The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-05-20
The Side we do not See.
BY MARJORIE S. HENRY.
+ ia q bna1tiful hol1sp ~

"It is beautiful house."
"But what a mistake to build in
such place when the neighborhood
is full of sites far lovelier; and yet
these people have chosen the fiat open
country, instead of the pretty rolling
elevations so near them"
'People devoid of tsste, probobly."
AS such mp companion and I dis.
missed them from our mind, and with
one last look of disapproval towards
the substantial, well-built mansion,
on down the shady lane.
All that was months ago to-day, in
company with another friend, more
familiar with this locality. I passed
the same place again, and expressed
a new amazement at such spot being
chosen for such magnificent home.
My friends laughed merrily.
II WONDER" she answered, chow
many have asked just that question,
only because there is side you do not
see." And turning the horse's head
she brought US to the other side of the
bnilding L had so hastily condemned,
lay one of the most glorious views I
had ever seen. The house itself was
so built as entirely to conceal the high
plateau on which it was situated, and
below and beyond, as far as eye could
reach, stretched beautiful valley,
dotted with fields and woodlands and
nesting villages.
"HoW can we ever" T exclaimed
while gazing on the fair scene before
me, "judge of the side we do not see"
And | drove home in the summer
twilight with new lesson to be learn
ed out of the book of our everyday
experiences.
"The side we do not see" in others
lives, how quick we are to criticise
and then condemn. Only yesterday I
head a young man spoken of as "mean
and close" because he had refused to
join party planning and expensive
camping tour. I wonder how many
of them will ever know the side they
do not see, that this young man they
blame so carelessly is sending at his
own expense the family of poor man
in his office down to the sea to gain
health an strength in its invigorating
air.
In trying to get glimpse of that
other side in peoples lives, our own
grow more tender, more Christlike.
shall meyer forget how this impress
ed me once, this tender looking into
the side we do not see, and judging
accordingly. A party of gay girls who
thoughtlessly were finding amuse-
ment form passers-by while waiting
in a railroad station, suddenly found
great delight in q tall, awkward,
homely woman, whose uncouth and
almost grotesque figure would have
brought her under criticism almost
anywhere. But I noticed one of the
young girls sat quietly amidst all their
merriment, until some one in the gay
party turned to her.
"Why don't you laugh, Mary ? Isn't
she the ugliest thing you've ever
seen ?"
The sweet face grew tender as she
answered softly
"But, girls, she would be pretty if
she could; it must have hurt her
often"
Almost instontly the laugher ceased,
and the true women's hearts showed
themselves. One passed the third wo-
man o fresh peach from her basket,
one offered her fan-and I learned my
little lesson from it all.
Oh, if we could but get glimpse of
the sides we do not see, how tender
we would often be, where now we are
critical and servere Remember, to
every one there is side we do not see
now, and oflen find out when it is too
late for loving deeds and thoug htful
words to cheer or comfort. In all our
actions, in all our judgments, let US
remember that other side.-Westmin-
ter Teacher.