The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-08-29
The Little Armchair.

But she sees the nod Of his fathers head.
Sc proud of the little son,
Ar. she hears the word often said,
'No fear for our little one"
They were wonderful days, the dear, sweet
When a child with sunny hair
Was hers to scold. to kiss and to praise
At her knee in the little cha>>T
She lost Elm back in the busy years
When the great word caught the man.
And he strobe away past hopes and fears
To his place in the battles van.
But now and then in wistful dream.
Like n picture out of date
She a head with Il golden CLEAN
Bent over pencil and slate.
And she lives again the happy day
The day of her young life's spring.
When the small armchair stood just in the
way,
The center of everything.
Margaret e. Sangster in Harper's Bazaar.
Doing What We Cam Helping.
I once heard a missionary from China,
who was very much interested in his work.
lecture, and he related little incident
winch impressed me very much not alone
In connection with missionary work. but
also as to our individual efforts in doing
what we can, or helping each other day
by day. This is the incident. He said:
One day while in Japan, l was passing
Z Buddhist temple in course of erection,
and L noticed two tons of large cable on
the floor. asking what it was, / was told
1t was a cable made from the hair of CO.
ONO women. who had made this sacrifice
and had their hair hair cut that this cable
could be made to help in lifting heavy
beams into place in the temple" The lee
turer commented on what a lesson it was
to Christian people, and asked, what sac
rifce do we make to lift the cross of Christ
high enough for our ignorant people at
home, and the heather over the sea, to
see and fall down and worship as these
Buddha people did their god'' 1t is les
son not only in large things but in every
day life; these 10000 women gladly sac
rificed their hair-a woman's glory--for
their temples sake, to lift up beams that
could not otherwise have been gotten into
place. We can every day we live make some
weary pilgrim alOng earth,~ h;; .A pzaH s,,. n6e
seif-denying act or some klnd Woru, OK
pleasant glance, has fallen like sunshine
or eased an aching heart.
No act that is intended to help another
is too small for the Masters notice. we
too often think small acts count for nau%ht,
but this is not the case; and we wonder
often why our efforts are so unsuccessful
and think We have failed, because we DO
not see the fruits for them, but the SIN
cere earnest effort is TO the Master she
has done what she could and the reward
the same as if the success had been visible
There should not be a day in our lives
that did not record some one act OF KIND
ness, some help held out to the needy. Ii
at the close of each day we took n retro
spective view we would be shocked to ind
how many days we have passed as useless,
~ cln Of hp
back and find no heart has been eased by
our ministrations or sunshine brought
TO some sad place, nor one act OF self
denial made glad some other soul, we may
well count that day rs worse than lost.
When absorbed i'll an interesting book, 1t
is a great sacrifice to put 1t down, OF
while interested in some pleasant work we
are so anxious to finish it requires Il great
amount of self-denial to lay it aside and
vet there comes to all of us times when
even n little child comes to us with a
broken toy or a tale of woe that we can
listen to and cheer and comfort. TO lay
aside book or work, for even 50 little Il
cause, is an act the recording angel is ready
to note down TO our credit.
With how weary, discouraged a heart
have often responded to the pleading
of nv little pet-''tell me a tale'-it SEEM
ed as ii 1t were 1npOSSible 10 2dIIlcI ~
gether the wandering thoughts and shape
them into words, yet the pleading eyes
would make me feel ashamed of my selfish
ness and l would put away my own anX-
ieties and tell the often-told tale to
my little listener, and long ere its close,
would be rewarded for the sacrifice by the
bright glow of happiness on the little face
pressed close to mine, and so in making
another happy. peace had come into my
own heart We will always find it only
too true that,
s'If we sit down at set of sun.
And count the things that we have done,
And counting find
One seIf-denyng act. one word
That eased the sart of him who heard;
One glance most kind.
That fell like sunshine where 1t went,
Then we may count that day well spent.
"But if, through all the livelong deg,
We've eaScd no heart by yea or nay;
If through it all
We've done no thing that we can trace,
That brought the sunshine to face;
No act most small.
That helped some soul and nothing cost
Then count that day worse than lost
Unidentified.