts

are more serious than that

of the responsibility under which

we come

when we take another

baby
is

life into

our hands.

A
its

laid in the mother's arms.

In

feebleness it says to her, with its first cry,

"Into thy hands I commit

my

spirit.

Guard
powers,
evil

my

life,

teach

me my

lessons, train

my

hide

me from

the world's harm.

life,

Let no

touch me.

Prepare me for

for eternity."
all

Yet every mother who thinks at

knows
life.

that she herself cannot keep her child's

Her hands

are not skillful enough.

She

is

not wise enough nor strong enough.

Her part
child,

is

faithfulness in all

duty to the

example, teaching,
[110]

restraint, training,

J^ore
the

tfjan

peat

making

of a home-atmosphere, like the

climate of heaven, about the child.

"The baby has no skies But mother's eyes, Nor any God above But mother's love; His angel sees the Father's face, But he the mother's, full of grace."

Blessed

is

the mother
life

who

truly interprets

God

in her

own

and

in her teaching

and

training of her child.

the rest.

Then

Christ will do

The same
friendship.

is

true in a measure of any

ever thought seriously
It
is

Have you

of the responsibility of being a friend?

a sacred moment when God sends to you one

to

whom you

are to be guide and guardian,

one who trusts you and comes under your influence.

We

are responsible for everything

color, impress, or

we do which

may

sway our
tainted,

new
if

friend's life.
fail

If our influence

is

we

to be absolutely true in our words or

acts, if

our dispositions and tempers are not

Christlike, very sad will our accounting be

when we stand before God.

cm]

CJnngsi
So
it is

tfjat

<$nbure
lives to

also

when we commit our

the love, the guardian care, the influence of

another.
friendship

Pure, wise, good and rich

is

human
enough

wondrously benign.
perfect.

But no huwise

man
is

friend

is

None

is

to choose always the best things for us.

None
and

strong enough to help us always in the

truest
best
little

and best ways.

Then the

sweetest

human
while.

friends can stay with us but a

But

the hands of

God

are safe

hands for present and eternal keeping.

We

may commit our

fidence,

lives to

him with perfect con-

knowing that no harm can come to

us while he watches over us.

We

shall be

kept, guarded, sheltered, under wings of love,

unto the end

less

preserved and brought blame-

and

spotless

home at

last.

[112]

Cfje

<m

of drifting

CHAPTER XIV
^fje

&in

of drifting

is

entirely proper for a piece of

drift

wood to

on the water.
else.

It

cannot do anything

It has

no wisdom to choose a better way

and no power to
rent in which

resist the force of the curitself.

it finds

It has no reis

sponsibility for its

own movements, and

idly about in

not

to blame
is

if it floats

an eddy, or

carried into a whirlpool, or swept

It
is

away

in

a wild torrent.
of

right enough for a piece

wood to be a

waif.

But

it is
is

altogether different with a man.

Drifting

very unworthy in him.

It

is

in-

tended that he should choose his own direction

and forge
tides

his

own

course, whatever

way

the

may be running
of

or the winds be blowing.

Man

was made to be master, not a mere

circumstances.

creature,

Yet there are

many men who merely drift aimlessly through life. They fall unresistingly into whatever
[115]

Cijtng* tfmt Cnbure

current seizes them for the moment, and are

borne upon
them.

it

whithersoever

it

may

carry

When

temptation assails them, they

to master
it,

make no struggle
its

but

let it

have

way with

them.

When

something happens

which discourages them, they yield to the depressing influence without an effort to over-

come

it.

When

they are confronted by an

unfavorable condition in their business affairs,

instead of gathering

up

all their

resources

and

reserves of courage

and energy to meet

the emergency and successfully grapple with

it,

they simply give up and drift to

failure.

The

habit of thus dropping into the tide,

it is,

whatever
sistance,

and going with

to,

it

without re-

when yielded

soon becomes perma-

nently fixed in the

last to

life,

until a

man

seems at

have

lost all his

power to help himself

against any antagonism or opposition.

Resignation

is

sometimes a virtue, a most

worthy quality indeed of the devout and reverent

life.

We

should always be ready to

resign our will to the divine will, to resign,

or sign back to

him whose right

it is

to rule

[H6]

Cfje

in

of drifting
life.

over us, the control of our

Nothing
It
is

is

worse than to struggle against God.

sin,
if

and we are hurt

also in the struggle, while

we succeed we have only got our own way

which
is

in place of God's,

the greatest pos-

sible disaster to one's life.

We

should always

gladly yield to the will of the Lord whatever

the cost of yielding

may

be.

What

seems

loss

in such yielding is gain.

"So,

when there comes to you or me The Father's message, It cannot be!

Let us
rise

from the weakness of

selfish

pain

And

gird our loins in his strength again;

His plans for us are wide and sweet, His love and wisdom guide our feet

Ever upward and forward and on: Deeper joys for the joy that is gone, Nobler days for the day that is dead,
Higher hopes for the hope that
is

fled

These are our Father's gift and

will,
still."

And

the seeming loss

is

a blessing

But

there are times

when
it is

resignation
sin.

is

not
is

a virtue,

when indeed

It never

the will of the

Lord that we should

[117]

yield to

any

evil influence,

that we should drift in the

<3t%tng* tfjat Cttimre

current of temptation into anything wrong.

"When
Nor
dolence.

sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

should we allow ourself to give

up

to in-

There are some people who suppose

they are trusting

grace of

God and contentment, who

are practising the

really

ought to be

ashamed of

their feeble, chronic resignation.

It
is

They
God's

are too indolent to struggle.

will

not

that their

life

should be so weak

that they shall never try to conquer or over-

come

difficulty.

God wants them

men, to be faithful

to quit
in
all

themselves

like

duty, never to yield to discouragement.

best prizes in
life

The

do not come

easily,

cannot

be

won without

struggle.

The
toil

worthiest at-

tainments in character and in possession can

be reached only through

and

tears.

Res-

ignation means too often the missing of God's

own plan for the

but are

life.

Obstacles are put in the

way, not to hinder us or check our progress,

set as practical lessons to

prove the

earnestness and sincerity of our purpose

to discover

and

what kind of

spirit

we are

of.

The

paths have hindrances in them, not to turn

[118]

Cfie

&in

of drifting

us back, but to call out our courage and

strength in overcoming them and in making

way

for our feet through them.

It

is

pitiable

to see a

man standing

feebly

re-

signed before hard tasks or in the face of

difficulties

which God meant him to conquer

over.
"I hold

and triumph

That it becomes no man to nurse despair, But in the teeth of clenched antagonisms To follow up the worthiest till he die."
It should be the purpose of all

young peo-

ple to live victoriously.

They should never

consent to be creatures of circumstances

rather, they should create their circumstances,

or certainly master them, and

in their life minister to their

make

all

things
their

growth and

progress.

They should
life
life,

decide for themselves

live

the kind of
Christlike

they are going to

live it in

In-

and then

spite of

temptation, opposition, and hindrance.

stead of drifting in the ways of the least

resistance,

going where others go and doing

find out

what others do, they should

what

is

[119]

Cfjtng*

tfjat

Cnbure
it

right and should do that whatever

cost.

may

There

is

a heroic saying of Nehemiah's

recorded in the Scriptures.

He was

governor

of the returned captives in Jerusalem,

and

he refers to certain questionable things which

other governors had done.

He

then said,

"But so did not I, because

It

of the fear of

God."

would have been easy for him to go on

doing as other governors had done, but he did

not do this; he did his duty before God, independently.

120 J

Cfje lvalue anb

Cte^pongttiilttj> of

<ne Htfe

CHAPTER XV
Cfje

*Mue

anb $Lt&ptm&ibility of <ne Htfe

Elijah thought he was the

NCE

only good

man

left.

It certainly
all

seemed

so.

The king and

the

people had gone over to Baal and

Elijah was the only one who stood

up

for

God. In fact there were seven thousand others

throughout the land who had not bowed down

to Baal, but they were all in hiding

and might

as well not have been on the right side. Elijah

was

really the only one to stand for the

Lord
of

before the world.

There come times

nearly
all of

in

the

experience

us when our

life is

the only one

are.

to represent

God

in the place

where we
is

There

is

a sense in which this indeed

true

of every one of us all the time.

We are always
There may
us.

the only one

God has

to depend on at the

particular piace in which we are.

be thousands of other
[

lives

about

We

123]

Cfring*
may

tfjat

Cnfcrore

be only one of a great company, of a

large school, of a populous community, yet

each one of us has a

responsibility,
in
its

life

that

is

alone in

its

duty.

There may be

a hundred other men besides you, but not one

of them can take your place, do your work,

meet your obligations, or bear your burden.

Though
doing
his

every other one of the hundred

is

own part
and
if

faithfully,

your work waits

it it will

for you,

you do not do

never

be done.

We

can easily understand how that

if

Elijah had failed

God

that day on Carmel,

to stand

when he was the only one God had

calamitous.
if

for him, the consequences would have been

Or we can understand how that

failed in the

Luther had

days of the great

Reformation, when he was the only one

God

had to represent him and

his truth, the con-

sequences would have been tremendous, per-

haps setting back the cause of Christ's Church

for centuries.

But do we know that

less if

the

calamity would be any

fail

one of us should

God

in our mission

any common day?

[124]

IMue
A
story
is

of <nz TLiit
boy who found a leak
off

told of a

in the dike

that shuts
it till

the sea from Hol-

land and stopped

his

help would come, with

floods

hand holding back the

through

all

the night.

It was but a tiny, trickling stream

if

that he held back, but

it

he had not done

it,

would have been a torrent before morning,

floods

and the

would have swept over

all

the

land, submerging fields

and homes and

cities.

Between the sea and

only a child's hand

all this

ruin there was

all

that night.

Had

the
in

boy

failed, the floods

would have rushed

with their merciless destruction.

But do we

know

that our

own
of

life

may

not stand any

day and may not be

some great flood
fair fields of

all

that stands between

moral ruin and broad,

beauty?

Do we know
sea

that our

failure in our lowly place

and duty any hour

of
disaster,

may
shall

not

let

in

which

sweep away

hopes and joys?

fail in

human lives and human The least of us dare not

life is all

the smallest matter, for our

God has

at the place where

we stand.

This truth puts a tremendous importance

[125]

Cfnng*
into all living.

tfjat

Cnbure

know not what depends upon our faithfulness any moment. We may
think

We

that
in

there

can

be

nothing

serious
de-

enough

what we are doing to-day to

best, that

mand our
doing
this

no harm can come from

our slightly relaxing our diligence.

we certainly are

But in robbing God who

if

expects and needs our best every moment,

the

work of the universe

is

to go on according

to his will

and purpose.

Then we do not

knew what hurt may result to God's cause or what harm may come to human lives from
our lack of diligence in even the smallest
matter.

There are other suggestions.

only one
life,

We
No

have
other

but

it is

our own.

one can

live it for us.

Our

truest

and best

friend cannot choose for us, cannot bear our

burden, cannot meet our responsibility, cannot do our duty.

"Of
all

who

live I

am

the one

by whom

This work can best be done, in the right

way."

On

the other hand,

it

will

simplify our

[126]

lvalue of <ne Htfe

problem of living to remember that we have
only our one
life

to live and to answer for.

Some people
feel

fail to realize this

and seem

to

a responsibility for the

lives

and work

of others.

There

is

a sense in which we are

to bear one another's burdens

and look
this does
sit in

also

on the things of others, but

not

mean
the

that

it is

our business to

judg-

ment on

others, to

assume to know more about

of their affairs than they

management
themselves.

know

We

have quite enough re-

sponsibility in looking after our

own

life

and

attending to the tasks and duties which be-

long to us, without charging ourselves also

with the tasks and duties of others.
live
all

If

we
is

our

little life

so as to please God, that

we

really

have strength to do.

lived after this plan it

If only

we

would

save

many

of

us

a vast expenditure of

strength and energy which we now give to

finding fault with the

way
It

other people atus, too,

tend to their duties.

would save

from a large measure of uncharitableness and

from much envy and jealousy.

[127]

<$%e JFoUp of ^rtftms into

CHAPTER XVI
Cfje ifoUp of drifting into

1MONG
into

the

other

drifts

of

life

many young

people merely drift

marriage.

The

childhood

friendships, or the casual associations

of

youth,

are

nourished
falls

until

at

length the potent spell of love

upon the

young man and maiden, and by and by there

is

a wedding.

Or, the beginning of the at-

is

tachment

may
first

be a great deal more sudden

sight," a speedy engagement,
little

"love at

a marriage in a

while,

marriage

drifted into, or whirled into, as

when a boat

swept down the wild rapids.

The matter
makes
riage
little
is

of time, longer or shorter,

difference

in

any case the mar-

drifted into.

There was no serious

thought about the meaning of the step and

what

it

involved, no weighing of the responsito be assumed,

bilities

no questioning as to

[131]

Cfjmgg

tftat

Cntmre

whether the parties were ready for the serious

work before them, no thoughtful study of

the

way

to

make the

love dreams

come

true.
is

Yet

of all things in life

marriage surely

one of the very last that should ever be drifted into.

If there
is

any step for the taking

the step. If a

of

which young people ought to make deliberate

preparation, this
is

young man
in his

discovers that he has

made a mistake

business, trade, or profession, he can

change

and take something

else

without serious detri-

ment

to his future.

If a

young woman buys

a new dress and then concludes that she does

not like
it,

she can discard

it,

hang

it

away

in the storeroom

and get another.

If one

takes a position,

and afterward

finds that the

place

is

not satisfactory, nor the work conis

genial, it

easy to seek another place.

But

marriage

is

"for better, for worse, until death

us do part."

Therefore

it

should not be en-

tered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, in the fear of

God, and

after most serious thought.

It never should

be drifted into.
[

132

drifting into
Yet
it

Carriage

would seem that for nearly every

life

other step in

there

is

more

deliberation.
is

For nearly
marriage?

all

other duties there

instruc-

tion, training.

Why should there not be for Why should not mothers talk

thoughtfully to their daughters of the mean-

ing of marriage, of the principle which should

guide them in entering the relation, and of

the duties which will be theirs

when they

be-

come wives?

Why

should not fathers have

quiet talks with their sons on the subject,

telling

them what a husband's

duties are,

how

he must forget himself and

ness of the

live for

the happi-

woman he
selfish

chooses for his wife,

giving up his own

ways and unlearning

habits he has formed which prove hindrances

to the blending which alone

makes perfect
youth,

marriage ?

Such wise

instruction,

given

in

would certainly lead to more thoughtfulness on the subject, and thoughtfulness would prevent

many

inconsiderate marriages.

It

is

often said that

if it

"marriage

is

a lottery," as

were necessarily a sort of game of chance.

[133]

Cfjmgg
But
its

tfjat

O&tbure

there need not be such uncertainty about

if

outcome,

only young people would give

serious attention to the subject before enter-

ing into

it.

For example, the young man should consider whether the

young woman he
to be his wife.

is

interit

ested in
will

is fitted

Perhaps

be necessary for him to

live economically,

at least for a time.

training which will

Has this girl had the make her a good poor

live

man's wife?

Will she be able so to manage

her household affairs that they can

the small income he will have?

on

Then

will she

be willing to

live in

a plain way, befitting

will she

their circumstances,

and

be contented

in doing so?

Then has

she the other gifts

and

qualifica-

tions that will

make her
him?

the dearest

woman

in the world to

Are her attractions

is

such as will wear?

required to

There

a vast deal more

interesting to a

make a woman

man

three hundred and sixty-five days in the

year for forty years or more, than to make

her pleasing or winning for an evening two

[134]

drifting into

Carriage

or three times a week or even oftener through

one winter.

Then a young man's questioning should

not be
all

on the

side of the girl's ability to

make him happy and

helpful wife.

to be a good, faithful,

He

ought to be quite as severe

regarding himself,
to

whether he

is

the

man

make
is

this

woman

the husband she needs,

whether he can make her happy, and whether

he

able to devote himself to the holy task.

This should be a really serious question with

every
wife.

young man who

It

asks a girl to be his

means that he must make himself

worthy of her in every way, that he must be

ready to give up his own preferences in
matters and
live for her.

many

Then
is

while he makes sure that the girl he

thinking of so warmly will be ready sweetly

to share a plain home and close economy with

him
he
is

as his wife, he

must

also
will

make sure that

be able to pro-

ready and that he

vide for her in a

way

that will not lay too

heavy a burden of

sacrifice

upon

her.

Too

many young men

never give serious thought

[135]

Cfjing*

tfjat

Cnbure
The

to this phase of the marriage problem.

result
is

that

many a
is

noble girl, willing to

share privation and close economies with the

man

she loves,

taken out of a home of frugal

comfort to endure pinching experiences and

even wretched poverty, because the

man who

promised to keep, comfort, and cherish her,

lacks either the capacity or the energy to pro-

vide for her a comfortable home.

Whatever other drifting you

do,

dear

young

people,

don't

drift

into

marriage.

