The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-05-04
4 PERVERTED GRATITUDE.


The man or woman who woke up
Sunday morning and heard the ram
heating upon the roof and dashing
against the window panes and felt
no gratitude to God for the great bles
sing has lost the music OF the noblest
attribute of human nature and their
souls are barren. For, like another
oecasion. when the Master entered
Jerusalem, if these were silent the
verv stones would speak. me
scorched and thirsty earth drank in
the showers, it's broad bosom beating
in gratitude to it's Maker.
This is suggestive of the fact mat
while gratitude is one Of the noolesI
virtues it is ore OF the
rarest. How few OF US
attribute the many good things that
are given to us in life to any other
source than chance or our own master
fulness or our own merit, and forget
the source of all good. There Is
singular obstinacy that often sets
itself up in the fairest minds against
gratitude Of any nature. If we are aid
ed by anyone it would seem natural
that we should feel grateful to that one,
but quite the contrary. The generous
spirit manifested towards us does not
encourage the feeling OF gratitude as
much as it does feeling OF rlgh we
acquire to demand more. 1t Is wen
known feature of human nature that
Iibsrality exercised towards US creates
a claim for It's continued exercise and
the result generally Is when the eXor-
6itance of cur demands are not COM
piled with spirit OF resentment
takes possession of US, perverling ana
poisoning every sense OF gratitude.
This singuar.y inconsistent and dis
cordant element Of human natur IS
illustrated in all the affairs OF life.
Take any eleemosynary institution IN
the country, and although the recipi-
ents of its bounty are entirely depend
emit, they soon become the most AFRO
gaat, complaining and dissatisfied
community that can be found. Per-
haps this, however, is strictly in a
line with the constituent elements OF
our nature. Impair in the slightest
degree the independence of man and
Won Introduce cOntrarieties into his
nature nimical to the highest types
of manhood, and you make him per-
verified and unbalanced being, to
whom gratitude is lost virtue.
This ought not to apply to those
who lead independent lives with the
incident OF favors for which their
gratitude is due, but unfortunately 1t
do,s apply, in a degree OF course, but
that degree ia great enough to make
ordinary gratitude the rarest OF all
virtues In fact, gratitude does not
exist as a quality of human nature
unless II has for its basis the cultiv9t-
ed spirit of the Christian religion. 1t
must flow from a divine fountain and
catch all its vitality from the spirit OF
divine truth. Unless gratitude to
God tor every blessing in life animates
the hear, it ~ useless to expect its
possessOr to be grateful to his kind.
A man or q woman whose nature is
thoroughly imbued with the Christian
reIipion has heart full
every morning and every evening
with gratitude to God, and to man is a
natural consequence. Snch people do
not feel grateful alone for special and
distinguishing favors but for every
effort of their fellows to smooth their
pathway in life, for smile, for word
of encouragement or approval they
are grateful. Character built upon
re vea.ed truth eliminates from human
nature all the per versions, all the
obstinacy of the will, all the contrar-
ieties that make us ungratetul, and es-
tablishes the serene, calm and peace.
full flow of the noble.t emotions
towards God and man, and the heart
that overfows with gratitude has the
best evidence that its chords are
touched by the hands of angels and
give forth celestial music.
--