The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-01-15

Now I'm going TO preach you a sermon
child, said Aunt Samanthy. bringing hei
knitting ont to the porch that was shaded
from the rays Of the afternoon sun by
honeysuclsle and the old-fashioned climb
ing roses.
Eyes, I'm going 10 preach you sermon
that has a personal, practical application,
and I'm going to take for my text that
clumP of rjbbon-grass yonder. Now
| suppose you wonder what on earth I'm
going to make ont of it, but if you'll have
a little patience yon will find out
I've noticed lately a habit of yours. and
It's habit that's fast gaining on you, toe,
to go around this world measuring your
fellow creatures by little foot rude that s
just the length and breadth of yoni own
opinions. If any one falls short OF over
measures by your rule. You just set them
down as mistakes and it never occurs 10
you that there's room for diversity OF
opinion.
Nov am going to divide my sermon
up into good many heads. SO ] will just
say, firstly, take a good look at that clump
of grass. Pull handful of it and lay it
out here on thc steps: now see if you can
find any two alike. No you couldn't if
You looked fora week. They are all diff
fercntly striped, every one of them, aud
yet each one is just the way it was meant
TO be. don't suppose You would pick out
one Of them and then condemn all the 9th
ers because they weren't striped in exactly
the same way; but that is just what you
are continually doing to your fellow-crea-
lures, and you not alone. but plenty more
good people. You have opinions of your
own, and that's all right enough;
wouldn't give a farthing for anybody That
hadn't his own opinions and didn't stick to
them; but let other people have the same
privileges. It's quite possible that other
peoples ideas may snit them and their cir
cumstanecs great deal better than yours
would. Every blade of that grass is diff
ferent from the rest, isn't it? Just so
everybody's opinions differ little and
I've got as much right to have my set of
IDEAS differ from yours as that blade of
grass has to have three broad white stripes
and one narrow one, instead Of five or six
like the ono next to it.
''llalf the time people are doing just the
best they can under the circumstances they
are surrounded with, and then people that
don't know anything about if criticise them
as severely as if they hadn't any business
to act for themselves without consulting
everybody else's opinions. There's no
sense in it, and what's more to the point,
there isn't any Christianity in it either
| haven't the least idea that these people
who cavil at everything would he one
whit better satisfied if they had the recon-
struction of the world and Ali the people in
it. II they made everything and every
body ON the same pattern they would get
sick at the monotony of il before n week
was over. and If they made things differ
emf. why it would he just rs it is now.
This is good big world, plenty big
enough for MS all 10 live in peace and
quictness, if we would only think so.
DO yon suppose these stripes of grass
would criicisc each other. if they had the
power OF speech, just because they aren't
alike? don't bclive they would for
don't think they IL human enough for that.
1t takes living human beings, who profess
to he full of love and charity to the world
in general, to crticise every individual Just
rs harsh as they We a mind 10 because they
don't always agree with them. Now I've
got my own ways, and being old, | reckon
I'm rather set in them, and 'tisn't unlikely
| prefer them to every one else's but do
hope and pray that I've reached that de-
gree of grace where I'm willing to ac-
know ledge that there's plenty more ideas
and opinions in the world equally good,
and maybe suitine other folks heap bet
ter
Whenever see these people that just
Sccm to make it their business in life TO sci
mp and measure everybody by their own
foot rule. without ever waiting to look
whether II iSn nth" aSke~ after all,
always want Ia point out that bunch of
iibbon-grasS TO them and show them how
peaceablc those stripes Of grass get along,
though the good Lord hasn't made any
two of them alike the world over.
That's my sermon, and now I'm going
in to see after supper, and I'll leave you
amt hnr,, In ,nplitafn n "a i,iIn lnuarar o,, thc
text; maybe you'll get more good out of it
than out Of Aunt Samanthy's sermon.
There's sermons in stones. you know, and
believe that bunch Of grass yonder
breaches sermon on charity and good
will equal to any minister's il folks only
needed it. Illustrated CHr1stiaa ITeeklg
WOMEN AND nEG Politics.