Know what you

are doing.

1188 J

i|oto

$ot

to

M*to ^mpatljp

CHAPTER XVII
i^oto J^ot to J>fjoto

^pmpatfjp
to

NE

of

the

suggestions

the
is,

guests at a noted sanitarium

tion,

"Do not ask a neighbor the ques'How are you feeling tois

day? 5 "
this hint.

There

a great deal of wisdom in

it

Indeed

contains a whole philos-

ophy.

There are a great many people who

always introduce their conversation in this

way when they meet a

friend or neighbor,
ill,

especially if the person has been

or

is

in

the habit of complaining.

people, too,

There are many

who

like

nothing better than to

it

have this question asked them, for

gives

them new opportunities

of their miseries,

to tell over the tale

and almost nothing gives

so

much

pleasure as this.

Indeed, they feel dis-

appointed when they meet a friend or neighbor, if some such inquiry

is

not made.
is

Some

are even offended

to recount their

if

no chance

given them

ills.

[139]

Cfjingg

tijat

Cntrare

A
of

good woman chided her husband for lack

sympathy with her because he never asked

felt,

her how she

and never showed any

inter-

est in her recounting of the aches, pains,

and
is,

discomforts, that fretted her.

The

truth

the husband
of men.
in

is

one of the most sympathetic

He
him

has a tender heart for suffering

in

any form, even

a dumb animal.

It

grieves

sorely to have

really sick or suffering.

any of his family But the good man

his beloved

has learned through the years that

wife's
ills

are not serious, that they are, in-

deed, usually only tricks of her imagination.

He

has learned moreover that she has a most

calls

unwholesome craving for what she

pathy."
listen to

"sym-

That

is,

she likes to have people

many afflictions, and then express their pity. Any one who will not do so is hard-hearted. Her husband loves
the story of her
his wife

and

in

any actual

sickness or suffering

has the deepest sympathy with her.

is

sensible

enough to know that to

But he humor her

would not be kindness to her, but would only

pamper and encourage

[

in

her a miserable

140]

i^oto

$ot

to J>J)oto <^|>mpatf)j>

weakness which would make her increasingly

miserable.

A
was

few months since a young

in a

woman who
and

good deal of

trouble, financially

otherwise, wrote to a friend, telling

in detail the story of her trials.

him

quite

Her

family
in

had suffered

losses

and her parents were

in the South.

much
self

distress at

home
in

She herin

was teaching

an institution

the

North and was receiving only a very small

The winter was coming on and she had no provision in the way of clothing adesalary.

quate for

its rigors.

The
money

friend to

whom

she wrote replied as

kindly as he knew how, sending also a

sufficient to

sum

of

meet her immediate needs.

He

did not, however, refer at length to the

troubles, the recital of

letter.

which had

filled

her

He sought rather to put hope and

courage into the young woman's heart, to

help her to carry her burden more victoriously.

Soon an answer came. your

She thanked

the friend for the money, and then added:

"But

I must say that

letter

hurt

me

[141]

CJnttga
very much.
I told

tfjat

Cnbure
my
troubles

you

of all

and

of the sufferings of

my

poor parents, and you

did not write a single word of sympathy.

You

did not even say

'I

am

sorry

;'

you only

said, 'Cheer up,

my

child, be

brave and strong

and keep

5 sweet. "

The young woman

friend, because he

really felt that she

had

been wronged and treated unkindly by her

had not gone over her

There are
Their

troubles,

showing pity for her.

many

other people just like this girl.

is

idea of a friend

somebody to

listen patiently

and interestingly to the story of

and then
of their
is

their

woes

to condole with
lot.

them on the sadness

fails

lacking in

Any one who human feeling,

made

to do this

unable to sym-

pathize.

The

request
is

of the guests
one.

at the
is

sanitarium

an admirable

It

well

suited for a place where there are hundreds

of persons

who

are sufferers in some way.

these can do
is

The worst thing

be led in any

to talk about

their ailments, to discuss their

symptoms, to

way
[

to think of themselves.

142

i^oto

$ot
is

to <J)oto
in getting

^pmpatfjp

Half the cure

them out of them-

selves, to forget themselves, especially if there

is

anything wrong with them, and to think of

other things and other people, and talk of

matters altogether apart from their

dition.

own

con-

But what
sanitarium

is

a good rule for patients in a

is

a good rule for people outside

It were well, indeed, if the

of sanitariums.

question were universally prohibited.

No
feels.

one
It

has a right to ask another how he

is

an impertinent question.

It is

nobody's
right, in

affair

how you

feel,

and you have a

a Christian way, to resent the liberty any one

takes

when he greets you when he

in this

way.

One of

the instructions which Jesus gave

sent

to the disciples

them forth was

that they were to salute no one by the way.

The reason
tion
is

generally given for this instrucit

that

took a long while to go through

salutations in the Orient,

and time was

so

precious to these

men bearing

the King's mes-

sages that they could not pause to go through

the long

program

of bowings and motions.

[

143

Cfnngg
Our modern
them.

tfiat

Cnbure
make
it

etiquette does not

so

burdensome to speak to people

when we meet

Yet there are those you cannot get

if

away from quickly

you inadvertently ask,

"How

are you feeling to-day?"

They

will

keep you a long while listening to the answer

to your question.

You

will save precious

time

by always avoiding such an

morning,"
gracious.
is

inquiry.
It

"Good
is

a better salutation.

more

It

means more.

It touches

a more

wholesome chord in your friend's consciousness.

It

is

a truer way to be a blessing to

men.

144

Cfjoogmg

0ur

Jfrienbsf

CHAPTER

XVIII

Ci)oomg <ur ifrtenb*

all

need

human
still

friends, not only

in the days of our gladness

and

joy, but

more

in the

days of

our sorrow and suffering.

need a

We

human hand

to hold ours

when we
days of

are passing through experiences of anguish.

We
our

want some one beside us

trial,

in the

I have read of a patient in one of

the hospitals in

London who was about

her

to

undergo a serious and dangerous operation.

The surgeon asked

if

she thought she was

it.

strong enough to endure

She answered,
if

after a moment's hesitation, "Yes,

Lady

Augusta Stanley

will

come and

sit

beside me."

We crave companionship especially in the time

when our burdens are heavy and we are passing through experiences of anguish.

No
on a

life

can reach

its

best alone.

One log
if

fire will

not burn brightly, but

two

logs are piled together then the one kindles

[

147

Cfring*
the other and the
better than one.

tfjat

Ofrtimre

fire

burns hotly.

Two
if

are

have

We can do more work companionship. We can fight

life's

we

more
fight-

bravely in

battles if another

is

ing beside us.

strengthens.
one, but

In

all

life

companionship
better than

Not only are two

two are better than two.

That

is,

two together are better than two working

separately.

Yet not every one that comes near to us or

that might want to come into our
life, is fit

to

be our friend. One of the most serious responsibilities

of life

is

the responsibility of choosis

ing friends.
case of

This

especially true in the

is

young people. Youth

all

the time

when
life

friendships are most easily formed.

is

All

new,

the world

is

new.

The

friendships

of the youthful days are apt to stay in the

life
is

unto the end. Really the choice of friends

in large

measure the settling of a young

person's whole future.

The kind

of friends

we take
those

into our life in the early days

If

we are

apt to keep always.

we accept and choose

inspiring,

who are good, refined, and [148]

Cfjootfmg
we are setting our

Our

Jfrtenb*

life

in the direction of what-

soever things are true, whatsoever things are

just, whatsoever things are lovely.

But

if,

on the other hand, we attach ourselves in

friendships in youth to those

worthy, whose

life is

earthly

who are unand sinful, who

our

are not true and noble,

we

in effect fix

place and our character in a drift which will

be toward things that are not good, that

do not tend to honor and beauty of

soul.

We grow like
we
believe,

those

whom we

love, in

whom

with

whom we

mingle. If therefore

we choose those who are not worthy, whose

character
is

bad, whose influence

is

unwhole-

some, we cannot but be hurt by them.

the other hand,
those
true,
if

On

we choose for our

those

friends

who are good,

whose

lives are full

who are pure and of inspiration, we

a person has
life

cannot but grow

better.

Many

been lifted up from a commonplace

nobleness
friend.

into

and beauty by the

influence of

know

it is

hard to make choice of

friends.

In a certain sense young

people's friends are

[149]

dungs

tfjat

OEnfcmre

chosen for them by their parents before they

are able to think seriously of the matter.

In

the early childhood days companionships are

formed which almost certainly make

friendships.

life's first

Then Providence brings

to us in

various ways, through our daily associations,

whom we take into our life as friends. Young people meet others in school, in neighthose

borhood gatherings,
associations of

in

church

life,

in the

work and

society.

They do

not choose in this case

to

persons

are brought

them and

set

even in these

down close beside them. But cases, we should learn to discrimgood and the
let
evil.

inate between the

Good

seamanship does not

waters.
it

a ship drift on the

Whithersoever the winds

may blow
carry
it,

or the tides and currents

sails

may
it

good seamanship

the ship even against

the winds and the tides.

life.

So

should be in

We

should not drift anywhere.

God

has given us a mind and a will and we are

to think for ourselves

and choose promptly

and determinately.

We

should want

friends

also

who have

[150]

Choosing 4ur
sympathy with
enter into our
us.
life.

ifrtenbsi
those

mean

who can
im-

No

other persons can

be true companions to us.

Sympathy
It

is

portant, not only in the days of sorrow, but

also in the

days of joy.

is

easy enough

to

have friends who

will feel

with us in our
us, those

grief.

When

trouble falls

upon

who

have been scarcely our friends in the past

will

turn to us with kindly feeling and symIt

is

pathetic heart and word.

well to

have

true friends in the hours of adversity.

of the best

One
is

things about friendship

not

what

it

does in the ordinary days, but what

it

we know
comes to

will

do when the hour of need

therefore

us.

When

we are

stricken

down and are in trouble or in sorrow, a friend who is a friend indeed will come to us with
true sympathy.

But we

also need a friend

who
will

will

come

to us in our times of joy,

who

understand

our glad days and sympathize with us in our

most happy moods.

always of those
ous.

Some people are envious who are happy and prosper[151]

More

friendships fail at this point than

Cijmga
fail in

tfjat

<$nbure
True sym-

the time of sorrow or want.

pathy enters with us into every experience of

our
life.

We

also

want others who

will

think of our
friends

highest and best good.

Too many
life.

bring no strength into our

We

get no

upward

aspirations from them.

brave thoughts into our mind or heart.

They put no They

move along comfortably

takes
color

in easy-going ways,

with a sort of placid companionship which

its

from our own experience and

If

gives to us no help.
friends

we are

in trouble these

come to us and sympathize with us

way.

in a certain
us, saying,

They

pity us and cry with

"How

sorry I am!"

But they

leave us no stronger.

True

friendship in such

moods does not pity us too much, does not

say too

many
is

soft things to us.

Coddling

is

one of the very worst things friendship can

do.
It

not petting and pampering we need,

such manifestations
and lead us to

make us weaker miserable self-pity. What we

only

want

is

a friend

who

will

put into our heart

thoughts of better things than those we have

[152]

Cfjoostng <ur Jfrtenba

yet reached,

who

will ever inspire us

toward

loftier reaches of life,

turning us toward the

mountain-tops and bidding us to climb the

rugged

slopes to the summit.

is

Emerson

says,

"Our

best friend

he who makes us do what

inspire us

we can."

True friendship would

best.

always to do our

When

true friends
suffer-

come to us in our time of weakness or

ing, instead of pitying us, telling us

how sorry

they are, they speak brave words to us, heart-

ening us, cheering us, arousing us to nobler

efforts.

What we want from

our friends

is

not the lifting away of our burdens but new

strength to help us to bear the burdens manfully

and

heroically.

It

is

a misfortune when

we attach
pities us

ourselves to a friend

who merely

and does not

inspire us to anything

nobler and truer.

There

is

another phase of the matter of

is

friendship which

very important.

I have

spoken thus far of the responsibility of choosing friends, of thinking of their influence

upon our own

lives.

This

is

the most serious

phase of the subject. -We are always respon-

[153]

dunga
sible for

tfmt oftrtmre
life.

what we admit into our

While

God

is

our keeper, we are to watch continually,

that nothing evil

may

ever be admitted, noth-

ing that would stain or hurt us.

But there
ble

is

another

side.

We are responsiupon those

also
call

for our

own

influence

who

us friends.

We

are responsible for

every word we speak, for everything we do,

for every disposition, for every look which

may

leave its influence or impression

life.

upon

any other

While therefore we carefully

so as to

guard the doors of our own heart,

admit nothing that would harm us, we must

guard with equal care and diligence the

fluences

in-

which we put forth upon the

lives

of others.

story

is

told of Charles

Lamb,

that once a young person evidently wished to have his friendship and give him confidence

and

trust.

Charles

Lamb

wrote to the person

warning against such

"I

confidence,

and saying,
It

am

not

fit

to be

your friend."

was a

brave thing to do.

But

it is

something which
is

every one should do unless he

sure that he
to

can be true to the person

[

who comes

him

154]

Cf)oo*mg
and that every

0ur

ipriente

influence of his life

may

be up-

lifting, purifying, inspiring

and

noble.

But of all friends in the world one who can bring to us so much
Christ will do.

there

is

no

blessing as

He

wants to be our friend.

life

He stands

at the door of every

and knocks
in

for admittance, that he

may come
The

and

take the inner place in our heart.

ship of Christ
is

friend-

pure and holy and heavenly.

Never

in all the history of the world has

any

one been hurt by anything that Jesus has

done.

Therefore take Christ as your per-

sonal friend.

Whatever other
and
rich as it

friends

may do

for you, he can do more.

Sweet as human
is, it

friendship

is

falls

far short

of meeting the deepest needs of our nature.

Christ only can answer all the heart's cravings,

and

satisfy all the heart's yearnings.

Christ's friendship alone can give us all the

help we need.

He

is

a very present help in

every time of need.

Human
us.

friendship can

go but a

little

way with

Soon we must

part company, even with the holiest of them.

One

of every two friends

must

sit

by the

[155]

Cfnttga
other's bedside
feel the last

tijat

^nbure
last

and hear the

words and

hand-clasp and say the last fareChrist's

well.

But

friendship goes on for-

ever.

He
and

loves us with

an everlasting

love.

His friendship takes us also in our sinfulness

guilt, in

our defilement and wrong,

beauty and brings us at
life.

and
last

restores us to

home to the

blessedness of an eternal

Whatever other friendships you may

miss not
Christ's

miss,

friendship, whatever else

life,

you may leave out of your

leave Christ out of his
life.

let

no one

[156]

Cfje entanglements; of Hotie

CHAPTER XIX
Cfje Entanglements! of Hobe

^'"HERE
not
the

are other people;

we are
of

the

only
live

ones.
close

Some
to us

others

and
of

some farther away.

love brings all of these, far

The law

and near,

into

certain relations with us.

They have

claims

upon

us.

We

owe them

love, duties, service.

We

cannot cut ourself

off

from any of them,

us.

saving that they are nothing to

We

cannot rid ourself of obligations and say we

owe nothing to them.

is

This relation to others

is

so

binding that there

not an individual

anywhere on the round earth who has not the

right to come to us with his needs, claiming

from us the ministry of

people are our brothers,
of them that

love.

These other
is

and there

not one
despise,

we have a right to

neglect, hurt, or thrust

from our door.

We

should train ourself to think of the

other people.

We

ought not to leave them

[159]

^fjmg*

tfjat

O&tbure

out of any of the plans we make.

We

should

think of their interests when we are thinking

They have their rights and we must consider these when asserting our own.
of our own.

No

one

may

set his fence a hair's breadth over

the line on his neighbor's ground.

No

one

may

gather even a head of his neighbor's

his neigh-

wheat or a cluster of grapes from

bor's garden.

No

one

bor's door unbidden.

may enter his neighNo one may do anyhis neighbor.

thing that will

harm

Other

people have rights which we

may

not invade.
their rights

Then we owe them more than

we owe them
to

love.

To some

it is

not hard

pay

this debt, for they are lovable

and

winsome.

They

are congenial, giving us in

return quite as
It
is

much

as

we can give them.

liberty of

natural to love these and to be kind and

gentle to them, but

selection in this

we have no
choose

broad duty of loving other

our
personal
shall

people.
friends,

We may
but we

may

not choose

whom we

love in the neighborly way.

The Master

said

"If ye love them that love you, what thank

[160]

Cfje Entanglements; of Hobe

have ye? for even sinners love those that love
them.

And

if

ye do good to them that do

good to you, what thank have ye? for even

sinners
of

do the same.

And

if

ye lend to them

whom

ye hope to receive, what thank have

ye? even sinners lend to sinners, to receive

again as much.

But
shall

love your enemies,

and

do them good, and lend, never despairing;

and your reward

be great, and ye shall

is

be sons of the Most High: for he

kind

toward the unthankful and

evil."
is

So we

see that

our neighbor

anybody who
he

needs us.

