Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-09-23
SANDING THE AXLES.

A person who can help but little is some
times able to hinder a great deal. 1t requires
very little talent to stand in the way Of others
usefulness 1t would require but small ability
for roguish boy standing by q machine, to
sprinkle little sand upon the oiled and pol
ished axles on which the wheels revolved. 1t
might be done easily and quickly, and remain
unobserved. But that sand plingling with
the lubricating oil, and being carried around
on the axle, would decrease the speed, consume
the power, cut the aXles, injure the boxes, him
der the work, and derange and ruin the ma
chine. If the boy was trying to introduce
pebbles or rocks into the machine he would do
less damage, for they would be observed and
could be easily removed, but the mischief
would come from introducing the sand, so fine
that it makes it's way everywhere, SO small that
no one would notice it.
There are men in the church of Christ who
never have shown great ability to plan or exc
cute anything of Importance. Their main
fort seems to be sanding the axles. They can
get in the way of others they can hinder,
find fault, pervert, and SOW jealousy, dissen-
sion and suspicion as visibly and effectually as
a boy can sand the journals of machine. No
one suspects what they are doing nor can
any one fasten their misdeeds upon them, but
the air grows thick with distrust, and work is
hndered by secret contrivances and combina-
tions good men are burdened, disheartened,
and worn out; noble enterprises falter, fail
and are abandoned Every one notices that
things 60 hard, and that something hinders
their progress, but no one seems to know what
the trouble is, until the day comes for gener
al cleaning up, and then, 10, and behold, the
axles are found covered with sand
1t requires very little ability in a man to fill
the position of sand thrower. Neither intelli-
fn1o frr0o
lutely necessary for the accomplishment of
this work. Conceit, envy, jealousy, sourness
and meddlesomeness are sufficient qualifca-
tiOns under ordinary circumstances. 1t does
not take much religion for man to find fault;
some men have been known to find fault who
did not have any, 1t requires no long appren-
ticeship or great skill to throw sand on axles
a man who does not know enough to oil ma
chine properly, could sand it quite effectually.
SHOULD TIRED PEOPLE Go TO CHURCH p
Many of those who stay at home all day Sun
day because they are tired make a great mis-
take; they are much more weary on Sunday
night than they would have been had they gone
to church at least once as the time must often
drag heavily on Sunday for the lack of some
thing to do and to think about and the con-
seriousness of having spent the day unprofta
and dissatisfaction to the languor that follows
idleness.
Moreover, these tired people would often
find refreshment for their minds and their
hearts in the quiet services of the church.
They will secure by means Of them change Of
mental atmosphere, and the suggestion OF
thoughts and motives and sentiments, which
are out of the range of their work, For a
hard working mechanic or salesman, or house
keeper or teacher, this diversion of the thought
to other than the customary themes might be
the most restful way of spending portion of
the day of rest.
We happento knowof several cases in which
this prescription has been used with excellent
results Those who want to stay at home be-
cause they were too tired on Sunday to 60 to
church, have been induced to try the expert
ment of seeking rest, for their souls as well as
their bodies, in the sanctuary, for small part
of every Sunday and they testify that they
have found what they sought that the observ-
ance has proved a refreshment rather than a
WEAKNESS, and that their Sundays never gave
them SO much rest when they stayed at home,
as they have given them since they formed the
habit of church going.-Good Company.
CoNsIsTENcY.-Consistency in all things is I
as desirable as it is admirable. But it is as
rare as it is desirable. Who of us takes pre-
cisely the same view of a truth at all times
and under all circumstances Who of us
measures the conduct of a loved one by the
same standard of judgment which we apply
to person we dislike? Who of us feels and
thinks on all subjects to-day as we felt and
thought about them under very different cir
cumstances month or year ago? Who of
us, in other words, can be free from the charge
of being "a bundle of Contradictions? We
ought, it is true, to have base-line" of opin--
ion, to which we conform all our Judgments OF
ourselves or of others, and to adhere rigidly to
that line of measurement. But when we find