Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-02-06
Faithfulness in Littles.
[From Tho Waverly Progress, by ]. l..
LODGE, D. D., Editor.

[From Tho Kaperly Progress, by j. l..
LODGE, D. D., Editor.
Men of the highest order need not to have
their attention called to the propriety or
necessity of duteous and honest performance
| OF the grave and holy obligations of life !;
and conviction as being as necessary as vir-
tuous. The law of the universe Is that its
| Creator upholds by his power that to which
he has given his word of promise, restrain
| ing within limits fixed by his own intelli-
| gence destructive agencies, and maintaining
government over all such that aggregated
experience alone justifies calm reliance up
on promises accordant with purposes. AS
cons tantly as if moved by conscious inhe.
rent intelligence and good will principle the
different parts OF the material creation obey
a fixed law, benevolent in all It's operations
the luminous worlds dispensing their essen.
tial brightness, heat and moisture contribu.
ting seasonable and regular service, the evil
responsvely yielding fruits indispensable
to life. The further fact is realized to a
limited extent, that upon confidence in the
fixed and invariable intention Of men to be
just, and honest, aud regardful of what by
right belongs or is due to other men de-
pends much of material prosperity and men,
this reason great trusts are seldom betrayed
except by such as are constitutionally vi
cious or have become so by immoral and
corrupting associations. Whether by in
tuition or education there is q correct per-
ception of what is proper in such cases.
There is a kind of faithfulness which is
in essence compulsory. The loss of reputa-
tion, loss Of place, power, position, opportu
nifty to further personal and selfish ends
L. l. 81 T. 81 a loc.
tion, is sufficient to make many man ex-
ternally honest, and to give to his course
the appearance OF true rectitude. Very likely
such character will soar on platitu des and
constitute himself the apostle and special
advocate of the thing he secretly lacks. So
long as his faseuess is concealed, and the
public sustains no injury, but even benefit,
from az example which in appearance is
correct, we can discriminate between the
principle and the action, despising the one
but commencing the other. Eliminate en-
tirely every selfish interested feeling from the
motives of men, and there would be little
left in their performances characterized by
uncorrupted faithfulness.
But it Is in what are called the minor
duties and responsibilities of life that de.
linquency in this regard is constantly
Observation-Disclosures erroneously called
small.
Nothing's smalli
No liy-muffled hum of a summer bee,
But finds some coupling with the spinning
stars;
No pebble at your foot but proves a sphere;
No chafflnch but implies the cherubim;
In such little tremor of the blood
The whole strong clamor of vehement soul
Doth utter itself distinct Earth's crammed~
with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries,
And daub their natural faces unaware
More and more from the first similitude.
In charity postulate that such neglect pro-
ceeds from blindness and not from stupid
or criminal indifference, yet the disastrous
effect remains. Strictest attention 10 minut-
est details is the condition to successful
prosecution of any business or calling. A
writer gains u reputation for clearness-one
of the greatest merits in any authorize
cause he habitually looks at, through, under
and around his subject, making others see
because he himself sees. The book keeper
made a reputation which is now worth
fortune because no man ever knew his folios
TO refuse TO balance The accurate proof
reader is the delight and joy of every writer
and readers soul The former clerk in
country store is now millionaire merchant
because he was watchful, careful, exact, and
industrious in his apprenticeship. The
painstaking teacher, besides winning high
honors presently paid, rears feshly, nay
spiritual, monuments which shall testify
for him through generations. The mason
thought one cracked stone would matter
little in a great wall, but in few years the
grand structure tumbled into mass of
ruins. A careless examiner touched the
noble picture with soiled fingers and the
otla uah Mt nf hp arfil AZ rtln
ed forever The parent considered the task
of restraining and guiding his child too irk.
some, and the result you may see around
you any day. Illustrations are infinite.
That faithfulness alone deserves the name
which arises from the love of virtue with
out any certainty of reward; though II is
commendable in our cases, as In that of
Moses, If we strengthen our hands and nerve
our hearts with the prospect of virtues true
reward If one be not strong enough to deal
with distractions, he is not criminal If he
lean on sensible props. What is more, the
true reward of genuine faithfulness waits
somewhere IN the economy of justice. Gen.
orally, not in its expected form. Men are
not usually grateful. 1t is related that when
Henry Of Bolingbroke and Richard Ill. were |
at Berkeley Castle, the kings dog deserted
him, upon whom he had always attended,
and attached himself to Henry, whom he
then saw for the first time. II the story of
the animals forsaking the falling fortunes |
of his master is true, this dog forms the ex
ception, while men constitute the rule.
Faithfulness in Titles finds It's natural and |
most profitable field of operations in self. |
mo man becomes a saint in his Sleep" |
Once resolved TO establish and sustain an |
elevated character, and to expel from the |
mind and heart the unworthy motives and |
false principles natural and congenial,
and the fercest and stubbornist of all |
conflicts has begun. But not without
sympathy and help. The stars in their
courses fight for this man, and heaven and |
earth applaud him The earlier the struggle |
begins, the greater the prospect of final VIC
tory 1t cuts off the concealed approach of
the principle OF evil toward the citadel In |
which are stored mans dearest treasures |
The unspeakable Importance of such an |
early and heroic advance upon the forces of
the artlul destroyer is seen in the rapid |
growth OF every form of vice:
We are not worst at once-the course Of evil |
Begins so slowly, and from such slight
source,
An infants hand might stem its breach with
clay;
But let the stream get deeper, and philoso.
ply
Ay, and religion too-shall strive in vain
10 turn the headong current.
What depraves the individual must, when
examples have been sufficiently extended,
undermine the virtue and 30 blast the pros
perty OF the nation many gloomy illustra-
tions of which history affords US. One of
the most notable is that cited by Carlisle, in
The Early Kings Of Norway. For forty
years the early English had been beaten by
the Danes, purchasing immunity from ab-
solute slavery by the annual tribute of thir
IN nd de in thp
words, "the humor of these poor wretches
sunk To state of what we may call greasy
desperation, Let US eat and drink, for TO NOR
row we die" AS individuals they were de-