He may

not be beautiful in his

;

character, nor congenial to us

may

even

be unkind, unjust, in strict justice undeserv-

ing of your favor; yet

if

we

persist in claim-

ing the name Christian, we owe him the love

that seeketh not
things, endureth
its
all

own, that beareth

all

things.

The
serving

love which

we are taught

to bear to

other people means service.

is

Love without
It
is

only an empty sentiment.

not

enough just to avoid doing people harm.

Jesus taught that sin
[

is

not merely in positive

3

161

Cinngg
acts that are

tfjat

Cnbure

wrong, but also in the neglects

to do the things

we ought to
be those

do.

Those on
fed

the left

hand

will

who have not

the

hungry nor clothed

the naked nor visited

the sick.

able people in

They may have been very respectmany ways, but their failure
wrong company.

to do the ministries of love about them puts

them

in the

We
people.

never can get

away from
up
in the

these other

We may

have our

fine theories

of
of

living for self, of laying

summer

prosperity for the winter of adversity, of

providing for old age, but

all

these economic

plans have to yield to the exigencies of

need.

The

love that seeketh not its

human own plays

havoc with the plans of mere

self-interest.
is

We

cannot say that anything we have

our own

when our brother stands before us needing

what we have to
give.
its

Every day brings to us

for service of love.

opportunities

Every one we meet needs

It

something which we have to give.

only

may

be
at

common

courtesy,

gentle

kindness

home, the patient treatment of others in busi-

[162]

Cf)e O&ttanglemente of Hobe

ness, the thoughtful

showing of interest

in
all

the old, in children, or in the poor.

On

sides the lives of others touch ours, and

we

cannot do just as we please, thinking only of

ourself, unless

we choose

to be false to all

the requirements of the law of love.

We should never forget that it is by obedience to this law of love that

this realm, at least, it
is

we grow.

In

true that what

we

keep we

lose,

and that only what we give out

do we really keep.

Then
not

in giving

we do not

rob ourself or empty our own heart.

When
re-

we give out
to our

love,

less

but more love

mains in our heart.

Sharing with others adds

own
"No

store.
force
is lost,

no action

dies,

Let

this great

thought be ours;
in sacrifice,

No good once spent No effort of our

Can ever

powers,

pass, or ever die.

It changes, but remains;

Life, everywhere,

grows rich thereby

And

strength eternal gains."

[16S]

Hearnmg

tfje

Herons!

of

Hobe

at

#ome

CHAPTER XX
Hearmng
tfje

Herons;
i^ome

of

Hobe

at

OME life should be happy.

requires thought, care
to

Yet

it

and

effort,

make

it so.

We sometimes

for-

get that love's lessons have to be

learned.
rally,

We
it

think they should come natu-

and so perhaps they should.

that
of

But the
to

fact

is

takes a great deal of self-reof

straint,

patience,

thoughtfulness,

learn and live out the lesson of love.

There
is

are hundreds of homes in which there

love

and

where

great

sacrifices

are

cheerfully

made; and yet hearts are starving there for

love's daily bread.

There

is

a tendency in
life's

too

many homes

to smother all of
it,

tender-

ness, to

suppress

to choke

it

back.

There

are homes where expressions of affection are

almost unknown.
wives between

There are husbands and

love's converse has set-

whom

tled into the baldest conventionalities.

There

[167]

Cfjmga
are parents

tfjat

Qfrtbure

who never kiss their children after they are babies, and who discourage in them, as they grow up, all longings for caresses and
marks of
affection.
tells this
ill

Mary Lowe Dickinson

little

story:

child of eight

was very

and thought
of the

to be dying.

In after years

all

memory

suffering faded, but she said: "I owe to that

sickness the

knowledge that

my

mother loved

me, for she kissed

me again and again when

That memory was the

no one

else

was

there.

most precious treasure that I carried on into

my

womanhood, for

until the night before I

was married I do not remember that she ever

kissed

her

me again. When she was old, I asked why she never caressed or petted us as
and she
said, 'I

children,

thought
I

it

would
I

prevent your being self-reliant.

knew
5

could not always be with you, and I did not

want you to be dependent on

There
is

my

presence.

"

very much more of

this lack of

tenderness in homes than most people imagine.

There are many homes in which the

life

goes

on day after day, week after week,

in the

[168]

Uearmng
dreariest

tfte

ILtsKdn* of Hotoe

and

coldest routine.

Many

children

are cheated out of the expression of love in

the days

when

affectionateness would

mean

so

much

to them.

"Many

timid girls and boys

have grown almost to maturity believing that

nobody ever loved them, because nobody has

ever told them so."

There are

chilled

homes which could be

glow
in

warmed
while
if

into love's richest

little

only

all

the hearts in the household

were to become affectionate in expression.

Does the busy husband think that

wife

his

weary

would not care any longer for the

caresses

and marks of tenderness with which

thrill

he used to

her heart?

Let him return

again, but for a month, to his old-time fondness,

and then ask her

if

these

youthful
parents

amenities are distasteful to her.

really think that their

Do

grown-up children are

too big to be petted, to be kissed at meeting

and parting?

Let them restore again for a

time something of the affectionateness of the

early childhood days,

and

see if there
it.

is

not a

great secret of happiness in

Many who

[169]

CJnttg;* tfjat Cntrore

are longing for richer

home gladness need

only to pray for a springtime of love with

tenderness that
expression.
"Comfort one another;
is

not afraid of affectionate

With With

the hand clasp close and tender,

the sweetness love can render,

And

looks of friendly eyes.

Do

not wait with grace unspoken

life's

While

daily bread
is

is

broken:

Gentle speech
the skies."

oft like

manna from

We

need never be afraid to speak our love

at home, however careful

side, lest

we have to be outdanger of too

life.

we

foolishly seem to carry our heart

on our

sleeve.

There

is little

much
needs
into

affectionateness in the family

all

It

the tenderness
It will not

we can
tell

possibly get
soft

it.

make a boy

and de-

pendent to love him and

him.
as

him you love

kindly

We should make the morning good-byes,

table,
final farewells

we part at the breakfast

enough for
deed be

for they

may

in-

final farewells.

Many go

out in the

[170]

Hearmng

tfje

Herons;

of

Hobe

morning who never come back at night.

Therefore, when

we separate even

for a few

hours we should part with kindly words, with

lingering pressure of the hand, lest we

may
eyes.

never

look

again

into
is

each

other's

Tenderness in a home

not childish weakness,

a thing to be ashamed of

it is

one of love's

most sacred
be left out.

duties,

one which never should

Here are some very

to cultivate love in the

practical

counsels

from a recent writer on the question.

How
"First,
exists.

home

circle:

be willing to show the love that already

i .

Is the husband and father silent

and gloomy, withdrawn

into himself, brood-

ing, perhaps, over the fact that no matter

how hard he
ily

tries,

he never can meet the famis

demands? Show him that you know he

tired,

that you
well

love

him for

his constant
if

effort,

that you love him the same even

all

he

has failed to do

he had hoped to do. Show

him how
with a

and cheerfully you can get on you are

]

little

for this time, sure that the next

If
his

time he will succeed.

[

daugh-

171

Cfjmgs! tfmt Cnbure

ter,

and have acquired the habit of thinking

chiefly

of

him

as the

man from whom

the

money comes

for things

you need, get out

to do, or get

of that relation

by planning

something for him.

in

Has your mother been

him that your
his birthday,

the habit of reminding

is

birthday

at

hand?

Find out
that,

and begin to plan for

speech from his

little

gift

from
little

every child, a song sung for father, a

little son,

little
it

fun which

you can coax him to share

may mean a

new
of

life

to him, because

it

means a new sense

believe in him,"

how

truly

you

love

and

[172]

Hearmng

tfje

He&tons

of

^atrtotfesm

CHAPTER XXI
Heantmg
tfje

Hes&on*

of

Patriotism

NE

good thing every young

do and should do
is

man

may

to think

seriously about his duties to his

country.
pathetic stories in
all

One

of

the

most
is

modern

literature

Dr. Hale's

"A Man

without a Country."

The

book should be read by every young patriot,

and when once read

it

never can be forgotten.

in

There are men who, though living

for them, enjoying all
as their

the

midst of the best that their country has

its

privileges so far

own

life is

concerned, really are

men

without a country.

Their souls would seem

to be so dead that they never say to themselves

is

with any warmth or enthusiasm, "This

They have no pride in their country. They know little of They never think of the its glorious history.
own,
native land."
cost of the liberties they enjoy as citizens.

my

my

[175]

Cfring*
They
But

tfjat

Q&tbure

give no thought to the duties and re-

sponsibilities of patriotism.
it is

dishonorable for any

man

to be

as if he

had no country while enjoying the

to

inestimable blessings which the country has

brought

him.

Patriotism
all

ranks

high
is

among

duties.

In

lands treason

re-

garded as the blackest of crimes.

lack of patriotism
is

Yet the
In
is

a phase of treason.
life,

time of war for a nation's

neutrality

regarded as more dishonorable and despicable

than open enmity.

One of the
patriotism,
is

finest

things in the culture of

the history of one's

to

know

country.

It should be studied until its story

life.

has been absorbed into the very

Thus

it

was that the ancient Hebrews were trained

into patriots.

They were taught from

Little else
field,

in-

fancy the meaning of their nationality and

its

great destiny.

was talked of
the way.

in the home, in the

or

by

The
re-

great hopes of the nation were held before

their eyes until they
alities.

became tremendous

So

patriotic did they

grow that when

[176]

Cfje He&afona of Patriotism

carried into captivity nothing could swerve

them from their loyalty to their country.

They worshipped God with

toward their holy
city.

their faces turned

No

allurements of

heathen splendors could make them aught but

Israelites.

For another thing, we owe

try to
It
is

it

to our coun-

make

ourselves noble

and worthy men.

cities,

not broad lands, crowded

large

wealth, and a world-encircling commerce, that

make a nation great; always

ness of a nation
is
is

the real greatits

measured by
needed
if

men. It
is

character that

is

the nation

to

grow

into

its finest possibilities.

One of the dangers

any country
virility,
is

of great prosperity in
frien

that

shall

lose their

their strength, their

power of

en-

durance, their moral stanchness, their nobility

of character.

Luxury always tends

is

that way.
safer,

A measure of hardship
is

not only

but

also

a very much better school

for the training of worthy lives than the ease

which breeds self-indulgence and softness.

The great

task before the boys and

young

[177]

Cfjutga
men who
Fourth of
themselves.

tfjat

<ttimre

are

now about passing through July fervors is to make men of That really is what we are
to

here

for,

not
If

gather money, to do a
or
small,

few things large

to

win fame,
into

to achieve power, but to

grow

worthy

manhood.

he

is

benefactor

who

makes two blades of grass grow where there

was only one growing
before,

he

is

much

more a benefactor who adds some new quality

to his

own

character,

making himself a somePatriotism demands

of

what better man.

young men
build.

the very best

manhood they can

Truth
one of the

They should be
character.
It
is

true.

is

foundation stones in every fabric of worthy

not enough to be truthful

in speech, never uttering

any

false

word. One

may conform
Strength
hood.
It
is

to the law of truth in this

in

way

and yet lack truthfulness

other ways.

another quality of patriotic mannot easy to be good in the busi-

is

ness world, in politics, in society.

One needs

to be strong in order to live out noble prin-

[178]

Cfje
ciples

TLmtm&

of Patriotism

and to do the things which a man must

he would take his place among men

do

if

and

live righteously.
all

He
all

must be able to
of opposition

stand in the face of

manner

and temptation and of

subtle influence.

Then
and
ness

while the patriotic

man must

be strong
Gentle-

true, he
is

must

also be gentle.

the flower of noble character.

There

are

men who

are true and strong, but are

ungentle, and thus fail of a really noble man-

hood.

Courage

is

another essential element in

is

manliness.

Courage
a noble

not merely a quality

by

itself in

life

it

is

a necessary

element in

all

other qualities.

It takes cour-

age to be true, and to be strong, and even

to be gentle in a worthy sense.

Another duty of patriotism

all

is

interest in

that belongs to the

life

of the country.
in

Every young man should train himself

the affairs of good citizenship.

Voting

is

not

merely a privilege

it

is

a sacred duty as

The voting should be intelligent. well. Young men should learn to think and to inquire, not casting their ballots blindly

and

[179]

Cfring*

tfjat

Cntiure

thoughtlessly with the party to which they

are attached, but

making sure that they are

casting them for

men who

are worthy.

The

twentieth century patriot ought to be inde-

pendent enough never to be compelled by

party rules to vote for an unworthy candidate.

Then voting
citizenship.

is

not the only function of

little

It

may seem

that one per-

son can do in making his country better.

But
life

if
is

each one sees to

it, first,

that his

own

true and worthy, and then, that he

little

makes one

spot of his native land a

sweeter and better place to live in, he has

done that which

is

by no means a small or
in the great

an unimportant part

wort of

making

the whole country better.

[180]

31$

Wtxtpinx a

Cfirfettan J^utp?

CHAPTER XXII
3te WavvpixiQ a Cijrfettan

^utp?

|0T many

people seem to think of

sin.

worrying as a

It

would

al-

most appear from the universality of the habit that

it

many regard

as a virtue.

Many
if it

persons almost resent

the suggestion that they should be ataxious

about nothing, as

were an effort to

in-

terfere with their personal rights.

It

is

quite time

we should learn that worryblemish

ing
a

is

neither a grace nor a duty, but rather

in

most unseemly

life,

and

a sin that hurts the soul and grieves God.

The
is

opposite of worrying

is

peace, and peace

enjoined in the Scriptures as the very ideal

Christian
life.

of

Christ's

legacy

to

his

friends

was

his peace.

He never worried. He
His

never lost his self-poise for a moment.

own peace he

gives to every one

who

does not

reject the gift.

forcefully, that

He

taught, too, plainly and

is

worrying

not only useless,

[183]

Cfjingsf tfjat
but
sinful.

Cnbure
said.

"Be not anxious," he

;

Our
not

heavenly Father feeds his birds

will he

much more
clothes the

bountifully feed his children ?

lilies

He
own
St.

and the grasses

will

he not

much more
image?

clothe those

who bear

his

But how can we keep from worrying?

Paul answers
practical

this question in a wonderfully

paragraph
lays

in one of his epistles.

rule:

He

first

down the
leaves
It
is

"In nothing be

anxious."

He

no room for exceptions

to this rule.
it

for every Christian,

and
life.

covers every experience of each one's

No one
Still

can say, "But

my

case
is,

is

exceptional."

the quiet

answer

"In nothing be

anxious."

What

then should we do with the things

that break so disturbingly into our life; that

tend so to vex and fret us?

If

we are not
what
shall

to be anxious about these things,

we do with them?

St.

Paul answers promptly

and

tells

us what to do.

"Be not anxious;

but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be
[

184

3$ Woxxvins a
break in upon our
disturb us,
of our

Christian &uty7
is,

made known unto God." That

lives

when things

which would naturally

we are to put them altogether out

into God's,

own hands

and then leave

them

there.
is

This

not a mere arbitrary rule

It

it

is

most reasonable.

means that we trust God

our

with the hard things, the tangles, the complications, the perplexities, of
lives, in-

stead of trying to look after them ourselves.

There

is

no doubt that God has power to deal

Neither
is

with these things.

that he
is

there any doubt

infinitely wiser

than we are and

more able to adjust such

affairs so as to

make
is

them work together for our good.

If his care

for us really includes such matters, there

no question about his ability to carry them.

The only question that can arise is: "Does God indeed care for such small things as the little frets and tangles of our daily common
lives?"
"If I could only surely

know

That

all

the things that tire

me

so

Were noticed by my Lord [185]

dung*
What

tfjat

OEnfcmre

The pang that cuts me like a knife, The lesser pains of daily strife
peace
it

would afford!

"I wonder if he really shares

In

all

these little

human

cares,

This mighty King of kings?

who guides through boundless space Each blazing planet in its place Can have the condescending grace To mind these petty things?
If he

"Dear Lord, my heart shall no more doubt That thou dost compass me about With sympathy divine: The Love for me once crucified
Is not the love

to leave

my

side,

But waiteth ever to divide Each smallest care of mine."

There

is

no doubt whatever that God does

care, not only for the great things in our

lives,

but quite as much for the matters that

us.

concern

We may bring to him everything

know that he will take own hands and do what is best.
responsi-

that troubles us and

it

into his

Of

course,

we are not absolved from

bility

we

must always do our duty.

The

secret of not worrying,

which Jesus himself

[186]

3fe

lorrpmg a CJjr&ttan ^utp?

is,

gives,

"Seek ye

first

the

kingdom
all

of God,

and

his

righteousness; and

these things

shall be

added unto you."

is

The

trouble with us, however,

affairs in

that we

do not leave our

God's hands.

