Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-06-07

each other and exchange chances and
smile and then appropriate the tremen-
dous truths OF the gospel There are
some evils you can laugh down easier
than you can preach down. The cues.
ton Is always being asked. Why do not
more people go to church, prayer meet
Ing and other religious meetings? 1
VIII tell you. We of the pulpit and the
pew are so duh they cannot stand n
But when we ask why people do not go
10 church we ask "A misleading uues-
uon. More people go now to church
than ever ia the worlds history. and
the reason is In all our denominations
there is new race OF ministers stem
ping into the pulpits which are not the
apostles of humdrum. Sure enough
we want In the Lords army the heavy
artiiiery, but we want also more men
who. like Burns. farmer at Gettys-
burg. took musket and went out on
his own account to do little shooting
different from the other soldiers. The
church of God is dying OF the proprie-
ties
Set Good Example,
Or Is your talent an opportunity 10
set good example? One person doing
right under adverse circumstances will
accomplish more than many treatises
about what is right. The census has
never been taken of lovely old folks.
Most OF us. IL we have not such a one
In our own house now, have I'm our
memory such a saint. We went to
those old people with all our troubles
Ihey were perpetual evangelists, by
their soothing words, by their hopeful
ness of spirit, an inexpressible helm.
L cannot see how heaven could make
them any lovelier than they are or
were. But there are exceptions. There
IS daughter In that family whose ia
Their is impatient and the mother
queruious. The passage OF many years
does not always improve the DISPOSE
ton, and there are great many dis
agreeable old folks. Some of them for
get that they were ever young Them
selves, and they become uutidy in their
habits and wonder how, when their
asthma or rheumatism is so bad, other
people can laugh or sing aud go on as
they do. The daughter In that family
bears all the peevishuess and unreal
sonable behavior OF senility without
answering back or making any kind
or complaint If you should ask her
what her five talents are or her one
talent is. she would answer that she
mas no talent at all. Greatly mistaken
is she. Her one talent Is to forbear
ana treat the childishness of the old
as well as she treats the chiidishness
of the young. She is no musician. and
besides there may not be n piano in
the house. She cannot skillfully swing
n croquet mallet or golf stick. Indeed.
she seems shut up to see what she can
do with ladle and a broom and n
brush and other household implements
She is the personificatIon OF patience
and her reward will be rs long ms
heaven. Indeed. much OF her reward
may be given on earth. She Is I'm n
rough college. from which she NAV
AFTER awhile graduate into brightest
domesticity. She is q heroine, though
ut present she may receive nothing but
scolding and depreciation. Her one
talent or patience under trial will do
more good than many morocco covered
sermons on patience preached today
from the tasseled cushion OF the puIpit.
There is man In business life whose
one talent is honesty. He has not the
genius or the force to organize q COM
pany or plan what Is called a corner
In wheat or ~ corner tn stocks" or
n corner" In anything. He goes to
business at reasonable hour and re-
turns when II Is time 10 lock up. He
never gave n check for $4,000 IN nil
bis life, but be is known on the strcct
and in the church and in many bonora.
Die circles as an honest man. His
word is as good as his bond. He has
Tor 50 years been referred TO as N
clean, upright. Industrious, consistent
christian man. Ask him how MANY
talents he has, and he Will not claim
even one. He cannot make n speech
ne cannot buy up n market, he cannot
Afford an outshining equlpage. bur
what an example he Is TO the young.
what an honor TO his household, what |
Pillar to the church OF God, what n |
specimen OF truth and integrity and all |
of character! Is there anv
in usefulness between that |
nan with the one talent OF honesty and |
he dashing operators of the money |
Genius Unnecessary.
The chief work OF the people with
many talents is TO excite wonderment
md TO startle and clectrify the world.
What use Is there in all that? No use
II all. have not so much interest I'm
he one man out OF n million rs
AVE In the million. Get the rreot
masses or the world right and II does
lot make much difference about what
he exceptional people are doing. Have
III the people with the one talent en-
'sted Tor God and Righteousness, and
et all those with five or ten talents
Migrate to the north star or the moon.
NO this world would get on splen-
IDLY. The Woodworking, industrious
iasses or America are all right and
you'd give no trouble, but IL is the
enius who gives up work and on a big
alary goes around to excite dissatis-
action and embodiment, the genius
mo quits work and steps on the stage
political platform, eats beefsteak
nd quail on toast and causes the COM
ION iaporers, compelled to idleness, to
Ut their hands into empty pockets and
nc gristle and gnaw bones. The world
'ould be nightly improved If IL could ,
ough on about 5000 geniuses. for
here are more than that on our planet.
hen the man or woman of one talent
ould take possession Of the world and [
lie 1t In common sense and Chris
an way. There would be less to I
maze and startle. but more to give
luipoise to church and state and
ord. ITO another one" I
The most brilliant and many sided
an that ever trod this world, I'm nv I
'inion, was Napoleon Bonaparte, and I
man that ever lived did the world 4
ore damage. ! have read book adj /
'cating him as great emancipator 4
10 reformer. l was not surprised at
e book, for I have heard of a PAM 7
liet In defense of Judas Iscariot. t
oppose 1t may set forth the idea that p
q amt II =