Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1900-10-27
THE FOOTPATH TO PEACE.
Some Admirable Advice For Every
Human Being.

some AumtfHDit hNNttt Va
Human Being.
In this world greatness has been or
tenest achieved by the giving of good
advice. The human soul without def
mite guidance is like ship without
rudder. The principal duty of parents,
friends, clergymen, statesmen, Is TO al
wise wisely. The Christian religion, |
made I'D OF advice and promises that
lead to peace and social betterment, ala
for human life what the discovery OF
the mariners compass did for naviga-
ton.
So much by way Of prelude. Now we
ask YOU to read to those who surround
Won the advice given below. Read 1t 10
YOUR children and explain its meaning
Read It to your husband disturbed oy
care. to your son vaguely ambitious.
Read II carefully yourself. The advice
Is written by Henry Van Dyke, recent
" q distinguished clergyman, at pres
ent an instructor at Princeton college,
Mr.. Van Dyke decided that he could DO
more good in educating the brain than
in laboring to convert the brain from
fixed habits of foolish thinking ana
gave up the ministry for college work.
He never did more for education than
when he wrote the following words,
which he calls 1.-THE Footpath 10
| Peace"
"To be glad of life because 1t gives
Won the chance to love and to work ana
to play and to look up at the stars, 10 De
satisfied with your possessions, but not
contented with yourself until you nave
made the best of them; to despise noun
ing in the world except falsehood ana
meanness and to fear nothing except
cowardice, to be governed by your al
vibrations rather than by your disgusts'
+o covet nothing that is your neighbours
exceDt his kindness of heart ana gen
tleness of manners, to think seldom Oh
vour enemies. often of your friends ana
every day of Christ and to spend as
much time as you can with body ana
with spirit In Gods out of doors. lhese
are little guideposts on the footpath TO
peace"
There is in this advice almost every
thing that Is called for In advising the
old or the young That which is lack
ing. we should say. is one line strongly
urging to ceaseless ambitious effort.
Effort Is every mans duty. Effort JUS
titles his existence here. Through Ell
fort. spurred by ambition, mans WORK
here Is done-wlthOut ceaSeless effort
his life cannot be satisfactory. But MI.
Van DYKE, himself an example or
ceaseless striving and hard work. aim
ed in the advice quoted at incuicatlhg
q high spiritual view Of life's duties
and purposely. perhaps, omitted from
his brief discourse the appeal to amDl-
ton.
Most important in the advice gwen
we believe, are the following extracts:
"To look up at the stars" ito think
every day of Christ" Restful and in
sDiring to mind and soul is the view or
the stars. comforting us for our FAILURES
with the assurance of our Infinite little
ness lending dignity to our earth and
our life through our brotherhood with
the great ocean of worlds that make up
the universe. The day will come when
man. conqueror of this little earth and
its petty problems, will look outward
and upward to the greater worlds
around him for all inspiration ana
hone when his interest in this world
cOmpared with other worlds Will be as
his present interest in some Towering
house plant compared with the entire
broad earth.
ITO think every day of Christ" This
is not the place to treat Of this sugges-
ton from the religious standpoint But
, this may properly be said here: Every
man, apart from all religious BELIEF,
can be made better man by earnest
study and daily contemplation of the
character of Jesus. Seen only as
man his character better than any oth-
! err is calculated to inspire other men,
Courage. that all men admire. Christ
, possessed 1t to the uttermost limit.
, Modest courage that could not boast
and that death could not move Kind
( ness. that makes the world habita0le.
Christ was its personification on earth.
Compassion. elOquence, purpose I'M
, changeable, charity, forgiveness of 9TH
ers' weakness-all these may be studied
, in Christ as in no other man that has
3 ever appeared upon earth.-New York
Evening Journal.