The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-11-14
Christian Life Column
OVRR EVIL.
BY GEO H HEPwORTH.

FOOLISH heart was darkened .-ROmans L; Fl.
Toe imagination plays a more i'm
portant part in our lives than we are
apt to believe. 1 dare to say that if
you could give me control of your i'm
agination / could make you happy or
miserable at will. To curb and train
the imaginative faculty, therefore, is
just as necessary as to disciplined wild
horse fresh from the prairies before
you car hope to make him useful. I
do not overstate the truth when I say
that until you have your imagination
we'll in hand you cannot be religious in
any high sense.
I'VE brood more than we are aware
OF, and we reason im2artially less than
we think we do. A perfectly fair view
Of any subject in which prejudice'may
possibly affect our judgment, is not Of
the most diff cult accomplishments Of
human nature, because prejudice ia
strong and domineering, while reason
is weak and ickle. A prejudice gets
possession of US at once, while reason
comes tagging on behind. Prejudice
may wen indulge in a coup d'etGt and
so entirely capture the reason that en-
tire fairness is out of the question.
This is only n her way OF saying
that we feel more quickly than we can
think, and that the feeling may do
great injus ice to friend or foe before
reason can come to the rescue and set
things right.
NOW prejudice has no place in a
true mans life, aud a mere impression
as a substitute for calm aud sound
judgment may be followed by conse-
quences which we will later on regret
Aud prejudice is the offspring Of i'm
aginstion. We dream of circumstan
ces which may or may not be true, we
imagine motives which may or may
not ex's5, and on the strength of these
vain imaginings we make our decision
on very important subj cts, and fire.
Quently the decision Is not only dis
credi5able to ourselves but unfair to
others, and will not stand the test Of a
rea sonable survey.
You can, for example, brood over
a matter until you make a mountain
out Of an ant hill. D Yelling unduly
upon II, you magnify it, and it assumes
proportions which do not rightly be
long to iE. Your logical faculty is set
aside, is banIshed TO the background /;
you are no longer q reasoning being,
but one who imagines facts, and then
acts as though they were real. This ia
a dangerous thing to do, because you
erect a false standard OF measurements,
and your life gets to be all out of lint.
The friendship which has been very
dear to you, dwindIes until it becomes
a mere suspicion, and suspicion is no
basis on which to build any sweet or
lasting relationship.
lin the same way one may brood
over q physical ailment until the forces
Of nature all sweep in that direction
and iG becomes serious. You can think
Of e.pein until it doubles it's force and
becomes unbaarable, whereas in point
of fact i5 amounts 60 little or nothing;
or yOu may ignore it until it reaches
the vanishing point. a man may nurse
an II Jury or q supposed injury until II
grows to be the one overwhelming
thing in his experience, dominating
his whole being and setting his worst
passions IN motion; Or he a curb his
imagination, elbow reason to come TO
the front, aud reach the conclusion
nine timus out of ten that after all it ia
an insignificant affair, not worthy any
particular notice. To nurse a pain or
a disappointment is spiritually close to
a crime, for you not only m AXE your
self miserable, but uu6t yourself to
bear it as it should be borne.
"The Christian rule is to make light
of trouble Sd far as it may be done and
to dwell constantly on the brighter side
of life. 1t is batter to be cheerful than
gloomy, and If we properly dis 3ipline
ourselves we can always find good
cheer, and nearly always avoid the
gloom. Loving your neighOor as your
SELF means that you should judge him
as kindly as you would like to be
Judged. Keep a check. on your ten
dency to imagine D mething wrong,
and search for what is good until you
find it. b slow to condemn, as you
certainly will be if you allow your
reason to have full pay instead of
your prejudice.
Il am o speaking OF a small, but
of a very grave duty. There is no re
ligion ia doing injustice to any one;
neighbor is there any religion in cher