We
into

take our perplexities and cares to him, but

in

little

while

we gather them back

our own hands again, giving

God

neither time
us.

nor opportunity to adjust them for

he wants us to do
is

What
him
off.
is,

to take

them

to

in

prayer and then keep our own hands

The promise
that
if

in St. Paul's cure for care

we take everything
it there,

to

God

in prayer

and leave
passeth

"The peace

of God, which

all

understanding, shall guard your

hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus."

The

figure

is

military.

As

the

army

sleeps

at night in quietness and

confidence because

sentinels keep their watch, so the peace of

God

stands guard over our hearts and our

thoughts.

We

have the same assurance of

divine keeping in the old promise,

shalt
is

"Thou

keep him in perfect peace, whose mind

stayed on thee."

[187]

^fjmgs! tfmt Cnliure

This
is

a lesson which

young people should

set themselves

most earnestly to learn

the

lesson of not worrying.

lives.

Worry

hurts our

It

mars

their beauty.

It saps their
their best

strength.

It unfits

them for doing

work, for no one with a worried mind can

ever do his best in anything.
grieves God.
Besides,
it

"In nothing be anxious."

188

Raiting or Itearrmg

2faautj>

CHAPTER XXIII
leaking or barring
ITTLE
things
is

2foautj>

make

perfection."

In nothing

this

more true than

There

in character

and conduct.

are

many

people

who

in great

matters of principle and in the cardinal virtues are without fault, yet the lustre of whose
life is

dimmed by

countless little blemishes

is

and

infirmities.

One man who

upright and
is

steadfast, with the firmness of a rock,

hard

to live with because of his irritability or his

despotic disposition.

Another, who

is

faith-

ful in all his dealings with

is

men, whose word

so harsh

as good as his bond,

is

and un-

gentle in his close relations with others that

he

is

anything but a comfort and help to those

with

whom

he comes in personal contact. Anof great benevolent and philan-

other

is full

thropic schemes, doing good in

many ways,

yet those

who know him most

[191]

intimately dis-

cover in him an almost utter lack of the sweet

Cf)mg0
graces

tfjat

<ntmre

and amenities which are the true

life.

adornment of a Christlike
It
is

in the little things that

most

failures

are made.
character.

Little faults Little

sins

honeycomb many a
ruin

many
of

life.

Henry
Africa,

Drummond,
tells

writing

tropical

of a species of white ants which

work desolation wherever they go.

leave his chair at night

One may
In

and go to bed.

the morning the chair

is

there, apparently in
sit

good

condition, but let

him

down on
floor.

it

and

it falls

with him in a heap on the

Dur-

ing the night the white ants have eaten the

inside out of the legs, seat

and frame. Houses

are in like

manner

destroyed.

The timbers
day
There

are bored through and through, until one

the building tumbles to the ground.

are

human
men's

lives

which seem strong and right but

countless
infinitesimal

to

eyes,

faults

and
the

sins eat

away

their substance until

they
It

fall
is

at last in hopeless ruin.

little failures in

loving which

mar

the beauty of the perfect ideal.

There are
life

many who would

give their very

for a

[192]

leaking or parting
friend,

Sfreautp

whose love yet lacks altogether the

gentle things in disposition

and expression

which are needed to

of affection.

fill

out the true measures

of thoughtfulness

The want

causes untold pain and suffering.

An
ing

hour ago a strong and active man, who

tell-

occupies a high place in the world, was

how he had been going about

his heart

all

day,

carrying a secret pain at

sense of

and a deep

shame because of a mere lack of

It

courtesy at his own table in the morning.

was

so slight that
it.

probably no one but him-

self noticed

It

was not a

bitter

word that

he spoke nor anything harsh that he did, but

only his failure to do a trifling kindness, a

mere neglect to be gentle when gentleness

would have meant much.

A moment

after he

had
of

left the

breakfast table he became aware

what he had done, or rather of the oppor-

tunity he had missed to give sweet comfort

and help to
of
his

his wife,

and

in all the hours

busy day there had been a deep

shadow hanging over him and a feeling of

regret and sorrow embittering his heart.

193]

Cfnnga
Ofttimes
it is

tfmt

Cnbure
who
does the
little

not the one

unkindness or neglects to do the kindness who

suffers,

but the one to

is

whom

the unkindness
is

or the neglect

shown.

There

no doubt

that the larger part of the pain and heart-

ache endured in the world

tudinous
little
life's

is

caused by multi-

failures in lovingness rather

than by

great and conspicuous sorrows.

thoughtful writer says:

"Taking

life

through and through, the

it

larger part of the sadness and heartache

has known has not come through

sorrows, but through
little,

its

great

needless hurts

and

unkindnesses

not so

much through

the order-

ings of Providence as through the mis-order-

Look back and you can readily count up the great griefs and bereavements that have rent your heart and changed your life. You know what weary months were
ings of humanity.

darkened.

There was a certain sacredness

like

and dignity,
mountain top,
looking back,

the dignity of a lonely

in their very greatness;

and

if

not at the time, you can often

understand their purpose.

But, oh, the days

[194]

JfSafemg or

jarring

2freautp

that are spoiled by smaller hurts, spoiled because somebody has a foolish spite, a wicked

mood, an unreasonable prejudice that must

be gratified and have
its

way no matter whose

by
it
!

rights, plans, or hearts are hurt

There

are so

many hard

places along the road for

most of us, made hard needlessly by hu-

man

selfishness,

that the longing to be kind

with a tender, thoughtful, Christlike kindness

grows stronger in me each day I

live."

It should be our care to watch the little

things in our conduct, the minute attentions,

the small courtesies, the delicate graces and
refinements of our manner, since

by

all

these

we add
to the

either to the

volume of good we do or

measure of pain we' cause.

There come every day a thousand opportunities to be thoughtful, in

which are a thou-

sand

possibilities of

giving happiness or hurt.

In the mere tones of the voice in which we

speak
lie

the widest opposites of gentleness

or harshness.
"It
is

not so
the

much what you

in

say,
it;

As

manner

which you say

[195]

Cfnng*
It is not so

njat <nfoure

much

the language you use,

it.

As

the tones in which you convey

"The words may be mild and

fair,

And

the tones

may

pierce like a dart;

The words may be

soft as a

summer

air,

And

the tones

may break

the heart.

"For words but come from the mind, And grow by study and art;

But the tones leap

forth from the inner self

And

reveal the state of the heart.

"Whether you know it or not, Whether you mean it or care,

Gentleness, kindness, love, and hate,

Envy, and anger, are there."

It

is

not enough, therefore, that we seek

to be true, honest,

and

just, in all our life;

we should learn

all

the lessons of love, so

that in every disposition

and temper and

word, in every shade of expression, we shall

be Christlike.

[196]

0n

tfje

ipootpatf) to

&uttm

CHAPTER XXIV
<n
tfje

ipootpatf) to

&uttt#x

jVERY young
has
in his

man, unless he be
life,

dead to the real meaning of

heart

desire

to
to

achieve

success.
will

He

wants

do something that
while.

make

his living

worth

He
him

has dreams of success which shine

in splendor

before
ness

and woo him to earnestwould

like to

and energy.

He
is

make a
remem-

name

for himself that the world will It

ber and honor.

fore, to

always in order, there-

speak to young men of success.

Before we talk about success, however, we

would better

define the word.

What do we
are told that a

mean by
certain

success?
is

When we

man
now

successful, that

he began poor

and

is

rich, that

he has risen from ob-

scurity to great
to inquire

fame and power, we need

his

how he reached
it

high place. If
if

he crawled to

through slime and mire;

he trampled conscience and the law under his

[199]

^fjmgsi
feet as

tfjat

Cnbure

he went up

if

he made his money by

extortion or
cess is

by

dishonesty, his apparent suc-

wretched failure and his self-compla-

cent pride an object for our just contempt.

"He

who climbs to power and place pathway of disgrace. He fails not who makes truth his cause, Nor bends to win the crowd's applause.
fails

Up

the

He

fails

not

he

who

stakes his all

to fall."

Upon

the right,

and dares

There are certain

belong to the
is

qualities
is

which always

life

that

truly successful.

One

industry.

There

is

no royal road to

worldly

attainment or achievement.

Easy

positions, as

rule,

The pressure of noble manhood for

Eliot has said

mean failure in the end. hard work in youth builds

later years.

Charles

W.

"I believe that long hours and hard work

are best for every man.
.
. .

No man
if

can work too hard, or too long hours,

health will permit."

his

We

all

grow best under

burdens.

It is only the used powers that get

strong; the unused remain undeveloped and

200

0n
were
it

tfje

ifootpatf) to ^uccesfc

shrivel up.

"The

stars

would rot in the sky

not for their ceaseless motion."

is

Dependableness
in the

another essential quality

winning of
is

success.

Lord Lytton says

"A man

already of consequence in the

it is

world when

plicitly relied

known that he can be imupon." Whatever one's duty

be done promptly and care-

may
fully.
life

be, there should never be the slightest

it will

doubt that

Thus

the

man

becomes essential to the

of the world

essential in his

own

place,

large or small.

This means that one's word

should be sacredly kept, no matter at what

cost to himself.
fail in
is

It

means that he
is

will

never

anything that

assigned to him. Life

very complicated, and failure in the small-

est

matter

may

bring great disaster.

If a

watchman does not swing

if

his red lantern, or

a switchman does not turn

his lever, or if

the engineer does not see the signal as his

train
flies

by, no one can

tell
is

what the conabsolutely desuccess.

sequences will be.

One who
is

pendable in his place

on the way to

Economy

is

also an element in the

making

[201]

CfnngS
of success.

tfmt Cnirore
of poverty
it is
is

The cause

not

al-

ways small income

expenditures.

ofttimes

leakage in

The

habit of saving, doing

is

without things which one cannot afford,

one secret of prosperity, part of the foundation of fortune.

There

is

no disgrace in

liv-

ing closely when one's resources are small;

there
is

disgrace in living above one's means.

writer on success says:

"The way a
is

young man spends

his leisure time

a sure

index to his future." One of the papers contained a good commentary on this wise say-

ing:

"Two men

stood at the same table in a

large factory in Philadelphia, working at the

same trade.

Having an hour
it

at noon, each

undertook to use
purpose.
leisure in

to accomplish a definite

One

of the

men employed
wood
in

his daily

working out the invention of a ma-

chine for sawing a block of

sired shape.

any depatent

He succeeded and sold his

sum
of money.

for a large

The

other

man

what did he do? Well, he spent

portant task of teaching a

his

noon hour

for nearly a year in the very difficult

little

and imto

dog how

[202

<n

tfje

ifootpatfj to Jnitce&s

stand on his hind feet and dance.

ceeded, too, but he
still

He

suc-

works at his old bench

unjust fate that

and

bitterly complains of the

keeps him poor while his old fellow-workman

has become rich."

Courtesy

is

lead to success.

among the A man who

will

qualities
is

which

rude, uncivil,

thoughtless, or ungentlemanly in his treat-

ment of others
life.

never

make much
will

of his

true

gentleman

never inten-

tionally or even heedlessly hurt another's feelings.

He

is

as kind, too, to the poorest

and

lowliest as to the rich

and the highest

in rank.

The mere commercial value of civility is almost incalculable. But true courtesy is not
a superficial quality.
It
is

not merely good

It
is

manners.

It begins in the heart.

inter-

est in people, real,

not assumed

interest.

It

has an errand to every one,

not to get some-

thing from him, but to give him something,

to do something for him; not to be served

by him, but to

serve him.
is

With

this spirit

in the heart, one

always sincerely and un-

affectedly courteous,

and he who meets others

[203]

Cijingg tfmt Cnbure

in this

way

is

recognized as their friend and

cannot

fail in his

work.

It should always be remembered, too, that

true success must take in

all

the

life

not
Mr.

only
that,

up

to the

day of a man's death, but after

through the vast forever.

One

of

SilPs

poems asks:
take into that vast Forever?

What may we
Admits no

That marble door

fruit of all

our long endeavor,

No No

faun-wreathed crown
garnered
lore.

we

wore,

What can we bear beyond the unknown No gold, no gains Of all our toiling; in the life immortal No hoarded wealth remains.

portal?

Naked from out

the far abyss behind us

We

entered here.

Into the silent starless night before us

Naked we

glide.

In the last analysis, the only real success

is

character, the building of a

life

which we

may

carry into the long hereafter.

[204]

Cause*

of Jpatlure

CHAPTER XXV
Causfeg of ifatlure

OMETIMES,

near the ocean

shore, one sees a green flag, in

shreds and tatters, bearing the

word "Wreck,"
above the water.

floating over the

vessel,

mast or some other part of a

ible

just visto warn

The

flag
lies

is

other craft off the wreck that

there.

Over
float.

many men's

lives

a like warning might

What
life?

can be sadder than a wrecked immortal

Yet the

sea

is

not so

full of

wrecked

ships which have gone

its

down

in storms or

upon

down into whose dark depths have gone human hopes

fatal rocks, as in life's sea,

and

possibilities

and

immortalities.

We
that

talk

sometimes with pathetic sadness of what the

ocean
contains,
its

of

the

treasures

lie

buried beneath

waves.

But who

shall tell

of the treasures that are hidden in the deeper,

darker sea of

life,

where they have sunk in

disaster?

times of defeat

and

[207]

Cfring*
The
following

tfjat

<nbure
was
:

question

sent,

with

others, to a

number of gentlemen

"So far as

you have observed, what are some of the principal causes of the failure of

young men
career?"

meaning
acter

failures in the wider sense, in char-

and

also

in

business

The
life.

answers have taken a wide range, covering

both the business and the moral side of

merchant writes:

"I and

my

brother

commenced
or thirteen.

in the house in

which I

am now
the boys

senior partner,

when we were boys of twelve

exception
all

With one

who were then in the house have made shipwreck of life, by bad company, wine, etc. The
same story, almost, could be written of nearly
all

the houses on the street,

business

two or

since I

began

three

young men saved and

succeeding, the others failing, lost."

Another writer, a younger man, but observant and thoughtful, answers

:

"The

causes

of failure are, no positive aim in

special preparation.

life,

no

Lack of appreciation
be in the swim

of the

many
in

opportunities for self-improvesatisfied to

ment

youth;

[208]

Cause*
of fashion

of failure
rich;

and pleasure; haste to get

selfishness."

Another thoughtful man

moral rectitude.

replies

"Indirec-

tion, lack of systematic habits, of

ness, of

thorough-

As a
fail to

rule,

men do
pur-

not succeed because they have no pose

;

definite

also,

because they

make a proper
I
filling

use of the means of improvement at hand.

know many young men who are to-day

obscure positions and simply because in their

days of opportunity they neglected to prepare themselves for what the future might

bring them." Napoleon once told some schoolboys that every missed lesson
for
left

an opening

future disaster.

Wellington said that

Waterloo was fought and won while he was

still

a school-boy; that

is,

the preparation

which made the battle and the victory possible,

was made

in his early years.

So

it is

in every successful life.

are doing
future.

now

will

The things the boys make or unmake their

"The common things of the common day Are ringing bells in the far away."

[209]

firings!

tfjat

Cntmre

Another writer says "I have observed that

:

young men
is,

often are very thoughtless.

start out in life they

That

when they

do not con-

sider or take hold of the

many

opportunities

that

offer,

but think more of present pleas-

ure and ease than of the building of character or

making a

business success."
selfish

In other
indulgence
Blessed
fellow

words he means to say that

draws them away from hard work.

be drudgery in early
is

life

That young

to be pitied

who

in his first years has short

hours, easy work, good pay, luxurious sur-

roundings, and a good

many golden hours

thinks he
is

without their tasks.

nate,

He

is

fortu-

and

his

mother thinks he
is

fortunate;

but in truth he
idea of
life,

not.

He

is

getting a false

for no such easy life ever can

in the end.
fields

amount to much

He

is

leaving

great patches of the

of his blessed days

dis-

empty, without their burden of work and

cipline,

and very soon the

devil will

sow tares

in these unfilled hours.

Another thoughtful answer

of confidence in self
is

is this:

"Lack

a cause of failure.

[210]

Cautfe* oi failure
careless habit, not

thorough, the tendency

'Oh, that will do!'
is

to slight his work.

his

standard and becomes his habit, and a bad

habit
it
is.

It has wrecked

many a young

man's prospects.

Nothing

inspires confidence

on the part of an employer more quickly

than thoroughness and

reliability in

a boy.

He may
if

not be specially quick or bright, but

he can be depended on to do well the task

is

assigned him, his position

'plodder'

assured.

The

we sometimes
reason
is

call

him."

The fourth
purpose.

given.

"Lack of a

high ideal of concentration and tenacity of

Lack of self-control and self-denial. They (young men) have not a proper conception of the divineness of
willing to
life,

and are un-

pay the
and

price of success.

They

work only to the extent necessary to keep

positions,

really live

and work to get

earnest-

pleasure outside of business hours."

