Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-01-04

VANhetN anu were pidCSu IN the most
beautiful basket of silver network be-
fore keen appetites could not be more
attractive
Furthermore, comforting word City
spoken is beautiful thing. No one
but God could give the Inventory of
sick beds aud bcreft homes and broken
hearts. We ought not to let day pass
without visit. or n letter. or mes
sage. or a prayer cousoIatory. You
could call five minutes on your way to
the factory; you could leave a half
hour earlier In the afternoon and dll a
mission of solace: you could brighten
a sickroom with one chrysanthemum;
you could put postscript to letter
that would bring the joys of heaven to
soul; you could send your carriage
and give an afternoon airing TO an in.
Nalld ON neiShboring street; you could
loan book with some chapters most
adapted to some particular misfortune.
Go home today and make OUT a list of
things you can do that will show sym.
pathetic thoughtfuluess for the hardly
bestead. How many dark places you
might iluiuine. How many tears YOU
could stop or. if already started. you
could wipe awayl Row much like .Je
sus Christ you might get to be. So
sympathetic was he with beggary. so
helpful was he for the fallen and so
stirred was be at the sight of dropsy.
epilepsy. paralysis and ophthalmia
that. whether he saw it by the road
side. or ut the sea beach. or at the min.
eral baths OF Bethesda. he offered re-
lief. Cultivate genuine sympathy,
Christlike sympathy. You cannot sue
cessfully dramatize 1t. False sympa.
thy Alexander Pope sketches In two
lines:
Before her face her handkerchief she spread
To hide the Good Of tears she did not shed.
There are four or FIVE words which
fifty spoken might soothe and enamel
pate and rescue. Go to those from
whose homes Christ has taken to him.
self n loved one and try the word IRE
union" not under wintry sky, but In
everlasting springtide; not land
where they can be struck with disease
but where the inhnbitant never says.
Il am Sick" not reunion that can be
followed by separation. but in n place
from which they shall go no more out
forever" For emancipation and Sigh.
ing, immortal health. Reunion or II
you like the word better authorization.
There is nothing left for them in this
world. Try them with heaven. With
chapter from the great book open
one of the II gates. Give them one
note OF seraphic harp. one flash from
the sea Of glass. one clatter OF the
hoofs OF the horses on which victors
ride. That word reunion or anticipation
fifty spoken Well. no fruit heaped
up in silver baskets could equal lt. OF
the 1000 kinds OF apples that have
blessed the world not one is so mellow
or so rich or so aromatic. but we take
the suggestion Of the text aud com.
pare that word OF comfort fifty spoken
to apples OF gold In baskets OF silver.
sound the Alarm.
So also Is a word OF warning. A shin
may sail out OF hnrbor when the sea
has not so much as ripple. but what
n foolhardy ship company would they
be that made no provision for high
winds and wrathful seas. However
smoothly the voyage OF life may begin
we Will get rough weather before we
harbor on the other side. and we need
ever and anon to save some one utter
Ing In most decided tones the word
Beware" There are all the tempta-
lions TO make this life everything and
20 forget that an inch OF ground Is lar,
Eer as compared with our eternal exist.
ence- There are all the temptations of
the wine cup and the demijolin as this
or any other century has heard of.
There are all the temptations OF pride
aud avarice and base Indulgence and
upgovernable temper. There Is no
word we all need oftener 10 hear than
the word beware"
The trouble Is that the warning word
is apt to come too late. We allow our
friends 10 be overcome In n fight with
some evil hablt before we sound an
alarm. After n man Is nil on fire with
evil habit your word or warning WIZ
have no more effect than would an nd
dress to q house on fire asking Il TO
stop burning, no more use than n steam
tug going out TO help ship after II has
nso In word OF warning to that inebri-
ate whose wife was dying from
wounds inflicted by his own hand. AS
he held the hand OF his dying wife he
made this VOW, MARY, i VIII never
lake another glass OF strong drink until
take 1t from this hand which l now
hold" In an awful way he kept the
VOW, for when the wife was In her cof-
in he filed glass with brandy, put
The glass into the dead hand, then took
he glass ont OF her hand and drank
he liquid. Too late does any warning
rome TO such n one. But many n man
how high UP In usefulness and honor
was stopped on the wrong road by a
Kindly hand put upon the shoulder and
word ftly spoken. All. yes, fifty spo-
Is, at the right time, with the
tight accentuatlon, with the right en-
phasis. a dictatorial way, q condem-
iatory manner, fault finding tone of
voice. manner which seems to say,
Look at me and do al I do" will only
make matters worse. From such a re-
prevail the inebriate Will 90 out to take
drink sooner than he would have
.aken II and the dissolute man a worse
Jlunge Into sin. The word OF warning
must be charged and sureharged with
You Will practically say to
he man. 81 suppose you got into your
present habit through overwork, and
1ou took stimulus to keep up and do
he work You must do" or. IL suppose
was through Illness, and you took an
ntoxicant first as medicine" or,
You are hail fellow we'll met, and
'ou took the liquid In sociabiiIty," or:
You were the representative OF a CON-
nercial house that expected you to
reat customers. / understand II all. IF
had been in the same circumstances.
would probably be fast In the same
hraldom." By some such alleviating
prepare the way for .'be-
vare?' that will halt your friend on the
wrong road as suddenly as any platoon
4 soldiers was ever halted. Swing the |
ed lantern across that track and stop |
hat train before 1t reaches the chasm! |
Speak Gently to the ErrfnU