The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-06-02

l9 sec come anywhere uFar me when /
have any kind " tf0ubIe Is a worldly
philosopher.
Again / remark that those persons
are incompetent for the work OF COM
f9rtbeariug wh0 have nothing but
cant 70 offer There are those VINO
have the idea that you must gr1au over
the distressed and afflicted. There are
times Ia grief when one cheerful face
dawniug upon a mans soul rs worth Is
thousand dollars ~ him. DO not
whine OVgr the afflicted. Take the
promises of the Gospel and utter them
in o manly tone. DO not be- afraid TO
smile II you feel ifIre to. DO not drive
any more hcar8es through that poor
soul, do NOT tell him the trouble was
t~DFe0rdaineds 10 will not be any com.
fort 10 know 10 was o million years
coming If you want to hnd spliuts
Tor a broken bone do not take cast iron.
Do not tell them IL Is Gods justice that
weighs out grief. They want to hear
Of Gpd8tender mercy. In other words,
do not given them aqua fUFtis when
they need valerian.
Again ] remark that those persons
are poor c]omfOrters who have never
had any trouble themselves. A lark
spur not lecture on the nature of a
snuwiialte-it never 5aw "a snowflake;
and those people who have always
uyed in the summer of prosperity can
not talk 30 those who are frozen In
disaster, God keeps aged people In the
world, ! think for this very work of
sympathy. They have been through
al these trials. They know all that
which initiates and ali that which
soDthes. If there are men and women
here who have old people in the house,
or near at hand so that they can easily
rehehthem, congratulate you Some
OF us have had trials in life, and
although we have had many friends
around about MS, we have wished
that father aud mother were still alive
that we might go and tell them. Per-
haps they could not say much, bat it
would have been such a comfort "
have them around These aged ones,
who have been all through the trials of
life, know how TO give coincidence.
Cherish them; let them lean on you
arm, these aged people. If, when you
spealr to them they can uot hear just
what you shy the first time, and You
have 10 say IL a second time, when YOU
say IL a second time do not say it
sharply II you do, you win be sorry
for IL on the day when you take the
last look and brush back the stlverv
locks from the wriuiled brow Just be-
fore they screw the nd on. Blessed be
God for The old peopleI They may not
have much strength to go around, but
they are Gods appointed ministers OF
comfort TO a broken heart.
People who have not had trials them
selves can not give comfort to others.
They may talk very beautifully. and
they may give you "a greut deal Of poetic
sentiment but while poetry is perfume
that smells sweet, 1t makes u very poor
salve II you have a grave in a path.
way, and somebody CONES and covers
1t all with wild flowers, II is a grave
yet Those who have not had grief
t''i'''N NH"" h"S Nuu UAyhtety OF q
broken heart They know not the
meaning 81 ehltdlesaness, and the hav.
ing no Il To put to bed at night, or
The standing IA O room where every
BOOK ana picture and door are full Of
memories-~the door-mat where she
sat- Ine cup out OF which she
uF"ilt' the place where she stood at the
door aud clupped her hands, the odd
hgures That sle scrubbed, the blocks
that ia punt INTO a house, All. no,
you must nave trouble Yourself before
you can comfort trouble In others,
hoJ come an va VINO nave been b%erett,
and We VINO have been comiorted in
your sorrows, and stand around these
afflicted souls and say to themi 81 had
fnnf VHHHNH NEHFlFr FHr4r.aIf I.I -L.