The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-02-20

must nSnt your own way, anu no ouu, un-
til gubernatorial chair and United States
Senatorial chair were his with right to the
Presidential chair If the meanness Of Ameri>
can politics had not swindled him out OF It..
The day when bis father told him to fight his
own way was William 81. Stewards oppor-
tunity. John Henry Newman, becalmed a
whole week in an orange boat in the Strait Of
Bonifacio, wrote his immortal hymn. LEAD,
Kindly Light" That was John Henry New.
mans opportunity. You know Kirk Whites
immortal hymn, "When Marshaled on the
Nightly Plain" He wrote 1t In boat by a
lantern on a stormy night as he was sailing
along rocky coast. That was Kirk Whites
opportunity.
me importance OF making the most OF op-
portunities as they present themselves Is ac-
knowledged In all Eother directions. Why
not in the matter Of usefuless2 The differ
ence of usefulness Of good men and women
Is not 80 much the difference In brain or So
cial position or wealth, but In equipment Of
Christian common sense-to know just the
time. when to say the right word or do the
right thing. There are good people who can
always be depended on to say the right
thing at the wrong time, A merchant selling
goods over the couner to a willy customer
who would like to get them at less than cost,
the railroad conductor while taking up the
tickets from passengers who want to work off
last years free pass or get through at half
rate child fully grown, housekeeper try
ing to get the table ready In time for guests,
although the oven hos neglected to fulfill the
order given him-those are not oppotuni-
Ties Tor religious address. DO not rush up to
man in the busiest part Of the day and when
half dozen people are waiting for him and
ask, "How Is your soul?"
But there are plenty Of fit occasions. 1t is
interesting to see the sportsman, gun In
hand and pouch at side and accompanied by
the hounds yelping down the road, of on
hunting expedition, but the best hunters in
this world are those who hunt for oppor-
tunities to do good, and the game Is some
thing to gladden. earth and heaven. will
point out some Of the opportunities. When
a soul is in bereavement Is the best time to
talk Of gospel consolation and heavenly re-
union. When a man has lost his property is
the best time to talk to him of heavenly in
heritance that can never be levied on. When
one is sick is the best time to talk to him
about the supernatural latitude In which un-
health is an impossibility. When the Holy
Spirit Is moving on community is the best
time to tell man he ought to be saved. by
a word, by smile, by look, by O prayer,
the work may be thoroughly done that all
eternity cannot undo 1t. AS the harp was
Invented from hearing the twang Of bow
string, as the law Of gravitation was sug-
gested by the fall Of an apple, as the order
In India for the use Of creased cartridge
started the mutiny Of 1857, which appalled,
the Nations, so something insignificant may
open the door for great results. Be on The
watch. It may be O gladness, 1t may be
horror, but it will be On opportunity.
A city missionary in the lower parts OF the
city found young woman In wretchedness
and sin. He said, "Why do you not 60
home2" She said, 'They would not receive
me at home" He said, "What Is your
fathers name, and where does he liver"
Having obtained the address and written to
the father, the city missionary got a reply,
on the outside Of the letter the word 'imme-
diate" underscored. It was the heartlest
possible invitation for the wanderer to come
home. That was the city missionary's OPP
portunity. And there are opportunities oil
about you, and on them, written by the hand
Of the God who will bless you and bless
those whom you help, In capitals OF light the
word Immediate"
A military officer very profane In his hab-
its was going down into mine at Cornwall,
England, with Christian miner, for many
Of those miners are Christians. The officer
used profane language while In the cage go
ing down. As they were coming up out OF
the mine the profane officer said, III it be so
far down to your work, how much farther
would It be to the bottomless pit?" The
Christian miner responded, II do not know
how far it Is down to that place, but II this
rope should break you would be there in O
minute" 1t was the Christian miners op-
portunity. Many years ago clergyman was
on slqop on our Hudson River, and hearing
man utter blasphemy the clergyman said,
''You have spoken against my best friend,
clergyman was Oh his way to the general as
sembly Of the Presbyterian Church at Phila-
delphia, when a young minister addressed
him and asked him II he vas not on a sloop
on the Hudson River seven years before?
The reply was In the affirmative. "Wen,' ~
said the young minister, ~ was the man
whom you corrected for uttering that oath.
It led me to think and repent, and I am try
ing to atone somewhat for my early behavior.
am preacher Of the gospel and delegate
to the general assembly," Seven years be-
fore on that Hudson River sloop was the
clergyman's opportunity.
stand this minute In the presence OF many
heads Of families. wonder II they all real
ize that the opportunity for influencing the
household for Christ and heaven is very brief
and will soon be gomez For awhile the house
is full Of the voices and footsteps OF children.
You sometimes feel that you can hardly stand
the racket. You say: "Do be quiet 1t seems
as II my head would split with all this noise"
iWhere's my hatr' "Who took my books2"
"Who has been busy with my playthings?"
And 1t is a-rushing this way, and a-rushing
that, until father and mother are well nigh
beside themselves.
It Is astonishing how much noise five or six
children can make and not half try. But the
years glide swiftly away. After awhile the
voices are not so many, and those which stay
are more sedate. First this room gets quiet.
and then that room. Death takes some,
and marriage take others, until after awhile
the house Is awfully still. That man yonder
would give all no Is worth to have that boy
who is gone away forever rush into the room
once more with the shout that was once
thought too boisterous.
That mother who was once tried because
her little girl, now gone forever, with care
less scissors cut up something really valuable
would like to have the child come back,
willing to put In her hands the most valu-
able wardrobe to cut as she pleases. Yes, yes.
The house noisy now will soon be still
enough, I warrant you, and as when you be-
gan housekeeping there were just two ofyou,
ing breyity of infancy and childhood The
opportunity Is glorious, but 1t soon passes.
Parents may say at the close OF life, "What a
pity We did not do more for the religious
welfare Of our children while,we had them with
usl" But the lamentation will be OF no avail
The opportunity had wings, and 1t vanished.
When your child gets out Of the cradle let it
climb into the outstretched, arms OF tho beau
tiful Christ. "Come thou and all thy house
into the ark"
But there is one opportunity so much
brighter than any other, so much more invit-
ing, and 80 superior to all others that there