Another says
ness

"Lack of thorough

and a
it is

failure to

grasp opportunities.
intelli-

Usually

not lack of brains or of

gence that keeps men down; but strangely

[211]

Cfjitts* tfmt Ofrtirore

many get
position.

the impression that the position

should seek them instead of their seeking the

So they
fill."

fail to

try to honor the

here a very im-

place they

There

is

portant suggestion.

No man

can succeed in

a position whose duties he

tries to

do merely

with the least possible work.

his share of the

He

must take

burden of the work or busi-

ness

and make the responsibility his own. Again a writer a man whose life has reached rare nobleness in character and rare

success

in

business,

says:

"The

principal

causes of failure in a business career are,

granting that natural

ability is sufficient

lack of application, lack of integrity or reliability,

or lack of contentment with one's

situation.

I have in
if

mind men who might

have succeeded

they had been contented

with the ordinary duties in which providence

had placed them, but through an ambition to

accomplish something
they have failed to
success."

much more striking, make even an ordinary

made thus far
refer

Most

of the quotations

[212]

Cautfe* of ipailure
to the causes of business failure primarily.

But

the moral side has also

of the letters.

had a place
:

in

many

One names

"Moral

cowardice; fear to say no to the invitations

of companions to take the
visit
first

drink or to
repute;
the

houses

of
vile

questionable
literature;

perusal of

accepting

and

choosing the companionship of impure and

unworthy persons."

Another names: "Esits

trangement from home and

consequence,

bad company.
learn to dislike

When

boys and young men

love to be

home and

any place
first

more than at home, they have taken the

step downward."

Another names gambling as a cause of

moral
failure.

am

glad of an opportunity

to refer to this vice which to-day ranks alongside the saloon

its

and the

sin of

impurity in
I do not be-

ruinous work

among men.

lieve

any of us are aware of the extent of

in

gambling
in the

our present-day

life.

It begins

groups of school-boys playing marbles

it

on the sidewalks and

stock-rooms where

extends up to the
railroads

men gamble with

[213]

Cfjmgs! tfmt Cnbure

and mines and great
trusts

and

millions of

margin for
and

stakes.

You

find it in parlors

in pool-rooms, in railway trains

and on

ocean steamers, in charity entertainments and

even in church fairs.

And
the

the extent of the

curse of it no one knows.

The young man

suggestion
chance,

who
he

first

entertains

that

may make money by

without
skill

legitimate work or the exercise of

has

opened his heart to a seed of moral poison

which, unless quickly cast out, will produce

moral ruin.
is

wise

man

has said, "There

no dry rot that spreads so fast from the

speck

smallest

upon the character as the

gambling passion."
Life
is

too noble, too great, too rich in

to be

possibilities

thrown away.
life,

God has
to keep, to

given to each of us a soul, a

build

up

into beauty, to use in holy service,

to account for at last, at God's bar.

Let us

be faithful.
of ourselves.

Let us make the most possible

God

will

help us.

Let us put

our hands

in Christ's.

Let us yield to Him.

fail.

Then come what may, we cannot [214]

^ticking to #ne'tf Calling

CHAPTER XXVI
^ticking to <ne'* Calling

HE wandering habit
one.

is

not a good
restless-

It

is

apt to breed
which
is

ness

of

mind,

not

wholesome
sides,

spirit in

any

life.

Be-

one never can do one's best work as a

nomad.

Going from place to place

gives

no

opportunity for leaving a deep and abiding

impression anywhere.
life,

At

the end of such a

been, there

however long
little left

it

may have

is

but

to

tell

the story.
is

Another disadvantage of such a career

its effect

upon the person

himself.

He

does

not grow

into strength of character.

He
He

never achieves the capacity for endurance,

for long-continued

and persistent

effort.

never wins in the confidence of his fellows the

quality of dependableness.

He

never becomes

man

to

whom

others turn for a wise judg-

ment.

He

never acquires a strong and wide

influence.

[217]

<Cfnnga tiwt ofrrtmre

Far different is it, however, with the man who forms settled habits and devotes himself
to one great purpose with undeviating persistence.

He

is like

a tree planted.

He takes
may not

root and grows.

He becomes
is

a feature of the This

place in which he

rooted.

always mean, either, that a

life

in the

same house.

man lives all his The work of some

place.

men
St.

requires

them to go from place to

Paul was a missionary to the whole world,

eager to carry the gospel to every land.

He
and

would preach a

little

while in one city

then press on to another.

He

was

restless

with a passion for souls.

Yet he could say

His

and truthfully, "This one thing I do."

aim was
pose
single,

and there was one great purheart in

all his

filling his

journeying by
in like

land and by
travel

sea.

Other men,

manner,

much and yet never take

their eyes

off their life's goal.

But there are some men who never settle down to anything. They begin one thing
and are enthusiastic
in it for

little

time,

until they hear of another place or occupa-

[218]

J>ticfemg to <ne'$ Calling

tion which seems

more promising.

They then

try this for a short while, until they are lured

from

it

by something
on,

else

yet more attractive.

Thus year
moving

after year they are continually

and when the end of

life is

reached

they have nothing to show for the time they

have been in

this world.

There are many advantages in a

life.

settled

It enables a

man

to

put

all his

energies

into one occupation, to

field.

sow

all his life in

one

That

is

all

the average

with any hope of success.

man can do Not many of us

light

are versatile enough to succeed in two or three

callings.

Most of us have but

little

enough

to brighten one

corner of God's great

scatter our light

world.

If

we try to

more

widely, its shining will be too

dim and

diffuse

to be a benediction to anybody.
lives in

man who
dur-

a dozen different towns or

fifty

cities

ing the forty or

years of his active career

has made but slight impression anywhere,

however good a

man he may

be.

On the other
life

hand, one who spends most of his

in one

town or neighborhood, giving

it

the best of

[219]

Cfjmg*

tfjat

Cnbure

his wisdom, his energy, his thought, his love,

his influence,

has wrought himself inextricalife

bly into

all

the

of the place.

This principle has wide application. There

is

a liberal education in the discipline which

trains a life into a settled purpose

and into

persistent

devotion to one thing.

its

Such a

habit has

influence, for example, in the

matter of one's friendships.

There are many

who

so scatter

and thus

dissipate their affec-

tions that they

become altogether incapable

People are to

of being

any

one's real friends.

them what

flowers

are to bees.

They

fly

about everywhere, and wherever they

dis-

cover a sip of honey in a flower they descend

upon
again.

it,

extract the sweet, and then fly on

Of

course, one

must

love all in the

Christian sense
all,

and be kind and courteous

is

to

ready to help ; but that

not what friend-

ships

mean or should mean.

his love

Jesus himself
life,

poured out

on every

the lowliest,

the most debased, as the sun pours his beams

on weed and bog as well as on the flower and

garden; yet he had
his

few personal friends

[220]

^ticking to <nt & Catting

who were admitted
to the inner circle,

and to

whom

he turned for love and sympathy and

bread for his heart's hunger. If we would know the meaning and the blessedness of friendship, we must choose our few friends
wisely

and cling to them

until death us

do

part.

The same principle applies to church life. The best and most fruitful Christian life is
the one that takes root in one place
there, unless uprooted

and grows

by Providence, unto
class of people,

the end.

There

is

a large

however, in these days

who go from church

no use
Dr.

to church, take root nowhere, are of

anywhere.

They

are gadders-about.

W.

Robertson Nicoll, in writing of our Lord's

counsel,
this

"Go

not from house to house," has

to say about those

who wander from

preacher to preacher and from church to

church "Of
:

all

degraded Christian types the

sermon-hunter seems perhaps the lowest. One

step higher
stays
is

the religious tramp,

in

who never

more than a few months

it like

any church,
This gypsy

treating

a casual ward.

[221

<3Tf)mg* tfjat
spirit proves in the

Cnbure

end as hostile to true

holiness as to real usefulness."

In contrast with this wandering habit

that of the good people

is

who

love their
its

own
work

church so much and are so devoted to

and worship that they are never absent unless

ill,

or unless some other clear duty calls them

away.

Such people get the best a Christian

its

church has to give to

faithful

members

and then give to others the best that they

can give.

[222]

Cfje

Itefettfife

of

tije

<&iit of <peeri)

CHAPTER XXVII
Cfje jptettfe of
tfje

<tft of ^peetf)

PEECH
l

is

one of the noblest en-

dowments of humanity.

We

are

so familiar with its use that

we

do not appreciate the wonder of

it.

It

is

a gift, too, that

is

capable of measthen,

ureless development.

Now and

we

see

or hear a person

who has

attained something
in

marvellous

in

the

power of expression

speech or in song, as in the eloquence of

Demosthenes and the songs of Jenny Lind.

But

these remarkable achievements are only

hints of

what

is

possible in high degree, at

least, in every

human voice. No doubt there have been countless men and women who never attained any special power, who never became famous as speakers or singers, yet who had
and training to make them as remarkable
countless hearts.
as

the natural gifts and needed only education

the few whose eloquence or music has thrilled

There
[225
]

is

a serious misuse

Cfnng*
make the most
There
is

tfiat

OEnbure

of the gift of speech, therefore, in the failure

to of
it.

also a misuse of this glorious gift

in the matter of speech in the quality of the

words which are spoken.

speech
is

The

faculty of

bestowed upon us not merely as an

ornament, but primarily as an instrument

with which to do good.
It is intended that
will

we

shall

speak only such words as

help

others,

giving them pleasure, comfort, or

cheer, imparting

knowledge and instruction,

inspiring in them noble thoughts, gentle feelings, kindly impulses.

We

never can under-

stand the

full

measure of the good we

may

do with our power of speech. Single sentences

have
lifted lives

from despair to hope. Words

have saved

souls.

By

a few minutes' talk hu-

man
to

destinies

have been changed from death

life.

The power

of speech

is

simply incalculable.

Think of the words of Jesus, for example,

spoken while he went about over the country,

and then try to estimate the blessings to the

world

from their

influence.

Some one has

[226]

I&feutfe of

tfje

<$ilt of ^peecfj

compared these words to a handful of sweet

spices, cast into

a bitter sea, to sweeten

its

waters.

The words

of Jesus have sweetened

and are still sweetening the

wherever they go.

world's bitterness,

No

other words have such

is

power as these words, and yet there

not

one of us who could not enrich the world

and scatter

blessings

through
lips,

the

words

which we drop from our

day after day.

Yet how many

of us fail to

make the most

people
of

of our gift of speech!

How many
instead

there are whose words,

giving

cheer, encouragement, inspiration,

and help,

only give pain, start bitter thoughts, or hurt

lives
!

The

Bible speaks of the poison of asps

as being under men's tongues.

With

all its

marvellous power to give pleasure and good,

how

often

is it

that the gift of speech

is

de-

based into an instrument of hurt and harm!

Conversation
is

an index of character. Our

us.

words approve us or condemn

of
all

The

wisest

teachers said,

"Out of the abundance

So our
in us,

of the heart the

mouth speaketh."
is

speech reveals what

whether good or

[227]

Cijittg* tfjat
bad.

Cntmre

We sometimes see persons whose appearance is attractive. We are much prepossessed

in their favor, while

we only look at
their
illusion

their

features.

But when they open

mouths
van-

and begin to speak, the pleasant

ishes.

Perhaps the tones of the voice are

enough

they are harsh, or angry, or fretful,

or denunciatory.
objectionable,

Or

the tone

may

be un-

and yet the words they speak

may
tory.

be ungentle, bitter, censorious, defama-

"Thy

speech betrayeth thee."

in

We

judge by one's accent, even

a brief

conversation, from

he comes

from
man

what part of the country

the South, from

New Eng-

land, from the West, or from this or that

country over the

little

sea.

So we discover in a

while in talking with a stranger what

of

manner

he

is,

refined or unrefined,

modest or

self-conceited, kindly disposed to

people or critical and harsh in judgment.

There
versation
bors.
If

is

a large class of people whose con-

is

almost entirely about their neigh-

you overhear two of them talking

228

together anywhere, you will find that some

[

.pfettfe of
other

tfje

<$tft of ^peecfj
the subject.
It
is

human being

is

not

often, either, that they are saying

good and

kindly things of the person.

cases in a hundred,
it is

In ninety-nine

some fault-finding

that you hear, some criticism, perhaps some

unsavory

gossip

which involves

the

good

name

of the one
is

who

is

being talked about.

in con-

There

a great deal of disloyalty

It
is

versation.

too rarely that

we hear

ear-

nest commendation of others.

Even

of their
to

most intimate friends people are

likely

speak disparagingly when they are absent.

If
it is

always true that "out of the abundance

of the heart the

mouth speaketh," what

of the

shall

we say

of

the sincerity

friendship
is

which, the
is

moment

the friend's back

turned,

unequal to the task of speaking loyally of

is

him, and

ready even to join in depreciatory

words concerning him?

many other ways The Master misused.

In
idle

is

the gift of speech

says that for every

word we must give account; yet how

idle,

many
day!

chaffy words are spoken every

is
[

How empty

much
229
]

of the staple of

Cfnnga

tfmt <ttimre

the conversation of the parlor!

Then

there

are countless words which are not idle and

empty
Is

only, but are full of evil

bitterness,

unkindness, and falsehood.

it

not time that the

New Testament

teaching should be applied to conversation?

"Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak

ye truth each one with

his neighbor."

"Let

no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth,

but such as
is

good for edifying as the need

may

be, that it

may

give grace to them that

hear."

230

Cfje ganger of Calfemg too

.pud)

CHAPTER XXVIII
Cfje danger of Calkins too

|ANY

people talk too much. There

are scarcely any of us by are spoken no words which

whom
it

were
All
talk

better to have left unspoken.

unkind words belong to

too

this class.

We

much when we speak

angrily,

when we
way.

say a word that hurts another.

Some people
this

seem nearly always to be talking

They

rarely ever say a generous

word

of

any

one or to any one, or a word which gives comfort or help.

Their speech

is

full

of un-

charitable criticism or fretful complaining.

If they spoke only

when they had

really

good
of

words to say, they would be

the time.

silent

much

We

talk too

much whenever we

say anything unkind or anything that needlessly gives

pain to a gentle heart.

Another kind of speech that would better

not be indulged in
is

that condemned by our

]

[233

Cfnttga
Lord when he
ful

tgjat

Cnbure

said that

we must give account

idle, it is unfit

for every idle word.

It need not be a hurt-

word

if it is

only
lips.

to fall

from a Christian's

Idle words are those

that are empty, empty of love and of good,

words of no value.

There are many such

words spoken.

They may appear harmless

useless

and yet they are

and

uselessness al-

ways disappoints the Master.

They

give no

comfort, they put no cheer into any heart,

they inspire nothing beautiful in any soul.

Too much

of the conversation of the parlor,

is

of the wayside, of the table,

of this vapid

and empty order

talk about merest noth-

ings, inane, without thought, without sense,

without beauty, without meaning.

How

it

must astonish the angels to hear immortal

beings using their marvellous gift of speech
in such a trivial, idle

way

We

talk too

much

when we use

idle words.

We
words.

talk too
It

much when we speak rash

was a wise counsel which the town

clerk of

Ephesus gave to the people, when

he said to them:

"Ye ought
[234]

to be quiet, and

Calking
to do nothing rash."

too Iteuci)

No

lesson needs to be
this.

urged more repeatedly than

able

Inconceiv-

harm comes from

rash talking.

Many

people are rash in giving their opinions on

subjects concerning which they really have

no knowledge, of which they have never

seriously thought.

Many

are rash in blaming

and condemning
explanations.

others, without taking time

to inquire into the circumstances, or to hear

Others are rash in giving way

to temper and saying words that are not only

unseemly, but are also cruel and unjust.

In

some

families, the

home

life is

greatly marred

by rash words spoken in the common intercourse of the home.

Sometimes

it is

a habit

of contradicting and disputing which has

been allowed to grow until

it

has become in-

veterate. Usually the questions

wrangled over

are of no importance.

The

other day there

was a
it

serious dispute over the question whether

was two

o'clock or a quarter past

two

when a

certain thing occurred,

and the conand kindly

tention caused bitter anger

and sharp words.

There are

families in which gentle

[235]

Cfjmgs
speech
is

tfjat <ttfrore

the exception

the

staple talk

is ill-

tempered, dictatorial, or unloving.

Outside,

people dare not speak petulantly or angrily,

for their neighbors would resent such lan-

guage.

But

in the inner circle of love

they

remove the

restraint,

and

their

words too

often cut deep into tender hearts.

Though

love forgives hasty speech, the wounds remain

and

bleed.

We

talk too

much when we speak

hastily

and

rashly.

We

talk too

much, too, when we talk about

wisest

ourselves.

The

men

scarcely

ever

speak of themselves.

Certainly those
in

who

are

most highly honored

not.

any community do
his doings declares

The man who

habitually talks about

himself and his affairs

and

himself a self-conceited egotist, and this practically neutralizes his influence.

The

better

judgment of good people everywhere approves the

his

man

who,

if

great,

is
is

not aware of
unconscious

own

greatness;

if

a saint,

of his

own

saintliness.

