The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-06-17
THE SMALL THINGS.
THEIR VALUE TOO OFTEN NOT
FULLY APPRECIATED.
GOODNESS is in Reach of All, And
Goodness is True Greatness-In a
Certain Sense Noting is Small or
insignificant.
(NcW \ Ork Herald J

tudc OF common people co are quite as
important as the few great things done
by the few grea. geniuses.
In a certain sense nothing is small
or lnsignificant-neither a word nor
an act.
If God thinks it we'll in His super
vision Of the universe to watch the fall
Of sparrow we should hesitate to say
our life is Of no consequence either to
earth or heaven because it happens to
be humble
The tendency is to minimize the
effect of what we do and say, whereas
it is our bounden duty to appraise
both at a higher value and to govern
ourselves accordingly. You do not
know, you cannot prophesy the effect
OF single lmpulsive act of kindness
on your part. So small thing as
that has been known to change the
current Of a life.
We would all like to be great in the
eyes of men. 1t is with no Slight envy
that we regard the poet whose lines
are on every ones lips or the artist
who has put his dream on canvas The
feeling that the Lord has discrm
mated IN their favor and against US is a
matter of constant discouragement.
Many man who has looked at the
world from this standpoint has wasted
his life and done nothing simply be-
cause he could not do everything.
When we climb to higher spiritual
elevation we shall see that to be great
III the eyes of men is a very Indifferent
while to be great in the eyes of God is
a very serious concern. This latter
possibility is within reach Of ALL 1t
is the purpose of religion to make that
fact plain and to show how the result
can be best attained.
Let us make no mistakes. Wealth
may be desirable, but one can get on
without it. Fame is desirable, but
one can get on without it and still be
comfortable and happy. Character
that IS, lntegrlty-splrltual cleanliness,
poise { f soul, uprlghtness and down
rightness are, on the other hand prime
necessares Of life, and there are no
conceivable circumstances under which
you can manage 10 dispense with
them.
say, therefore, get wealth if you
can and become famous if you may,
but if neither fame nor wealth is within
reach there is no reason to be down
hearted, for you have at hand ninety
eight hundredths of all that Omnipo-
tence has made possible, and this large
proportion of all you can have.
Learn but one secret, and learn
that secret by heart; then you will be-
come transformed and transfigured
Put envy and covetousness under your
feet and tread them into the sod. Take
your life as you find ii and make ou,
of it the best the materials allow. You
need not be wholly satisfied, for Ger
tain degree of discomfort is the i'm
pulse of progress and improvement
| But be not SO greatly dlscontenteC
| that you lose heart, become listless
and indlftren, and fail to achieve
even the small victory that lies within
your power.
No man is alone who is in Cod ,:
company, and no mans work is 0
slender importance if he is doing it a
God command and doing it in God:
way. You may not be the pendulum
which makes the clock tick as i
swings; you may not be the bell whOss
hammer sends the sllvery sounc
throughout the city, but who dare sa,
that the smallest wheel in all tha
complicated machinery has not a tunc
ton on which the completeness ane
the value of the whole dependo Th'
pendulum ceases to swing and the bel
is dumb unless the smallest wheel rec
ognizes It's responsibility and fulhlls it
You may be little, but you can als'
be great. Grandeur of soul is the
prerogatlve of every man that lives
No matter what your station, the bot
tom Of the ladder up which we Climl
to heaven is within your territory
Nothing that you do is of small con
sequence Therefore do little thing
with noble purpose, and nobility c
heart and sweetness OF life, will b
your recompense.
You are poor? Well, even pover,
has its opportunities. A kindly wor
is possible. The flowers will grow !
your window as we'll as in the Consers
atory Of the rich, for both depend 0
the same sunshine. And their pei
tume will be as grateful TO you as t
the prince. So good deeds may b
planted in the little corner in whic
you live and perhaps one of them ma
shape some young life. You can neve
know how large small thing will loo
to Il angels.
You are an invalid? Well, thought:
kindly thoughts, like electricity, al
realities. They leave you on wlnge
mission and find resting place wher
they may change some ones despa
to hope. 1t is a strange and mysterlo'
word, and | believe that no man ev
flung kindly wish into the air but
achieved some good somewhere.
Therein lines the secret Of the r,
ligious life. 1t bids you to be patle1
5. and loyal and honest l, teaches "
TO love all mankind And that sta
of mind, consecrated by the blesslr
of God, sends forth thousand ma