The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-01-04


him well put obstacles in his way.
There are 80 many men who have all
the elements OF usefulness and power tx.
cept one-courage. IT you can only under
God give them that you give them every
thing. In illustrating that one word show
them that every man that ever amounted
10 anything had terrific struggle Show
him what ships Decatur had 10 fight, and
what u mountain Hannibal had TO climb,
and what n lame foot Walter Scott had 20
walk with, and that the greatest poet
who ever lived Milton-was blind. that
one of the Rrandcst musicians of all the
ngcs-lIe lIecthovcn-wns deaf and that
Stewart, in some respects the greatest
merchant that America ever saw, began
IN his small store, dining on bread and
cheese behind the counter in snatched
intcrregnum between customers. he open.
ing the store and closing It, sweeping il
out with his own broom and being his own
errand boy. Show them that within ten
minutes walk there are stores, shops and
factories and homes where as brave deeds
have been done as those Of Leonidas at
Thermopylac M that of IIoratius at the
bridge, as that of Colin Campbell at Bala.
klava. Tell them what Napoleon said 10
his staff officer when that officer declared
n certain military attempt 20 be impossi.
BILE. "Imposgiblcl" said the great com.
mandcr. Impossible is the adjective of
fools"
Show them also that what is true in
worldly directions ~ more true I'm spiritual
directions. Call the roll Of prophets, apos.
ties aud martyrs and private Christians
from the time the world began and ask
them TO mention one man or woman
greatly good or useful who was not dcpre-
clutcd and failed and made q laughing
stock. Racks and prisons and whips and
shlpwrccks and axes OF bcheadmcnt did
their worst, yet the heroes were more
than conqueror. With such things YOU
viii illustrate that word Courage" and
they will go out from your presence To
start anew and right, challenging all earth
and hell to the combat.
Tht word courage ftlv spoken with
compressed lips aud stout grip Of the hand
and an intelligent flash of the cyc-wcll
The finest apples that ever thumpcd on the
ground IN an autumnal orchard aud were
placed in the most beautiful basket of sill
yer network before Keen appcutcs could
not be more attractive
Furthermore. comforting word titly
spoien is n beautiful thing. No one but
God could give the inventory of sick beds
and bercft homes and broken hearts. We
ought not 10 let day pass without n
visit or a letter. or a message. or prayer
ronsolatorv. You could call five minutes
on your wav to the factory; you could
leave n hnlf hour earlier in the afternoon
and fiji mission Of solacc YOU could
brighten sicl, room with one chrysanthe-
mum; YOU could nut n postscript 60 let.
ter that would hiring the joys of heaven to
n soul; YOU could send your carriage and
give an afternoon airing 60 an invalid on
n neiqhhorinc street. YOU could loan
book with some chapters most adapted 10
some particular misfortune. Go home to-
dav and make out list Of things YOU can
do that viii show sympathetic thouGhtiul'
ness for the hardly hcstcad. How many
dark places YOU mirht illumlnc! How
many tears you could stop or, II already
started Won could wine away How much
like Jesus Christ ycu might get 90 be- So
svmrathctic was lie with hcggarv, So
hclpfnl was lie for the fallen and so stirred
was lie at the sight Of dronsv CpIlcnsy,
noralysis and orhthalmin that whether
lie saw IL Nv The roadside or az the sea
beach. or at the mineral baths ot Bethcs'
la. lie offered rclicf Cultivate genuine
svmrathv. Chrstlkc sympathy. Won can.
not successmllv drrmatizc IL. False sym.
nathy Alexander Pope sketches in two
lines
Before her face her handkerchief she
snrcad
To hide Tho flood Of tears she did not
shed"
There are four or five words which htlv
spoken might soothc and emoncipate and
rescue. Go to those from whose homes
Christ has taken 90 Himself loved one
and try the word reunion not under
wintrv slIv. hut in everlasting springtidc;
not n land whore thev can be struck with
disease but whore the inhahitant never
saws. II am siclI:' not n reunion that can
bc followed hv separation. but m place
"from which they shall co no more out
forever" For emancipation and signing.
immortal health Reunion. or II YOU like
the word better. anticipation. There y
nothing left for them in this world. Try
them with heaven. With a chapter from
the great hool, open one of the Twelve
gates Give iham ono note ot scrapht
harp. ono ne,h from The sea OF glass. one
clatter of the hoofs of the horses on which
victors ride. That word reunion or intici
patton ftly spoken Well. no fruit
hcapcd M in silver baskets could equal
IT, Oi the 2N0O kinds Of applcs that have
blessed the world not one is so mellow on
90 rich on 81 aromatic. but We take The
suggestion Of The text and compare tbat
word Of comfort ft'v spoken 90 apples oi
gold in baskets of silver
Or the man astrav may have an unhappy
home. and that IL enough 90 wreck any
one. We often sneak OF men who destroy
their homes hut do not cav anything
about The fact shat there are thousands Of
wives in American who hy pclulance and
frotting and inconeiieratiOn and lack OF