One
is

of the finest

things in the story of Moses

that when he
in

came down from the mountain bathed

[236]

CaUung
shone."
If he

too

Mwb

heavenly radiance, he "wist not that his face

had been aware of the bright-

ness of his features, the moral glory would

have been dimmed.

But

too

many seem

to

be aware that their faces shine, even though

the radiance be not very bright.
It

may

be set down as a rule, without ex-

ception, that the

is

man who

talks about himself

will tell

talking too much.

But who

people
if

about our attainments and achievements

we

do not?
that.
It

We need not trouble

is

ourselves about

not necessary that people should

know how great we are or what good things

we
do.

There

is

nothing either lovely or

Christlike in the desire that the world should

know

of the fine things

we

do.

On

the other

hand, our Lord said some very plain things

about those who blow trumpets, when they

do anything good or
fine,

to call the world's

attention to themselves.

Suppose we do our
it is

work
to do.

well;

it is

no more than

our duty

And

are we the only people

who have
because

done and are doing their work well?

Talking about one's

self is perilous

[237]

Cfnttg* tfmt Cnbure

when we begin
bad to worse.
about
it.

it

we are sure
is

to

go on from
lures us on.

There

a strange fascination

It intoxicates us

and
It

We

would better not begin.

may

rob us

of the pleasure of saying some things we

would

like to say,

but

it is

better

we should
self-

endure the pain of such self-denial and

restraint rather than incur the

danger into

which beginning to talk about ourselves would

lead us.

[238]

Sfroote

Wovfy Wtylt

CHAPTER XXIX
2foofea

Wovtb
is

WW
reads.

UCH
there

said in commendation of

books.
is

But, as in other matters,

need for wise discrimina-

tion in

what one

Not

all

books are worth reading.

There are many

is

that are utterly empty of anything that

good or worthy.
tinually all one's

One might read them conlife

and yet be no wiser and

worth while to

no

better.

A hundred of them do not contain

it
is

a dozen sentences that

keep in one's memory or that can be of any

help or cheer or strength in one's
is

life.

This

true of

many

novels.

They may

excite a

passing interest or emotion as they are read,

but when they have been laid down they have
left

in the life

no trace of beauty, no

in-

spiration,

no

visions of loveliness,

no impulses

toward higher things, no enrichment.

best that can be said of such books
is

The
that

they are harmless.

They
[241
]

could not be in-

Cfjmga
dieted for

tf)at

aSnfcure

bad moral quality.

They

leave no
effect

debris of vile rubbish behind.

Yet the

of such reading

is

really harmful.

It vitiates

the mental appetite and destroys the taste for

anything solid or substantial. It enfeebles the

power of
the

attention, thought,
is

memory,

so that

mind

less able to

grapple with im-

portant subjects.

Then

there are books which are positively

pernicious in their influence.

There are

all

grades and degrees of

of

evil in this class.

Some

them carry a subtle poison

in their atmos-

phere which even seems delicious to those

breathe
it.

who
shall

We

need to keep most careful

watch over our hearts that nothing ever

tarnish their purity.
dallied with even for a

Any

corrupt thought,

moment, leaves a stain

effaced.

upon the mind which may never be

It
is

told

how a

certain painter could not look

in his

upon a revolving object when engaged

work without seeing the
productions of his brush afterward.

effect of it in

the

If

we

would keep the tender joy of our heart experiences unbroken,

we must hold [242]

rigid

watch

Sfoofcsi !orrt)

Wfyk

over our reading, conscientiously excluding

not only whatever
all in
is

obviously impure, but

evil.
is

which lurks even a suggestion of

:

writer says

"Never read a book that

not worth reading for some end beyond the

short-lived

pleasure

of

little

excitement.

book

is

mainly to be judged by the gold

it

dust which
like a river

leaves in the
its

mind

as

it

sweeps

through

channel.

You may
of the

get to be like a river bed that

riches

is full

of a lifetime, borne

to you

by the
a word
often

streams from noble lives."

also

Here

is

"The wish warm upon my heart that I may

from Richter:
world, that I

falls

learn noth-

ing here that I cannot continue in the other

may

do nothing here but deeds

that will bear fruit in heaven."

When we

think of the influence which our

lives,

reading has upon our

we

see at once the

importance of selecting only books that are

worth while.

At

the best, none of us can read

one book in a thousand of those which are

within our reach.

Manifestly
all

this

one book

ought, then, to be the best in

the thousand.

[243

string*

tfjat

Cntrore

Yet many persons make no choice whatever.

They take
character.

the "last novel," regardless of

its

Many

books are made only to

sell.

They are

written, set

up

in type, electro-

typed, printed, illustrated, bound, decorated

all

for money.

There was no high motive

of adding

in the writer,

no thought of doing good, of

life,

starting a new impulse in some

to the treasure of the world's knowledge or

joy.

They were made simply

to

sell.

So

it

comes to pass that every year a flood of

really worthless publications
is

poured over

the country.
trivial

People go into ecstasies over

works which please or excite them a

old

day and are then

unnoticed.

and forgotten, while

books every way admirable are passed by

Young
books.

people should read tried and proved

Many who

have not the courage to

it

confess ignorance of the last novel regard

as no

shame to be utterly ignorant of the

It
is

classics.

quite safe to say that not one

person in a hundred now reads Milton's Paradise Lost,

and that not one

in a

thousand has

[244]

2toofes

Wovfy Wtylt
of

ever read a translation

Homer's

Iliad.

With all our glorifying of Shakespeare, how many really read even his great masterpieces ? The Pilgrim's Progress is known to the
masses of the people only from being referred
to so often.

Very few read

it.

We

should

get courage to remain ignorant rather of the

mass of ephemeral books than to miss reading the great masters in poetry, science,
tory, religion,
his-

and

fiction.

No

book

is

really

worth reading which does

not either impart valuable knowledge or set

before us some ideal of beauty, strength, or
nobility of character.

The

ancients were acdis-

customed to place the statues of their

tinguished ancestors about their homes, that

their children,

by continually seeing them,

lives

might be stimulated to emulate their noble

qualities.

Noble

embalmed

in printed

volumes have a wondrous power to kindle the

hearts of the young, for, as a writer says,

"A good
efficacy

book holds as in a

vial the purest

intellect

and instruction of the living

it."

that bred

There are great books enough

[245
]

Cfjmg*
to

tfmt <irtmre
all

occupy us during
If

our short and busy

will resolutely

years.
all

we are

wise,

we

avoid

but the richest and the

best.

"We

need to be

reminded every day,"

the books of un-

writes one,

"how many are

glory,

approachable

which,

with

all

our

eagerness after reading,

in

we have never taken

most of us to
is

our hand.

It will astonish

find

how much

of our industry

given to the

books which leave no mark

how we

rake in

the litter of the printing press, while a crown

of gold

and rubies

is

offered us in vain."

[246]

&

Calk

about

temper

CHAPTER XXX

Calk

about

Cemper

OU are a Christian. You have confessed

Christ before the world.

You say

Christ

is

the

dearest

Friend you have.

You

say he

is

the noblest in his character, the fairest in his

beauty, the sweetest in his

spirit,

the gentlest

in his disposition, the richest in his beauty,

of

all

things

in

the

universe.

But the
of his

people about you, the world's people, those

who do not know him, have no thought

beauty.
have.

They have not seen him as you And you want them to see him as

he appears to you, for you want them to love

him and trust him and follow him.

Now

have

you thought that about the only way you can

show others the beauty of your friend Jesus
Christ
is

in

your own
let

life?

When

astrono-

mers want to

you look at some wonderful

star through a great telescope, they have

you
see

put your eye to an aperture where you

[249]

Cijingsf

tfjat

O&tbure
down
close to

the star in a mirror, brought

you.

People cannot see Jesus, up in his

little

glory; but you are a

his

mirror in which
shines in

beauty

is

reflected.

He

your

heart,

and then your neighbors look at you

image
in you, as the

and

see his

astronomer

sees the

image

of the star in his reflecting

glass.

Surely

bad-tempered

Christians

do

not

think how repulsive their bad temper appears

in the eyes of others, or they

would spare no

pains to cure themselves of the fault which

so mars their character.

Cannot some one

in-

vent a looking-glass in which

men and women

what

can look at their

souls, so as to learn

beings they make of themselves when they al-

low their old

evil

nature to show

itself in fits

of anger, irritability, quarrelsomeness, sulkiness

and other moods of unamiability ?

if

Surely

we

love Christ truly

we

will

not

allow ourselves to continue to do

in life so

him dishonor

unworthy of

his

dear name.

We
life

ought to dread giving any

tion of our Lord,

false representa-

and
[

to strive in all

our

250]

Calk

about

Cemper
Whatever we may
his cause or

to show his gentle love.

do for Christ, in gifts to

in his service, if

work
life

we

fail

to live out his

of sweet patience and forbearance,

we

fail in

an

essential

part of our duty as Christians.

Now we
ter.

come to the most important matcan we cure our bad tempers ?

How

Or
is

can they be cured at all?

Bad temper

not to be regarded as a mere unfortunate infirmity, over

which we

may weep

bitter tears
It

of sorrow, but which

we cannot

help.

must

be regarded in
sin,

its

true light, as a grievous

is

part of the old bad nature, which

not to be condoned nor allowed to stay in

the
It
is

new

life,

but which must be cast out.

life

just as essential in a Christian

that

one become amiable and sweet-tempered, as

that one become truthful, honest, pure, just.
If a
is

man who has

been in the habit of lying,

converted and becomes a Christian, you ex-

pect him to put away lying and speak truth.

If he has been dishonest,

you expect him

to

become honest.

So

if

he has been bad-tem-

pered he ought to be expected to become

[251]

<Cfnng$ tfmt Cntiure

good-tempered.

Here
also

is

what
all

St.

Paul says

about

it

"Put ye
mouth.

away

these : anger,

wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out

of your
. .

Put on

as

God's

elect,

holy and beloved, a heart of com-

passion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, long-

suffering; forbearing one another, and for-

giving one another,

plaint against

if

any man have a com-

any ; even as the Lord forgave

you, so also do ye."

Bad temper

is

just as

unchristian as lying or stealing and

we are
it.

to strive just as earnestly to get rid of

No
in a
set
if

doubt the lesson of good temper

is

hard one to learn, one that cannot be learned

day

nevertheless it

is

one that we must

ourselves

to

learn

at

whatever

cost,

we would be worthy

disciples of

our Lord,
is

worthy children of our Father.

too, that

It

lesson,

can be learned.

Mr. Ruskin says:

dis-

"Many mighty
or
discordant,

harmonies have been

coursed by instruments that have been

dumb
their

but

that

God knew

stops."

This
lives

is

very true.

There are many

human

that are like instruments with

[252]

M
music at
in

Calk

about

temper
made any

jangled strings and most discordant keys.

None but God could

all

ever have

on them.

But he has taken them

and then sweet music
live
is

hand, has repaired the broken strings and

in tune,

put the keys

has breathed from them.

There are some who say, "I never can

a truly sweet and gentle
life.

My
my

temper

quick and

my

tongue

is

sharp, and I cannot

control either

my

temper or

tongue.

want

to be always kindly

and loving

but I

cannot."

True, so far as you yourself are

concerned, but

God can take

all in

the poor jangled

tune.

chords and put them

member that
restoreth

sweet

word

in the

You rePsalm "He

my
;

soul."
it is

You know what

"re-

store" means

taking the broken instru-

ment,

all

out of tune, giving out only harsh

discords

when any
it

fingers touch the keys,

and putting

in perfect repair, so that it

made to yield. "He restoreth my soul." That is, the worst tempered people may be made genyields the sweet

music

it

was

first

tle

and loving

in all speech, act

[

and

disposi-

253]

<Cfnnga
tion,

tijat

Cnbure

by the renewing and transforming power

of divine grace.

God can

take the jangled

if

keys and put them in tune,

we

will

but put

them

into his hand.

But we have something to do ourselves in this work. God does not take out the old nature and put in a new one, as a watchmaker
might replace the worn-out works
watch with new works.
in

your

He

works in us and

through

us.

He

shows us the pattern that

he wants us to reach.

Then he puts
like
it,

into our

hearts the desire to be like the pattern.

as

we

strive to

become

he helps

Then us. But

we must

strive ourselves to be sweet-tempered.

We
it

must watch the rising anger and choke

back.

positions.

We must keep down the ugly disWe must learn to control ourselves,

our tempers, our feelings, our passions, our

tongues.

We
a

must seek to develop the gentle

garden spot beside your
for that patch

things and crowd out the nettles.

You have
house.

little

The natural growths

it will

of

soil in

the spring days are weeds.

Just

let it

alone and

soon be

filled

with rank

[254]

&
will

Calk

about
unless
will

Cemper
you are a very
let it alone.

noxious weeds.

But

in-

dolent gardener you

not

You
with

dig out the weeds and by the summer days

will

you

have your

little

garden
is

filled

lovely flowers.
den-soil.

Your

heart

a patch of garit

Naturally there grow in

weeds,
to

nettles, briers, thorns.

let it yield

But do you intend

It
is

nothing better than these noxious

I hope not.

growths ?

your business to

cultivate that bit of garden, to dig out the

weeds and nettles and briers, and to have

sweet flowers blooming there.

Do
will

not blame

your religion for your ugly tempers; your

religion will do its part
if

you

do yours.

But

religion

is

not intended to save us from

effort,

from

striving,

from struggle.

Religion

binds us to

God and
;

insures us God's help;

but we must help too.

the ugly tempers

We must fight

against

we must put on
own

the beau-

tiful gentleness, patience, meekness,

and kind-

ness

of

Christ's

life.

We

must very

earnestly try to be Christlike.

Let us not forget that we have but such a

little

time to be together, and that the things

[255

Cfnng*
in others that vex

tfmt o&ttmre
and try us so
will

seem
our

very small when we stand by the

friends.

coffins of

Surely, too, the

memory

of our surly

tempers and our

sharp words

irritable feelings

and our
all

will give us

added pain when

we have

left of

our dear ones shall be their

cold clay or their

new-made graves.
our Master.

Let us
off

be earnest, friends, in our effort to put

our

bad tempers and be

like

I 256]

die Bobantage

of Cteepmg <ne'$

temper

CHAPTER XXXI
Cfje Hbbantage of toping 0ne'*

Cemper
|OME
call it

people will scarcely admit

is

that bad temper

sinful.

They
on the

an

infirmity,

and apologize
it

for

it

or seek to excuse
it.

ground that they cannot help

ever,
is

This, how-

a too self-indulgent view.

sinful.
is

Bad

tem-

per

is

It

is

an infirmity which even

charity

not a wide enough cloak to cover.

it

Or

if

we do have patience with

it

in others

we have no right to condone

It
is

in ourselves.

a miserable fault and one to which we

It

should never consent to give hospitality.

grieves God.
It hurts our friends.
It
is

one
us

of the unseemly things which St. Paul

tells

love does not do; one of the childish things

which we ought to put away when we become

men.
It
its

may

be well to look at bad temper from

practical side.

There are advantages

in

[259]

Cfrmg*
who

tfmt tribute
it

good temper which should commend

every one
life.

to

desires to get the best out of

For example,
one's fellows.

there

is

one's standing

among

We all like to have others think

at least fairly good.

that

we are

One has

reached a rather low depth of degeneracy

when he

really cares

no longer what people

think of his character.

There are many who

have not the fear of God before their eyes

who

are dominated in their conduct, at least

in external ways,

by the fear of men.

It cer-

tainly

is

an advantage to have people think

intimately known,

one sweet-tempered, and in order to have such

a reputation, where one
is

one must have at least fair measure of control

of one's feelings

a quality

Good temper is which cannot well be simulated. One

and words.
will

cannot always time the outbursts of an un-

governed spirit so that nobody

them.
It

know

of

would

seem, therefore, to be

worth

while to acquire self-mastery and to discipline

one's self into reasonably

good temper,

if

for

nothing

else, in

order that one

may

be well

[260]

Cteepmg 0ne's

Cemper

spoken of among one's fellows and daily associates.

Another advantage of keeping good temper

is

in the

comfort

it

gives to one's

self.

We are

always ashamed of ourselves when we have

given
in

way

to anger

and have spoken or acted

an unseemly

fashion.

bit of

bad tem-

per in the morning spoils the whole day for

us.

We

do not

feel like

looking any one in the

It leaves a sort of

face for hours afterward.

moral or spiritual malaria in our blood which

casts a miserable hue over all fair

and lovely

things.

We can scarcely even pray after a fit

till

of bad temper, certainly not

we have

passed through a season of penitence and

have wooed back again the grieved Spirit of

God and

the sweet peace which this holy

Guest alone can restore.

Certainly the cost of uncontrolled temper
too great to be indulged in by any one
loves
is

who
self-

happiness.

It brings too

much
hours.
well

reproach.
takes too

It darkens too

many
It
is

It

much out

of

life.

worth
only

while to learn to control one's spirit

if

[261]

^fjings; tfwt ofrtbitre

for the sake of the peace it keeps in one's heart.

