The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-11-28
ALWAYS I'm THE BALANCES.


Under the above suggestive title the
Sunday School Times, IN recent issue
has an article whose impressive lesson
is carried home by unusually apt and tell.
ing illustrations, one of which is histor.
ioal, Our readers will thank US for pro.
ducing the most of it, which is as fol.
lows:
"If man only knew Just when he was
to pass under close scrutiny, and have a
final judgment made up by his fellow.
men concerning his character and ahili-
~ and spirit and worth, how careful he
would be to appear at that time at his
very best In every PARTICULAR But the
trouble Is, there is no warning Civ
en- of these testing times. They come
Unexpectedly. In fact, they are contin-
ual. There is sense in which a man
may be said to be always in the balances,
being accurately weighed TO the extrem-
est anton, and liable to have any one
sLep up and read clearly his precise NOR
al and intellectual weight on the stand
ard scale beam.
"And know saya our Lord, that if
the goodman of the house had known
what hour the thief would come, he
would have watched, and not have suf-
fered his house to be broken through
But that is not the custom among thieves
to send a postal card in advance,
mentioning the hour of their intended
call, and asking the householder to be
on the lookout for them. So there is al
ways danger from thieves to be guarded
against. And, likewise, there is ALWAYS
danger that others will come upon us
without warning TO Judge us, and to
carry their Judgment of us away with
them. If the young lady had known
that the gentleman in whom she is so
much interested would call this morn.
ing, and would actually meet her, un-
announced, in the hall, she certainly
would not have been in so untidy and
slovenly dress at this hour. If the
young bank clerk had understood that
the cashier would be passing through
that side street just now, he would not
have been coming out of that sample
room with cigar in his mouth. If the
business man had supposed that he was
to fall in the street to-day, and break his
leg, and be carried into drugstore to
have it examined before gaping crowd,
he would perhaps have taken bath last
evening, and have put on clean stockings
this morning. If the members of the
family in their upstairs sitting groom
realized how distinctly their voices are
heard by the waiting caller in the parlOr
below, there Is a. least one person there
who would become cautious to refrain
from so unlOvely and complaining
words. If the young married couple
We're aware how thin these hotel parti-
tons are, and who occupies the next
room to them this Sunday afternoon
they would never think of being so out
spoken in their quarreling, and so bitter
81, 90,
If the railway ticket agent even thought
that it was one OF the directors of his
company who is asking questions of
him at the window, he would be degree
less insnIenl OF sprly in his answers
Ii, and il, and Tiff
all knew the time of their visitation for
judgment, there would be great deal
more than there is of smoothing down
the dress, and pushing back the hair,
and tightening up the crayat, and put
ting on of smiles, and lowering the
voice to gentle utterances, and posing
for observation, and walking circum-
specify before the judges. But the
times and the seasons for these iudg-
ments canAot be foreknoVp. The only
safe way is to be always on the watch for
them.
at is said, that at one time large
manufacturing firm in America secured
a most remunerative contract from the
Russian government, which would have
gone to its immediate rival in business
but for the discourtesy which the agent
of the Russian government received ut
the olheF establishment, when he called,
one afternoon. 10 make inquiries about
the matter in hand without being known
as so important Il purchaser. Even larger
interests than this have hinged on an in
terview of an hour, when the person with
most at stake had no idea that his test
ing time had come. 1t is almost thirty
years ago that an incident in the politi-
cal history of our country, known to but
few, illustrated this truth with unusual
power. 1t was not long prior to presi-
Dental election. The contest in one of
the great political parties was so sharp
between three OF four of the prominent
candidates for the nomination, that il
was easily foreseen that no one of these
could probably secure the requisite two
thirds vote in the approaching conven-
ton. Then there was a conference at
the national capitol among the shrew-
dest of the party leaders, 10 select some
new man, to be sprung upon the conven-
ton, at the fitting moment, as a COM
promise candidate. This conference set
tied down on two names from New Eng
were requested to quietly visit these men,
! and decide which of the two was
to be preferred in the emergency. Their
| report was to settle the question. They
| went on their mission. As if casually in
his city, they called on one of these two
possible candidates, and deliberately pro-
eeeded to judge him, without, Of course,
his suspicion of their purpose. Just
think Of it! In an hour it was to be de-
cided whether or not he was fit to be pres
ident of the United States, with place in
history, and with almost infinite posi-
bilities of good or evil. He was unsus-
pectingly lifted into the scales and there
weighed. The scales were turned south
/ ward, and eastward, enc westward, that
the light might strike the beam from all
directions. He was clearly of short
| weight. The mental verdict of those
gentlemeH, as they left that man at the
close of the interview, Wasi Thou art
weighed in the balances, and art found
wanting" The other man of the two
named was preferred. He was nomina-
ted. He was elected. His place is in
history.
''So'tt may be with any Of Sou-in a
| degree. The present hour may be tie
most important in your life, as settling
the public estimate of you, or as decid-
ing your destiny for all time; and this
without any knowledge on your part
that such is the crisis. The only safe
way IS to be always at full weight, ready
for the balances"