The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1898-07-07
COMMON SENSE.

OO4A 1v4O1V R11V N1s
How many people there are who
want to help their fellow man; who
want to do some good deed, and only
for the lack of common sense, they are
dead failures. Why is it? They do
not exercise the same tact, the same
ingenuity, the same common sense that
they do in their everyday business. If
they did, how great would be the sue
cess, how much would be accomplished,
how much of suffering humanity
would be relieved There are many
men who have an arrogant way with
them, although they may not feel arro-
giant in their soul. Or they have a pa
tronizing way. In an attempt to cheer
and comfort or perhaps counsel, advise
or warn fellow man of approaching
dangers or evils in his road, they talk
talk in way that seems to say, "Don't
you wish you were as good as 1 am :?
Why l have to look clean down before
l can see you, you are so far beneath
me-
The writer would not leave the i'm
preston that this is the state of the
man at heart; far be it from me to
Judge any man. But this outward i'm
preston, certainly has tendency to
disgust, and drive man away from
what is to be desired; than pure honor
able life of virtue and morality.
Men who desire to uplift those of the
human race who have fallen from the
ladder of honor and purity, must work
IN natural way or this work is in
vain. There is too much want of i'm
itation of him who could pluck a poem
from the grass of the field Too much
want of imitation of him who talked to
the farmer about the man who went
out to sow, who talked with the fish
erman about the drawn net that
brought in fish of all sorts; who talked
with the vine dresser about the idler
in the vineyard; who talked with the
newly atfianced about the marriage
supper, who talked to the man cramped
IN money matters about the two debt
ors, and who talked with the shepherd
about the lost sheep Too much want
OF imitation and not enough willingness
to follow in the more lowIy paths,
wherein may be found the true talent
IF we could but check the speaker.
When he spOils his neighbOr's fame;
II we would but help the erring,
Ere we utter words of blame:
Ii we could, how many might we
Turn from paths of sin and shame
All, the wrongs that might be righIed,
If we would but see the way!
All, the pain that might be lightened.
Every hour and every day,
If we would but hear the pleadings
OF the hearts that go astray.
Let us step outside the stronghold
Of our selfshness and pride;
Let us lift our faintng brc hers,
Let us strengthen, ere we chide;
Let us ere we blame the fallen,
Hold light to cheer and guide.
In each life, however lOwly,
There are seeds of mighty gOod
Still, we shrink from souls appealing,
With timid, "If we could''
But the God who judges all things,
Knows the truth is-"If we wOuld''
Oh. we might gather even the stars
of the sky and twist them like forget
me-nots in the garland of Savior.
We must bring everything to him
the wealth of language, the tenderness
of sentiment, the delicacy of morning
dew, the saffron of floating clouds, the
tangled surf of tossing sea, the bursting
thunder guns of the storms lombard
ment, yes, every star must point down
to him, every heliotrope must breathe
his praise, every drop in the summer
shower must flash his glory, all the
tree branches of the forest must thrum
their music in the grand march to eel.
ebrate a world redeemed.