Good temper

also plays a very important

part in friendship.

A bad-tempered man
Love
is

can-

not make close friends, neither can he keep

the friends he has made.
It beareth all things.

very patient.

It covereth

a multitude

of sins.
sweetest

But even
and best

love cannot

grow to

its

if it is

subjected continually

to violent outbursts of anger

ness

and to harsh-

and

bitterness of speech.

Not many

peo-

ple care to expose themselves to such humiliat-

ing experiences for the sake of continuing a

friendship.

The home

loved ones are almost

is

the only ones whose friendship

equal to

such sore testing.

If a

man

is

to have friends with

whom

he

can enter into close and familiar relations and

whose friendship he can hold securely through

the years, he must be friendly himself; he

must at

least refrain

from words and acts and

moods which would pain the hearts of those

whose love he would cherish.

We must be prereceive.

pared to give as we would

[

Only

262

Itteepmg <nt *
gentleness will

Cemper
gentleness.

draw out

Only
can

thoughtfulness and honor will win thoughtfulness

and honor

in return.

No man

know much
able

of the sacredness of friendship

who

has not achieved such self-mastery as will en-

him always to be sweet-tempered and

an

kindly in act and speech.

Good temper
true manliness.

is

essential quality in all

No

doubt there are those

who

think that to be a

man

one must be ready

to strike back at every offense, to resent every

insult, to resist

every wrong, to stand

up
is

for

one's rights at whatever cost.

But

that

Christian manliness? Jesus said, "Blessed are

the meek."
beatitude.
viled

He himself illustrated "When he was reviled,

again;

his

own
(he)

(he) re-

not

when he

suffered,

threatened not."
Christlike

He
is

never lost his temper.

manhood

not the world's type,

but

it

pleases heaven.

The

thirteenth chapter

of First Corinthians

certainly sets

a copy

which

it is

not easy to follow, but when one

it

has mastered

one

is

living the noblest life

possible in this world.

[263]

Cfjmga
Is it not

tfjat

Cnbure

worth while to strive to attain

things are
It

"whatsoever
spirit

lovely"

in

manly

and character?
It

may

not be easy to

do

it.

may

be easier to

let

our natural

feelings

have sway, but we should be willing

to deny ourselves the indulgence of temper in

order to grow into noble strength of character.

These are suggestions of the advantages of

gaining self-control.

We

have the highest

authority for saying that he

own
city.

spirit is

who ruleth his greater than he who taketh a

is

The
it

victory

not an impossible one.

With

the help of Christ

we may win

it,

and

in

winning

take our place in the ranks of the

noble and worthy.

[264]

die

03race of 2^euts <bligmg

CHAPTER XXXII
Cfje <$race of 2freutg Obliging

HERE

is

a great

difference in peo-

ple in the matter of obligingness.

Some are always ready

good turn, to be of
accommodating.
in this grace.

to

do a
be

service, to

Others are always wanting

disposition

They never show a

to confer a favor, to do a kindness, to

go out

of their

way

in the slightest degree to be

helpful to any one.

Obligingness

is

a Christian grace.

It

is

one

of the manifestations of love.

therefore,

It belongs,

among
life.

the essential qualities of a

beautiful
tian

Perhaps one

may

be a Chris-

and be disobliging, just as one may be

and yet be a Christian.

disagreeable or discontented or fretful or ungentle,

We may

not

say at how

many

points one

may

be wanting

in beauty of character
tian.

and yet be a Chrisvery patient with be"

]

Christ sets a very high standard for

his followers,

but he
[

is

267

Cfjmg*

tfjat

Cnbure

ginners, in the stumbling of their early steps.

disciple

is

a pupil, and a pupil

may

enter

school at the lowest grade.

They are
it

pupils

when they

first enter,

though

may

be years

before they have completed their course.

Hence one may lack altogether the quality

of obligingness

when one begins the Chrisis

tian

life,

but this

one of the lessons that

must be taken up at once, one of the graces

in

which we must grow from the

first.

Love
Love

cannot be disobliging.
seeketh not
in love
is

Love

is

kind.

its

own.

The very

central quality

the desire to serve.

If

we have
will

the love of Christ in our heart

to be helpful to every

we

wish

human being we meet

all.

or see

this will be
will

our attitude toward

This feeling

lead us to accept every

opportunity to be useful, not only in cases

of great need,

when large
called for.

service

may

be re-

quired, but also

when only some

simple, com-

mon kindness is The training

is,

of one's self in obligingness

therefore,
It

an important part of Christian

easy to allow selfishness to hold

culture.

is

[268]

^fje O^race of 2fremg Obliging

back the hand from kindness.
for himself"
is

"Every man

one of the world's maxims,

and

it is

easy to become so absorbed in thinkself

ing of one's

and

one's

own

affairs,

that

the heart shall

grow

cold toward all others.

But

selfishness is

always most unlovely and

most un-Christlike.
is

The

only beautiful

life

one that love inspires and controls.

is,

The

Christian rule
to his

"Not looking each of you

you
also to the

own

things, but each of

things of others."

This does not mean that

affairs.

we

shall
is

meddle in other people's

There

another spiritual injunction which

puts the meddler in other men's matters in

the same black
thief,
list

with the murderer, the

and the

evil-doer.

One of the

last
is

things a Christian should consent to be

a busybody.

The way

Christians are to look

is

at the things of others

in interest,

sym-

pathy, and helpfulness, ready always to lend

a hand, to do anything in their power to

lighten a burden or help along.

Obligingness

is

a good word.

When we

say that a

man

is

of an obliging disposition,

[269]

Cfnns*
we mean that he
he can to
is

tfmt Ofrtimre
always ready to do what
If

assist others.

we are

in

some
If

trouble, he comes with his kindly help.

we are carrying a heavy

share
it.

load, he offers to

If

we need
it.

assistance, in

any way,

he

is

eager to give
is

There

a great deal of this obliging spirit

among

the poor.

The

rich are

more

inde-

pendent of each other, for they have in themselves nearly all

they need, so that there

is

not the same necessity for mutual help that

there
is

among

the poor.

Consequently, even

when the
is

relations are entirely friendly, there

less

opportunity

among

the wealthy for

rendering helpful services.

But the

poor,

having fewer resources of their own, need

more the kindly aid of each other, and the

need draws out the practical ministry.

In

many instances, the relations between neighbors among the poor are very beautiful indeed.

They share with each other what they

have of conveniences and comforts.

there
is

When
The

sickness in a

home

all

the families

near by make the troubles their own.

[270]

Cfje O^rate of 2freing Obliging

women
there
is

help each other in nursing.

sorrow, the whole
little

When

community

sympathizes not in a sentimental way, merely,

but in most practical ways.

If disaster comes

to one household, all the others contribute

their part in seeking to repair the loss.

We

all

have

it

in our

power to do a great
It usually

deal for the comfort of others simply by

striving always to be obliging.

does not require

much

self-denial

the giving of large gifts

what

nor involve
is

wanted

is

only the

warmth

of heart that will

make us
to

quick to see needs and ways of helping, and

then the readiness to do the
little services,

show the common kindnesses.

It

may

be to

give a classmate a start with his lessons

when

he cannot quite master them himself, or to

lend a boy or girl the book

you have greatly

a
be-

enjoyed, or to help a friend with his work

when you have

hind.

leisure

and he

is

little

The ways
less.

of being obliging are number-

If only

we have the

spirit

and are ready

to put ourselves out a

little

or to give

up some

[271]

Clung*

tfmt

Cnbure

comfort or ease to help another, we shall

find plenty of opportunities.

The

lesson

is

worth learning,
useful.

too.

It

makes us far more

for

many

An obliging person brightens the way others. He makes life easier for
It is

every one he meets.

a great thing to

have a genius for helping others.

When we
Master.

begin to get this beautiful grace into our

life

we have begun to be

like the

[272]

lfcat to

Po

tmtfj

<ur

H&mep

CHAPTER XXXIII
Wfyat
to Jo
tottf)

0ur

jfl&onep

BUR

money may destroy money

is

us.

The
all

love of
evil.
23

is

the root of

There

way

of using

money which makes it a curse. But there is a way of using money which makes it a blessing. Christ told of this when he said, "Make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that
faileth

not,

where no

thief

draweth near,
is,

neither

moth destroyeth."

That

there

is

way
lay

of using our
it

money by which we
This
is

shall

up

in heaven.

a wonderful
riches with

revelation

that we can take our

this world,

us into the other world; or rather, that

we

can bank our possessions in heaven, as we

go through

send our money on

in advance, so that
shall find all

when we reach there we

our treasures laid up waiting

for us.

In one of our Lord's parables

that

of

[275]

Cfjmgg
the rich

tfjat Ofrtirore

man and Lazarus we are told of a man who had not learned the secret.. On earth the rich man lived in luxury and splendor.

He

was dressed in purple and

fine linen.

He

fared sumptuously every day.

That was
Wealth
sends for

one scene.

But the

rich

man

died.

cannot bribe death.

No
rich

palace walls can

shut out the messenger whom,

God
died

a man's
buried.
veil is

soul.

The

man
him

and was

But that was not the

lifted,

end.

The

and we

see

in the other

world

rich?

Oh, no; in torments.

He

is

beggared now.
quets.

He

has no sumptuous banfine linen.

He

wears no

He

has no
to

honor.

We

hear him craving

lay,

Abraham

send Lazarus

helped, at his

who once a beggar, ungatesthat he might dip

and cool
his tongue,

the

tip of his finger in water

to ease his torment.

This

man had

missed

the secret of laying

up

treasure in heaven.

up only sorrow for himself. This man teaches us how not to use our money on the earth. He lived only for himhas treasured
self,

He

to accumulate

and to spend

in enjoy-

[276]

U^fjat to 2o

toitf)

0ur
own

ffitonep
selfish grati-

ments and luxuries for

fication.

his

fear there are too

many men

in these

prosperous days who are making the same

mistake that Dives made.

that he got his

We

are not told

money

dishonestly.

There

was no taint of fraud or embezzlement on

it.

So far as we knew,

it

was not amassed

sin lay in the

through oppression of the poor, through robbing of laborers.

use he

The man's

made
it

of his money.

And

was not used in wicked schemes of

Dives was a highly respected gen-

any kind.

tleman, a prosperous citizen.

He spent money
city.

freely among, the merchants and the trades-

people.

He was

popular in the

He

was probably a good Pharisee, orthodox and

religious.
ter.

There was no taint on

was honorable in

his charac-

He

his business

and
he

just in

all his

dealings with his fellow-men.

What was wrong

shown to us
death?
in

with Dives?

Why
all

is

torment beyond the gate of

as

So far

we know
[277]

it

was

because

he did not use his money in the right way.

Cfnttg* tfmt <ntmre

That
is,

he used

it

only for himself.

He

did

not use

it

for God.

He

did not use

it

it

to bless

his fellow-men.
gratification.

He used He spent

only for his

own

it

for luxuries in

dress and for luxuries on his table.

beggar lay by

his gate unfed, unhelped.

The Hu-

man misery surged by

ceiving

his doors without re-

any

pity.

Are there not many men

living just as

in every

community who are

Dives did? Honest, honorable, respected, with

no taint on their business, but living only for

themselves

what
is

sequel to their earthly life

different

can they hope

Dives?
It

for,

from that of

not enough that money be

it

gotten honestly; after

in the

has been obtained

it

most righteous way

may

be so used

as to destroy the soul of

is it

its

possessor.
it

Nor
that
it

only dishonest or wicked using of

It
is

brings down a curse.

is

enough that

spent only for

self

and for

selfish gratifica-

tion.

It

is

a serious thing to have money

of
it.

even

little

It brings weighty responsibility

it.

to

him who has

It

is

a talent entrusted

[278]

Wfat

to jo

tottf)

0ur Mont?
other talents,
for.
it

to us by God, and like

all

must be used and then accounted

Then the practical question for us is, "How How shall we use Christ's trust- f unds ?" would he use the money himself, if he were
in
it

our place, and were to spend

it?

Part of

he would use in providing for his own

wants.
raiment.

He

would have us receive food and

Nor does he condemn business energy. Money-making is not sinful. There

is

no

sin in
it

growing

rich,

provided a

man

does

as Christ's trustee
his

and

for Christ.
off
it.

Only he must keep

must not say "my
bonds,"
the
the
all

own name

He
"my

fruits ,"

"my

store,"

We must learn to leave "I" out of our speech. We must learn lesson of self-effacement. We must do for Christ. We are only trustees for
"my
gains."
is

Christ.
It

when we have learned to handle our

trustee for Christ that

money as a
heaven.
lay

we have we

gained the secret of laying up treasure in

All that

we

truly use for Christ

up

in purses that will not

wax

old.

The

[279]

Cfjmg*

tgjat

Cttimre
is

only safety when one

to be always giving.

is

always getting

also

Giving

is

living.

The

pool that has no outlet stagnates and breeds

death.

The stream
pure and
is

that ever flows lives and

keeps

sweet.

Giving

is

living;

hoarding

dying.
tell

In India they
palace.

the story of the golden

Sultan

Ahmed was a

great king.

He

sent Yakoob, the most skilful of his builders,

with large sums of money, to erect in the

mountains of snow the most splendid palace

ever seen.

Yakoob went to found a great famine among

of

the place,

and

the people, and

all his

many

them dying.

He

took

own
it

money, and the money given him by the king

for the building of the palace,

and gave

to

feed the starving people.

Ahmed came
he saw none.
his story,

at length to see his palace, but

He sent for Yakoob and learned

"To-morrow thou
a dream.
shalt die," he

but was very angry and cast him

into prison.
said, "for

thou hast robbed the king."

But
from

that night
to

Ahmed had
said
:

There came

him one who

"Follow me."

Up

[280]

tUat

to jo

toitf)

0ur

ffitoMV

the earth they soared, until they were at

heaven's gate.

They

entered,

and

lo! there

stood a palace of pure gold, more brilliant

than the sun, and vaster far than any palace

of earth.

"What

palace

is

this?" asked

Ahmed, and

his guide answered,

"This

is

the palace of

Yakoob the wise. Its glory shall endure when all earth's things have passed away." Then the king understood that Yakoob had done most wisely
merciful deeds, built for thee, by

with his money.

The story has its lesson of truth. The money spent in doing Christ's work in this world is laid up in heaven. It may seem to be thrown away, but while it piles up no
temple, no monument, on the earth,
its
it

builds

palace beyond the skies.

[281]

WW

to Jo

tottt)

Our

Hf ante

CHAPTER XXXIV
Wf>at
to JDo
tottfj

<ttr Mantis;

the lives of most

is

young people

there

a period when they have

great trouble in knowing what to

do with their hands. Indeed there

who never learn what to do with their hands. They may overcome their awkwardness and grow out of their selfare a great

many

people

consciousness
sibilities

but they never

realize the pos-

that are folded

is

up

in their hands.

Man

the only animal that has hands.

is

Hence the hand

superiority.
ture,

one of the marks of man's

his

With

hands he conquers na-

and does the things which distinguish

creatures.
soil, fells

him among God's

he cultivates the

With

his

hands

the trees, tunnels

constructs

the mountains, builds

cities,

ma-

chines, belts the globe with iron rails, navi-

gates the sea, and turns the wheel of industry.

It
is

the hand, too, which gives form

and

reality to the

dreams and visions of the

[285]

<&f)tng*
brain and soul.

tfjat

Cnfcmre
hand the thinker

With

his

puts his thoughts into written words to be-

come a power in the world.

spirations of his muse.

With
his

his

hand

the poet weaves into graceful lines the in-

With

hand the

musician interprets on his instrument the

marvellous harmonies which move and stir

men's hearts to their depths.

With

his

hand

the artist puts on his canvas the wonderful

creations of his genius which immortalize his

name and become part

of beauty.

of the world's heritage

The
life.

story of a hand

is

the whole story of a

Hawthorne, when he saw the marble

infant's hand, said that it

image of an

ought

to be kept until the infant

had grown to

womanhood and then to

hand had
returned it; until
it

old age; until her

felt the pressure of affection and

had worn the wedding

flowers of

ring; until

it

had nursed babies and buried had gathered the

them; until
earth's

it

pleasure and been pierced

it

by the

thorns; until

had wrought
it

its

part in the
old, wrin-

world's work; until

had grown

[286]

Wi)at
kled,

to

Bo

toitf)

ur Cfante

and faded, and had been folded on the

in death's repose;
it

bosom

and that then anought to be made,

side

other cast of

in marble

when the two hands, lying

tell

by

side,

would

the story of the

is

life.

It

interesting to look at a baby's

its

hand
sleep-

and try to read

ing in the

prophecy.
there

Perhaps
is

little fingers

music which
;

some day

may

thrill

men's souls

or pictures

which by and by

will

be made to live on the

canvas, or poems whose lines will sometimes

breathe inspirations for

there must be folded
fingers
possibilities

many

lives.

