Connecticut western news., 1901-09-26

.SeHH#HA WASHINGTON, Sept. 22.-In this dis course Dr. Talmage commends the spir- 1t of amity and good feeling and men, tions illustrious examples of that spir- 1t; text. Acts xviii, 2, "The barbarous people showed us no little kindness"
 Here we are on the island of Malta, another name for Melita. This island, which has always been an important commercial center, belonging at differ ent times to PhRnicia, to Greece, to Rome, to Arabia, to Spain, to France, the island Is about 100 square miles. It is in the Mediterranean sea and of such clarity of atmosphere that Mount Etna, 130 miles away, can be distinctly seen. The island Is gloriously memo rable because the Knights of Malta for a long while ruled there, but most fa- nous because of the apostolic ship wreck. The bestormed vessel on which Paul sailed had "laid to- on the star board tack, and the wind was blowing east-northeast, and, the vessel drifting probably mile and half an hour, she struck at what Is now called St. Paurs bay. Practical sailors have talk en up the Bible account and decided beyond controversy the place of the shipwreck. But the island, which has so rough a coast, is for the most part a garden. Richest fruits and profu- sion of honey characterized 1t in Paups time as we'll as now. The finest or anges, figs and olives grow there.
 When Paul and his comrades crawled up on the beach, saturated and hungry from long abstinence from food and chilled to the bone, the islanders, though called barbarians because they could not speak Greek, opened their doors to the shipwrecked unfortunates. My text finds the ships crew ashore on Malta and around hot fire and with the best provision the island CTS can offer them. And they go into government quarters for three days to recuperate. Publius, the ruler, inviting them, although he had severe sickness in the house at that time, his father down with a dangerous illness. Yea, for three months they stayed on the is- land watching for ship and putting the hospitality of the islanders to a severe test. But 1t endured the test sat isfactorily, and 1t Is recorded for all the ages of time and eternity to read and hear in regard to the inhabitants of Malta, "The barbarous people showed us no little kindness"
 Most Potent of Words.
 Kindness! What a great word that Is. It would take a reed as long as that which the apocalyptic angel used to measure heaven to tell the length, the breadth, the height, of that munif- cent word. It is favorite Bible word, and 1t is early launched in the book of Genesis, caught up in the book of Joshua, embraced in the book of Ruth, sworn by in the book of Samuel, crown cd In the book of Psalms and enthron- ed In many places in the New Testa- ment Kindness! A word no more gentle than mighty. I expect 1t will wrestle me down before get through with 1t. It is strong enough to throw an archangel. But 1t will be well for LII selves by its glow as Paul and his fel- low voyagers stood around the fire on the island of Malta. where the Maltese made themselves immortal in my text by the way they treated these victims of the sea- "The barbarous people showed us no little kindness"
 Kindness! All definitions of that multipotent word break down half way. You say 1t is clemency, benigni- ty. generosity; 1t Is made up of good wishes; 1t Is an expression of benefi- cence; 1t Is contribution to the happi- ness of others. Some one else says: "Why, I can give you a definition of kindness. 1t Is sunshine of the soul; 1t Is affection perennial; 1t Is climacter- ic grace; 1t is a combination of all the graces; 1t Is compassion; 1t is the per lection of gentle manliness and wo- manliness." Are you all through? You have made dead failure in your defl- hilton. It cannot be defined. But we all know what 1t is, for we have all felt It's power. Some of you may have felt 1t as Paul felt 1t on some coast of rock as the ship went to pieces, but more of us have again and again in some awful stress of life had either from earth or heaven hands stretched out which showed us no little kindness"
 There is kindness of disposition, kind ness of word, kindness of act, and there Is Jesus Christ, the impersonation of all of them. Kindness! You cannot affect 1t; you cannot play 1t as a part; you cannot enact 1t; you cannot drama tize It. By the grace of God you must have 1t inside you. an everlasting sum- mer, or, rather, combination of June and October. the geniality of the one and the tonic of the other. It cannot dwell with arrogance or spite or re- venge or malevolence. At its first ap- pearance in the soul all these Amale- kites and Gergishites and Hittites and Jebusites must quit and quit forever. Kindness wishes everybody well, every man we'll, every woman well, every child we'll, every bird we'll, every horse well, every dog we'll, every cat well. Give this spirit full swing, and you would have no more need of societies for prevention of cruelty to animals no more need of protective sewing women's associations, and 1t would dull every sword until 1t would not cut skin deep and unwheel every bat tery till 1t could not roll and make gunpowder of no more use In the world except for rock blasting or pyrotechnie celebration.
 But are you waiting and hoping fo
 some one to be bankrupted or expose'
 or discounted or in some way over
 thrown? Then kindness has not takel
 possession of your nature. You ar
 wrecked on a Malta where there ar
 no oranges. You re entertaining
 guest so unlike kindness that kindnes
 will not come and dwell under tn
 same roof. The most exhausting an
 unhealthy and ruinous spirit on cart