The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-10-31
LITTLE THINGS OF LIFE.
GENEROUS IN JUDGING.
Think Well Of a Person Rather Than
Evil.
Neu York Herald.

carefully cultivated, because lHtg iidNo
most to do with human happiness
The little things Of life are OF Tar
more importance than the greater
things. A hair in a watch stops the
hands and a fretful temper renders even
genius unbearable. The man whom
the world loves best is he who loves
the world most. A spirit OF kindness
toward every one will find opportu-
mites for doing good every day at very
slender cost to itself, while an unfrIend-
Nv spirit wounds itself with It's own
sword
don't believe a man can be thor
oughly happy who tries to be happy
without also trying to make some one
else happy.
We are all travelling tie same road
toward the same goal. 1t is OF no con-
sequence that one Is in fine linen ana
another in rags. The sun shines on
rags and linen alike, and the ram pours
on them with equal fury. But It i
matter of very great consequence
whether we speak a kindly word to
some one who is overWeary, comfort
ing word to some one who is weeping,
or an encouraging word to some one
who has stumbled or fallen.
These small things reckon for good
deal. and | would rather 90 to heaven
with an armful of them than with
poets renoWn. You cannot ENJOY q
filiaI relation to God unless You show
fraternal regard for His children.
What He looks upon with favor IS not
your greatness, but your goodness
The essence OF Christianity, is first to
he good and to do good Alter that
YOU need not seek after happiness. Tor
it Will come of its own accord and
abide with you"
Lei me illustrate. One OF the cardl-
nal vices of humanity is uncharitable-
ness Of Judgment. 1t is spiritual dis
ease. infectious in character and fatal
to our best welfare. For some lneXpll-
cable reason most of Us rather like to
think i'll of our nelghbors, and find 1t
easier to attribute an evil motive than
a good one. We may not be willing to
admit it. but the human heart is ''des
~
If a young man commits an indls-
cretion. do we hasten to his side to help
him repair his fault or for authority TO
deny the charge il 1t Is not true? 5
there pang in the heart because the
poor fellow has stepped into the mlre,
and do we extend a willing hand to
help him out? Rather we are prone
TO cry ..Ah. Ia ~ We forget that we
ourselves might do still worse under
like circumstances and that our pres
ent good condition depends, not on our
superior probity, but on the lack Of
temptation If we had the genuine
Christ spirit we should sink the ten
dency to Judge him harshly IN the de-
sire to fortlfy HIM against a repetition
of the fault. We are not yet God 5
children. or at least do not bear our
selves as such. We cannot successful
" deny the deplorable fact that when
man has gone wrong we let him drop
into the pit and accompany his fall
with shrug Of the shoulders. In such
cases he may be criminal, but what
are we? We are lntldel to all that is
pure and true and heavenly. The Five
Institutes of Calvin in our heads may
proclaim our orthodoxy, but the indii-
ference in our hearts renders us here
ties of the deepest dye.
Or suppose a young woman becomes
entangled through extreme pressure OF
circumstances. is lured, deceived by
false promises, and sits by the wavside
in despair. What say we and what do
we do? There are real tragedies of this
kind every dav, and mothers and tath-
ers in the other world look down with
weeping eyes. God pities her. Christ
cries once more Let him who is
without sin cast the first stone )" but
how do we stand? Her grief can only
be ''lulled in the graves forgiveness, .
for human help there Is little or none.
She may stretch forth her hands. but
who will take them? She may cry
plteously for assistance, but We merely
answer, "Oh, no - and pass by on the
other side, lneal descendants of hypo-
critical Pharisees as we are.
1t is prime duty to cultivate a hab-
it OF kindlier Judgment both for the
world s sake and for our own. 1t was
the Masters unique popularity that
He encouraged rather than condemned
His whole life on earth might be fitlv
represented by g helping hand.
1t is SO much more enrolling to
think well of a person rather than i'll
To be constantly critical, to look at the
worst side instead of the best, to I'M
pute bad motive when 1t is possible