At

least,

up
of

in the baby's

chubby

countless

beautiful

things which should take form as the hands

learn to do their allotted task work.

Our hands have

to be trained.

The

skill

that sleeps in them must be brought out by

education and practice.

No

doubt God has

put into many

been painted

fingers music which never has

been drawn out, pictures which never have

upon canvas, beauty which

acts.

never has charmed men's eyes, and noble deeds

which never have been wrought into

It

[287]

Cfnng*
is

tfjat

Cnbure
possibilities

our part to find the

in our

hands and develop them.

We

should train our hands to do

all their

work carefully and thoroughly.

smallest things,
cant,

Even the
insignifi-

though they seem

well as

we should do as
works.

we

can.

Thus

God

The most minute

animalculae,

millions of

which are said to swim in a drop

of water, are as perfect in all their functions

as are the largest of the creatures.

We

do

not know what

this world.

is

small and what

is

great in

Little things

may

be seeds of

future great things. hands, therefore, to do

lessly.

We

should train our

all their

work

fault-

It

is

a shame to do anything in a

slovenly way, even to

slight

work negligently, to
hurry through

what we are

set to do, to

our tasks, marring the workmanship that we

ought to fashion just as

it

carefully,

though

be but the writing of a postal card, the

dusting of a room, or the building of a coalshed, as if

it

were the painting of a great

picture, the furnishing of a palace, or the

building of a cathedral.

[288]

*$fjat to Jo totnj 4ur

^anb*

"Though thou have time

For but a
line,

be that sublime,
is

Not

failure,

but low aim,

crime."

Our hands should also be ready always for their tasks. For a time the child does not
find

anything to do but to play.

Soon, how-

ever, it begins to discover duties.

full

Youth

is

of bright dreams.

We

are apt to think

of life at first as only pleasure.

But soon we
and
find that

learn its more serious aspect,

every

moment has

its

task.

It has burdens

to carry, crosses to bear, trials to endure,

and

our hands should never

"Life
Life
is
is

fail to
it;

do their part.

a burden: bear
a duty: do
it;
:

Life is a thorn-crown wear it. Though it break your heart in twain, Though the burden crush you down,
Close your lips and hide your pain:
First the cross, and then the crown."

Some people go through

end they

life

and keep their

hands white, unroughened, unworn, but at the

may

find that they

have failed alto-

gether in the true object of living.

When

an
is

army comes home from

victorious war, it

[289]

Cfringg tfmt Cnbure

not the regiment with the
scarred
full

ranks of un-

men

that the people cheer most loudly,

sol-

but the regiment with only a remnant of

diers

and these bearing the marks of many a

battle.

Hands

scarred in conflicts with

life's

enemies are more beautiful when held

fore God, than hands white

up

be-

and

soft, covered

with flashing jewels.

[290]

ome

Stobtrect ffiap* of

Uj>mg

CHAPTER XXXV
<ome
31nturect

Wa$&

of

Uptng
of un-

HERE
tone

are

many forms
or

truthfulness.

One may He by a
by an em-

of

voice,

phasis, so playing with the words

he uses as to make them give an impression

altogether different from that which the same

words would give

is

if

written or printed.
lie,

It

said that figures do not

but figures
lie

are ofttimes so arranged that they do

egregiously.

Some one has been attempting

and says that there
lies,

a sort of

classification
lies

are three kinds of

white
lie
is

black

lies,

and

statistics.

The

essence of a

in the intention

which the person wishes others to take from

what he says or

does.

He may

juggle with
is

words as he pleases and claim that he

a wrong impression upon those to
lied.

per-

fectly truthful; but if he has intentionally

left

whom

he has been speaking, he has

[293]

<$:f)mga tfjat Ofrtirore

One too common form

tion.

of lying

is

exaggeratells

The narrator

tells

the truth, but

his

more than the truth.

He clothes

commonPlain
it flows

place statements in such elaborate drapery

that they are scarcely recognizable.

prose becomes fascinating poetry as

from

his unctuous lips.

It

is

perilous for peo-

ple with

more imagination than conscience^

of exaggeration.

to allow themselves even the smallest license^

in the

way

Men

have been

known to become such

slaves to the

power of

exaggeration, that they could not relate the

simplest fact truthfully.
If something has

happened twice they

will report it as

having

happened ten
in

times.

If three

men were hurt

They always
is

an

accident, the three will

become a dozen

when

these exaggerators

tell it.

use superlative adjectives.

special phase of exaggeration

that in

which things are colored by the self-conceit

of the narrator.

He

sees

everything as re-

lated to himself and as affected by his opinion

of his

own importance.

The

result

is

that

all

the attainments and achievements of others

[294]

g>omt
are seen
while
all

anfctrect

Wav*

of

Hping
lenses,

by him through diminishing

that he himself does
glasses.
is

looked at

through magnifying

The

vagaries of self-conceit in this direc-

tion are almost incredible.

The

writer

knew a

young man who seemed honestly to think

that he immeasurably surpassed all other
in knowledge, in wisdom, in

men

experience, in

genius.

He

talked glibly of the greatest men,

and was ready, without a suggestion of humility, to criticize

and disparage them. Judgwas not a position any-

ing from his freedom in speaking of men, and

their abilities, there

where in the land which he could not have

filled

far better than

it

was

filled

by

its pres-

ent incumbent.

Another peculiarity of
ceit

this

man's self-con-

was that he would always surpass, out of

the depository of his

perience,

own vast personal

If

ex-

any

feat or achievement that

any

other person might recount.

tell

you would

him of being once

there, he

in

Bombay, and begin

a
little

to mention some persons or some things you

saw

would

listen

while and

[295]

Cfnng*
would then
tell

tfmt <nbure
his visit to

you of

Bombay
seeinti-

and the peculiar opportunities he had of

ing remarkable things there, through his

macy with some

to a visit to

notable man, some one conIf

nected with the Government.

you referred
let

Egypt, he would

you

tell

your story and then would begin to talk of

his winter spent in Cairo,

when he was guest

when he was
If

of some prominent citizen, and

permitted to see

many

things which ordinary

tourists were never allowed to see.

you

told of seeing

Mr. Gladstone

in the

House of

Commons, he would supplement your opinion

and information by giving an account of the
visit

he once made to the home of the great

Premier, when he was cordially welcomed to

the hospitality of the family, and was induced
to spend several days at

Hawarden.

The

only basis for either of these distinguished

achievements was a luxuriant fancy, inspired

by

conscienceless self-conceit, since the

young

man had

never even crossed the ocean, and of

life

course had never in his

seen either

Bom-

bay, Cairo, or Hawarden.

[296]

<ome

31nbtrect

Vap&
led this

of

Hping
so

The same tendency

to misrepresent
really to misrepresent
falsify their words.

what others

young man said to him

as

them and practically

Especially was this the

case

when the conversation had reference to

in

some other matter

concerned.

which he himself was

called one

For example, he
laid before

day on

a prominent gentleman and sought an interview,

when he

him a scheme

in

which he very much desired this gentleman's

aid.

At

least he

hoped for a strong endorse-

ment and for practical encouragement.

cordially received, that this

He

reported to his friends that he had been most

busy man had

given him nearly two hours of his valuable

time in the middle of a morning, that he had

listened to

him

interestedly, asking

him many
that

questions

concerning

the

enterprise,

he showed remarkable familiarity with the

scheme, regarding
it

as wise

and hopeful, and

it,

that he was ready to identify himself with

backing

it

up, no doubt

actually subscribed,

by a Urge

although he had not

amount

of

money.

When

this

gentleman was told what

[297]

Cfnngs!
his interviewer

tfjat OEnfcrore

was reporting, he replied that

the story was absolutely false.

He rememoffice,

bered receiving the

young man's card one

where

morning and admitting him to his

he listened for fifteen minutes to what he had

to say.

Then

his only reply was, as he

ended

the conversation, that he would think the matter over.

Just what the psychological processes in

the
say.

young man's mind were

it is

difficult

to

The charitable view is that he thought he had made a profound impression upon the
gentleman's mind, and that he really believed
that the statements he had
his attention

made regarding
in the en-

and readiness to join

It
is

terprise were true.

scarcely to be suplied.

posed that he deliberately

conceit
science.

His

self-

had played a

trick

on

his

own

con-

298

putting atoap

Cfrilbtef)

Cfjutgs

CHAPTER XXXVI
Putting atuap Cfnlbfef) Cfringg

HERE
ness.

is

a wide difference be-

tween childlikeness and childishChildlikeness

is

commended
and
dis-

as very beautiful in life

position.

The Master exhorted

so,

his disciples

to become as little children,

and said that

until

they would do

they could not enter the

finest

kingdom of heaven. The

acter

things in charhumility,
sim-

are

childlike

things,

plicity, trustfulness, the absence of

scheming

and ambition,

guilelessness.
is

But
possible

childishness

something altogether

different.

It

is

something to get as far as

away from, and not something to cultivate. It is one of the things we are to put off and leave behind as we grow into the
strength and beauty of mature manhood.
stead of being noble, the
In-

mark

of rank

and

greatness in spiritual

life, it is

the sign of

weakness, of puerility.
[

301

^fnngs
"He

tijat

<ntmre
may
be endured.

Childishness in a child
is

only a child," we say of one of infant

years, in apology for actions

and ways which

these childish
to

are not beautiful.

But when
find

things appear in one

who has come

man-

hood in years, we

no excuse for them.

act as children, but

When we
we

are children, we speak as children,

feel as children,

we

when we become men we should put away

childish things.

Yet there are too many people who keep

their childish

ways

after they are

is

For example, pouting

quite

not

grown up. uncommon in

young

children.

Something disappoints

them, and they turn away in sullen mood,

thrusting out their lips and refusing to speak
to

any one or

to take part in It
is

what

their

com-

panions are doing.

no wonder the other

children in a party jeer such puerile behavior

in

one of their number, crying at them,

calf!"

"Pouty !" "Baby

taunting

"Cry baby!" or other

lesson

epithets.

The

of

good-

naturedly bearing slights, hurts, or defeats,

usually has to be learned
[

by

experience,

and

302

Putting atoap
the lesson
therefore,
is

Cfjtlbtel)

CfungS
at,

long;

it

need not be wondered

if

very young children are some-

times slow in mastering their sensitiveness in

this regard.

But every now and then

either

we

and not

so rarely,

find full-grown people

who have

not got beyond the pouting phase.

are very genial and

They

happy

in their relations

with others while nothing occurs to impinge

upon

But the moment any one seems to slight them, or when one appears to treat them unkindly, or when some scheme
their self-esteem.

or proposal of theirs

is

set aside, instantly

go out the lips in a childish pout, down come

the brows in a bad-tempered frown, and the

offended person goes off in a

sulks.

fit

of babyish

This spectacle

is

not

uncommon among

young people
other.

in their relations with each

There are some who demand absolute

and

exclusive

monopoly

in their friendships.

They are ardent in their devotion to the young person on whom they fasten their
affection,

but that person must become wholly

[303]

'Clung* tfmt Cttfcmre

theirs,

scarcely treating
certainly

any other one

re-

spectfully,

showing no cordiality

toward any one. If the object of their attach-

ment

fails

to be thus "loyal," the doting

friend pouts

and sulks and whimpers, "You

don't care for

me any more."
same

All envies and

class of childish

jealousies belong in the

things, which are not only unlovely, but are

also utterly unchristian.

Not

infrequently

is

this

childish

spirit

manifested in societies and associations, where

members are chosen to

official

places or ap-

pointed on committees, or shown other honors.

There are apt always to be some among the

number who keep

when they are
authority, but

in the best

kind of mood

filling

any position of honor or

who cannot come down gracefully from the official rostrum. The descent from any elevated position to the level of com-

mon membership is too much magnanimity. They act as

they should be continued in

for their stock of

if

they

felt

that

office indefinitely,

and when some other one

is

chosen in turn to

wear the honor which they have worn for a

[304]

Putting atoap
term, they take
feel
it

Cfnttrisif)

Cfringg
and

as a personal matter

aggrieved.

Sometimes they display their

hurt feelings publicly; sometimes they say

nothing, but go about afterward with a martyrlike air, as if they were patiently enduring

a wrong or injury. In either case, they probably do not take an active part thereafter in
the

work

of the organization, pouting, some-

times, the rest of their days.

These are only

illustrations of

a most un-

happy
world.

spirit that is

We

all

much too common in the know how such conduct mars

Nothing
is

the beauty of manliness.

ter test of

a bet-

character and disposition than

the

way one meets

defeat or bears injury.

is

"Blessed are the meek,"

a great deal more

think.
piti-

human

beatitude than
is

we are wont to

Commendation

sweet, but

we show a

able weakness if

we keep sweet only when

people are saying complimentary things to

us or of us, and then get discouraged and

out of sorts when the adulation does not

come.
sels

There

is

a good teaching which coun-

us to prefer others in honor, and when

[305]

Cfjtng*

tfjat

<nbure
officer

a young man has had a term as an

or

a committee chairman

in his society, he

ought

to be delighted to yield the place to another,

and should go back

into the ranks with the

best of cheerfulness, to

work more earnestly

in the unofficial

and beautifully than ever

place.

Let us put away childish things forever.

Let the young people begin to do so very

early.

If

you

find the slightest disposition

in yourself to

pout or sulk or be envious or

jealous, or to play the

baby

in

any way, you

have a splendid chance to do a Christlike

thing.

Will you do

it?

[306]

Utememter

tfie

Wap

CHAPTER XXXVn
Utememfcer
tfje

Way
all

HERE

is

a Scriptural exhortation
the
led

which bids us remember

ways by which the Lord has

us.

This exhortation

is

always

timely, but at the close of a year

cial timeliness.

it

has spe-

Memory

is

a wonderful faculty.

If

we did

mean nothing to us. All the beautiful things we see, the noble or inspiring words we hear, the gentle
not remember, our past would
emotions we experience, would pass and leave

no trace behind.
as

We
life.

should learn nothing

we go through

But memory
enriches us in
life like
it

holds

and treasures up
brings to us.

for us all that the

it

day

Thus

mind
river,

and heart and makes our

widening and deepening as
It
is

flows.

God's leading that we are especially

exhorted to remember
has led us.

the way by which he

Has God

truly led us all the year?

[309]

Cfnngg
It
is

tfjat

<nbure

unquestionably our privilege to have the

divine guidance at every point, but whether

we have
selves.

it

or not depends largely

upon our-

God
his

does not force himself

upon us

even in his love for us.

Christ came unto his

own, and

own

received

him

not.

We may
wish, If trou-

refuse to be led, insist

upon going as we

turning every one to his own way.

ble or misfortune

come to us through our own

wilfulness
it

and waywardness we cannot charge

upon God.

But
quietly

if

we

are submissive to God, if

we

ac-

cept his

will,

and, laying our hand in his,

go

as he guides us, then

all

we

shall have

the divine leading in

that

our

life.

This means

God

will order

our steps

day by day,
as

giving us our work, unrolling to us the chart

of our
life

in little

sections
is

we go

on.

Sometimes the way he leads

ant, just the
ourselves.

easy and pleaschosen for

way we would have

Sometimes, however,

it is

hard and

painful, not the path on which

we would have
the

gone.

Still

we know that
led us
is

all

way

the

Lord our God has

a good way, how-

[310]

tonemfoer

tfje

Way
and
trials the

ever full of disappointments

way may have

been to us.

Nothing was more

beautiful in the death of President

McKinley
God's

than the spirit in which he laid

all in

hands when
lay
is

it

became evident that he must

leave this world.

down

his

work and
His

"It

God's way.

will

be done, not ours."

Thus always

Christian faith should meet even

the keenest disappointments, taking

God's
it

way with
is best.

confidence

and joy, knowing that

When we

are called to remember

the

all the
is in-

way by which

Lord hath

led us, it

tended that we should think of the goodness

and mercy of the way, and of

has done for us.

all

that

God

We

are too apt to forget.

Many

of us have an unfailing

memory

for the

unpleasant things, for the

losses,

the sorrows,

the difficulties of the way, while

we are most

forgetful of the love that attends us every

Murmuring seems more natural and more easy to many people than gratitude. They will take blessings, common and uncommon, from God as they come in continustep.

[311]

Cfnnga

njat <nfcrore

ous flow through the years, with scarcely a

thought of praise or an emotion of thanksgiving.

But the moment

there

is

a break in

the current of pleasant things they cry out

in complaint.

There are people who never

see the lovely things in nature.

They walk
in

through scenes of inimitable beauty

garden

and

field

and

see nothing to admire, experi-

ence no emotion of pleasure.

So there are

those

who

live

three score years

and ten

amid manifestations of divine

get a glimpse of God's face.
"Earth's

love, yet never

And

every

crammed with heaven, common bush afire with God;

But only he who sees takes off his shoes; The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries."

God has

been in

all this

year's

life.

We

now at the close to find the tokens of his love. As we fold up the volume to lay it away among the books to be opened on the judgment day we should
should look over the story
write upon
it

"Laus

Deo"

[312]

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