Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-01-05
LIKE APPLES OF GOLD
AN APPROPRIATE WORD MAY DECIDE
ONES DESTINY.


of Usefulness lis Open to All-valuo
of sympathy.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30.-In this dis
course DR.. Talmage shows an open
door for any one who desires to be use
full and illustrates how a little thing
may decide ones destiny. The text Is
Proverbs XIV, II (revlsed version). "a
word fitly spoken is like apples of gold
in baskets Of silver"
A fllgree basket loaded with fruit is
put before us In the text What Is or
dinarily translated pictures" ought to
be baskets" Here Is a silver network
basket containing ripe and golden ap-
pies, pippins or rennets. You know
how such apples glow through the
openings Of a basket of silver network.
You have seen such basket OF fruit
on many table. 1t whets the appe-
tite as we'll as regales the vision. Sol
omon was evidently fond of apples be-
cause he so often speaks Of them.
While he writes in glowing terms OF
pomegranates and figs and grapes and
mandrakes, he seems to find solace as
well as lusciousness In apples, calling
out for n supply of them when he says
in another place, Comfort me with ap-
ples.' Now you see the meaning OF
my text, "a word fitly spoken Is like
apples Of gold in baskets Of silver"
You see, the wise man euloglzes just
one word. Plenty of recognition has
there been for great orations-Cicero's
arraignment of Catiline, the philippics
of Demosthenes. the five days argu-
ment of Edmund Burke against War
rem Hastings. Edward lrvlng's dis
courses on the Bible and libraries full
of prolonged utterance-but my text ex-
tolls the power of one word when 1t re-
fers to "a word fifty spoken
This may mean a single word or
small collection Of words-something
YOU can utter in one breath, something
that you can compact into one SEN
tence. "a word fifty spoken"-an en-
couraging word. a kind word. a timely
word, a sympathetic word, an appro-
pirate word. can pass right down
the aisle of any church and find be-
tween pulpit and front door men whose
temporal and eternal destinies have
been decided by word.
A Word OF sympathy.
| tell you what is great crisis In ev-
cry mans history. 1t is the time when
he is entering an occupation or profess
sion. He is opposed by men In middle
life because they do not want any more
rivals and by some Of the aged because
they fear being crowded off and their
places being taken by younger men.
Hear the often severe and unfair ex-
aminations Of young lawyers by old
lawyers, of young doctors by old doc
tors, of young ministers by old minis
ters. Hear some of the old merchants
talk about the young merchants. Trow-
els and hammers and scales often are
Jealous of new trowels and new ham,
mers and new scales. Then 1t Is so diff
ficult to get introduced. How long a
time has many a physician had his
sign out before he got a call for his
services and the attorney before he got
a easel Who wants to risk the life OF
his family to young physician who
got his diploma only last spring and
who may not know measles from scar
latina, or to risk the obtaining of YER
dict for $4,000 to an attorney who
only three years ago read the first page
Of Blackstone?
How is the young merchant to COM
pete with his next door bargain maker,
who can afford to undersell some
things because he can more than make
It up by the profit on other things or
has failed three times and had more
money after each failure? How Is that
mechanic to make a livelihood when
there are twice as many men In that
trade as can in hard times find occupa-
tion? There are this very moment
thousands of men who are just start
ing life for themselves. and they need
encoura gement-nOt long harangue. not
quotation from profound book. not
page. not a paragraph. but word. one
word, ftly spoken.
Why does not that old merchant. who
has been 40 years in business 20 into
that young merchants store and say
"Couragew He needs only that one
word, although. of course, you will IL
lustrase It by telling your own expert
ence and how long you waited for GUS
toners, and how the first two years
you lost money. and how the next year.
though you did better. Illness In your
household swamped the surplus with
doctors bills. Why does not that OLD
lawyer 90 into that young lawyers or
fec lust after he has broken down In
making his first plea before jury and
say that word with only two syllables'
"Couragew He needs only that one
word. although. OF course. you Will IL
lustrate it by telling him how you
broke down in one Of your first cases
and got laughed at by court and bar
and Jury, and how Disraeli broke down
at the start and how hundreds OF the
most successful lawyers at the start
broke down. Why do not the success
full men go right away and tell those
who are starting what they went
through and how their notes got pro-
tested and what unfortunate purchases
they made and how they were SWIM
died, but kept right on until they
reached the golden milestone? Even
some who pretend to favor the new be-
ginner and say they wish him well put
obstacles In his way.
Lack of Courage.
| There are so many men VINO nave all
the elements OF usefulness and power
except one-courage. II you can only
under God give them that you give
them everything. In illustrating that
one word show them that every man