The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-06-27

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attain their desire. I8 word, the
genuine Christ spirit is not strong
factor either in our society or in our
individual lives. Christ, who busted
Himself in doing good, and whose
teaching may be summed up in the
Injunction to think less of ourselves !
and more of Others, is still strang-
er to US, although We have known !
Him for nearly two thousand years |
We believe more In the theology of |
the Apostles than in the religion of |
the Lord
Let us think moment. What do |
we mean 10y selishness? Certainly
not self-love, in any true sense, |
because seltishness is not the build
ing up OF self, but the destruction of
self. Indeed, there is very little self
love in the world. The man who is
in love with himself is a poor sort of
creature, who must be demented
We cannot love ourselves If we have
any sense, for no one knows better
than we do that we are not worthy
vi love. Selfshness, therefore, is not
pure love of self, but an ignoble
passion for grasping more than our
share, regardless of the rights and
claims of others. 1t indicates IL
criminal Indifference whether any
man enjoys himself, or has the means
of doing so, provided all our own
wants are gratifieJ. 1t means that
brotherhood is myth and that if
our table is well supplied our neigh
Dor may starve, or if we keep our
selves from the commission of crime
our fellow men need not look to US
Tor any help to resist temptation.
We hold ourselves irresponsible for
everything except our own personal
condition.
But you say, If we were really
appreciative OF the suffering about
US life would not be worth living,
| and we should all have broken hearts
if We literally bore each others
burdens. The answer is, The sooner
our hearts are broken from such a
| cause the better. If it would be a
very hell on earth to have a keen
realization of the crimes and wretch
edness of mankind, then let us live
in that kind of hell until we can
make it q heaven.
You have no right to do anything
| to keep yourself from realizing the
condition of others, for they and you
| y
have no right, in the sight of God, to
eat your bread in peace it you know
that some one is starving. What
kind of a world, are we making? Is
it Gods world, Christ's world or
world filed with cruel demons, a
world in which the chief purpose is to
get everything and to give nothing?
Why should We not suffer if Others
are suffering?
Suppose that by some magic our
selfishness were eliminated and q
divine and plying love should take
it's place. Suppose we were filed
with a holy determination to give
needed protection to every young
man who now seeks in vain for the
good cheer OF an honest life, and to
hold in our sisterly embrace every
poor girl who is driven by despera-
ton to an unhoiy career, would the
world be any the worse?
Suppose the Church should say,
We are too busy to talk about
theology, we will do that when we
have eternity before us. For the
present We must get out the lifeboats
and save the tempest tossed and
shipwrecked-what then? What
then? Why, for the first time we
should understand Christianity.
The New Testament would become
an open book and religion a blessed
reality.
Lose yourself and you will find
yourself Love yourself last and the
stars will SHINE with brighter beam.
Save some one, give some one a
share of your plenty, pity the poor
and oppressed, let no day pass with.
out kindly word or a generous
deed, and angels will come and visit
you, for you will be doing Gods
work in Gods way. If you wish to
go to heaven in the hereafter you
must put bit of heaven into some
forlorn life here.
Farming on Two Acres.
A writer in The American Agricul-
turist thus tells how one man makes
a living for himself and family on a
farm OF two acres:
"a noteworthy example of inten-
sive farming is that of Mr.. F. Seq
ling, Mexican county, Pa, who sup
ports himself, wife and five children
on two acres of land. They have a
neat little cottage, and the hard
times have not affected them nearly
as much as many family depend
ent upon shop work. Mr.. Segling /.
a carpenter by trade, and before
opening up his little farm, he built
his house at odd times while working
at his trade. From the first he has
recognized the necessity of securing
quality rather than quantity from
his labor and land if he would maxi e
it pay. Celery is his speciality and he
has marketed as much as 10000
stalks in a season. He practises a
rotation which includes grass,
usually having nearly enough to
keep one horse 10 hay. He under
stands the secret of getting two
crops in one year from the same soil,
and his only hindrance has been
lack OF rain. Now, however, he has
bought a boiler and steam pump
and expects to control his water
supply. Such pluck and energy
ought to receive the victor's wreath.
Whatever else he lacks he is not
taxed for quantity of useless terri
tory, and wastes no time and
strength traversing poor and large
fields. He sometimes uses as much
as rs loads of stable manure on half
an acre. There is valuable lesson
] in this for most farmers who have
| too much land. use too little manure,
and crop at m excessive cost per ton
| or busheI as q consequences