Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-01-26


who started IL,
Slain by Interrogation Points.
There Is not an honest man In Wash
ington or New York or any other city
who cannot he damaged 10y such in-
fernalism. In n village where I once
lived steamboat every day came TO
the wharf. An enemy OF the steam
boat company asked one day. u Won
der If that steamboat is safer The
man who heard the question soon said
TO his ncighbor. There is some Sus-
picion about the safety of that steam
boat" And the next one who got hold
OF II said. There Is an impression
abroad that there will soon be an acct
dent on that steamer" Soon all that
community began TO say. THAT steam
or Is very unsafe" And as conse-
quence we all took the stage rather
than risk our lives on the river. The
steamer was entirely sound and safe.
but one Interrogation in regard 10 her
started n suspicion that went on until
the steamboat company was ruined
Precisely SO noble regulations and
good enterprises and useful styles of
business arr slain by Interrogation
points Can you imagine any creature
so loaihsome rs the one who feels
himself or herself called TO question
all integrity. all ability. all honesty. all
character? BuzZards looking for car
rlon.
While ! believe enough In human
depravity to be orthodox, I tell you
that the most of people whom | know
are doing the best they can. Faults7
oh. yes: all people except you and
have faults, But they are sorry about
II, repentant on account Of IL and are
trying TO do better. About all the mar
ried people l know of are married to
the one person best suited. Nearly all
the parents with whom l am acquaint-
ed are doing the best they can for their
children. All the clerks In stores. so
far as | know, are honest. and all per-
sons in official position, city. state or
nation, are fulfilling their mission as
well as they can. The most of those
who have failed In business, so far as
I know. have failed honestly. The
singers are singing their best songs.
the sculptors chiseling their best stat
ues. the painters penciling their best
pictures. the ministers preaching their
best sermons. Take any audience that
assemblies In any church, and If there
are 500 people assembled | think ut
least $50 are doing the best they can.
and If there be 5000 assembled at least
$500 are doing the best they can.
Hunting For vuIturcs.
AL people make mistakes - say
things that afterward they are sorry
for and miss opportunity OF uttering
the right word and doing the right
thing. But when they say their pray
ers at night these defects are sure to
be mentioned somewhere between the
name of the Lord, for whose mercy they
plead, aud the amen that closes the
supplication. THAT has not been my
observation" says some one. Well. /
am sorry for you, my brother, my sis
ter. What an awful crowd you must
have got intoi Or. as is more proba-
BILE, you are one OF the characters that
my text sketches. You have not been
hunting fer cartridges and quail. but
for vuliures. You have been micro
scopizing the worlds faults. You have
been down in the marshes when you
ought 60 have been on the uplands. ]
have caught you at last. You are al
busybody I'm other mems matters"
How is 1t that you can always find
two opinions about any one and those
two opinions exactly opposite? will
tell you the reason. IL is because there
are two sides TO every characteristic
best side and the worst side. A we'll
disposed man chiefly seeks the best
GU
iy the worst side. Re ours the desire
TO see the best side. for II Is healthier
for us SO TO do and stirs admiration.
which is an elevated state. while the
desire TO End the worst side keeps one
In spirit OF dlsquietude and disgust
aud mean suspicion. and that Is n pull
ing down OF our own nature. n distig.
uremcnt OF our own character. I am
afraid the impcrfectIons OF others will
kill us yet.
The habit deplore is apt to show
Itself In the visage. A kindly man
who wishes everybody well soon DEM
onstrates his disposition In his looks.
His features may fracture all the laws
OF handsome physiognomy, but God
puts into that mans eyes and In the
curve or his nostrils and In the upper
and lower lip the signature OF divine
approval. And you see IL ut a glance.
as plainly rs though IL had been writ
ten all over his face In rose color:
This is one OF my princes. He Is on
the way to coronation. bless him
now with all the benedictions that In
hnity can afford. Look at him. Ad-
fr.a
The SIanderer.
On the other hand. IL one be cynical
about the character OF others and
chiefly observant of defects and glad
to lind something wrong In character
the fact Is apt 10 be demonstrated In
his looks. However regular his fea-
lures and though constructed accord.
Ing TO the laws OF Kaspar Lavater, his
visage Is sour. He may smile. but It is
q sour smile. There is sneer in the
Imitation of the nostril There is n
mean curvature to the lip. There Is n
bad look in the eye. The devil OF sar-
casm and malevoience and suspicion
has taken possession OF him, and you
see 1t as plainly as though from the
hair line OF the forehead to the lowest
point In the round OF his chin it were
written: "Minei Mine! l, the demon
or the pit. have soured his visage with
my curse. Look at him! He chose a
diet OF carrion. He gloated over the
misdeeds of others. 1t took all my
Internal enginery to make him what
he is-'a busybody In other mems mat
ters.'"
But there Is worthy and Christian
way OF looking abroad upon others,
not for the purpose OF bringing them
TO disadvantage or advertising their
weaknesses or putting In great prim-
err or paragon" type their frailities.
but to offer help, sympathy and res
cue. That Is Christlike, and he who
does so wins the applause OF the high
heavens. Just look abroad for the
people who have made great mistakes
and put big plaster of coincidence on
their decorations. Such people are new
ar CO \ lafs