Arizona republican., 1899-11-30
HE HAS FAITH.

tions of learning and to charity as at the present. Never was the possession of wealth regarded so much in the light of a sacred trust. Whether men and women have little or much beyond ab- solute need, they are more likely than ever before to ask, What can I do for the less favored of my fellow men? Witness the great increase of charit- able, religious and educational institu- tions; no community in our land is so poor as to be without some such mon ument, attesting that new use of { wealth which is so conspicuous a fea- ture of our American life.
 Still again, look in the direction of the family life of our nation, and con- slider to how much good we have at tained here.
 It is true that the evils which threat en our homes are great and terrible, and so much of domestic unhappiness is constantly recorded that one some times feels that the family life of the American people is rapidly going to pieces. But lay down your paper and walk out upon the streets of any city, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and you will pass in an hour hundreds of happy American homes, where love reignS and domestic virtues dominate
 According to the principle already re- ferred to, that our appreciation of good . depends upon some degree of likeness to that good, how stands it with our American homes in the light of an inn portant incident in our comparatively recent history? You recall the weary weeks of suffering, during which the brave Garfield, by his cheerfulness and Christian fortitude, won the admira- tion of all who knew the facts. But the most remarkable feature protected into the foreground by those sad weeks was the revelation, through the Garfield home life, of the best features of Amer ican family life.
 And 1t was applauded and honored and reverenced, not because it was ex- ceptional, but because it was typical of thousands and tens of thousands of true homes throughout our land. And since the days of 1881 such homes have not grown less.
 ! Once more, look for a moment in the direction of the church life of our pen- pie Consider how many millions of dollars are invested in church buildings in America, and how many more mil { lions are employed every year in main ; taining these churches and in promot- ing their enterprises at home and in foreign lands. And all these offerings of the peoples substance are made un- der no arbitrary enactment of king or state. but under the compulsion of the religious sentiment alone
 But the people give not only their money; think of the vast amount of personal service which they render the
 
 pensation. Think of the great army of workers who are giving their best thought, their time, their strength, and their hearts to the training of the young in all best things, and with the unselfish purpose alone of doing good
 We must have attained unto much good in the religious development of the people when the churches of the land have wrought into our civilization such unramitting, untiring service.
 We nave looked long enough, have we not, tn the direction of the often or | habitually unconsidered good in all these different phases of our American life, to make us feel anew how blessed We are in having our lot in this favored land?
 Do not lay down this paper, I beg of you, with the impression that whatever is, in our public life, business life, fam fly life, church life. is right-that all is as 1t should be. But do try to think a little more of the too often unconsider- ed good of life in our beloved land. Dc let yourself love your country with a more ardent patriotism, and try to help her still further to realize along all lines the best types which God has given us.
 Do let the feeling be a little deeper within you that our God is the living God, that He has never been absent from any part of the unfolding life of our nation, and that He is not absent today. "Whereunto we have already attained, let us mind the same thing,
 and so will all our days be Thanks giving days.