The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-01-17

/ Il near you nave Dtth PING sp-i 4'"C"
business man 20 Outride the tempest OF a
panic. and / came IN 70 thank you ior the
| good advice you gave and 10 let you know
| that all good citizens appreciate what you
/ have been doing"
/ Go down the street tomorrow and thank
| somebody. There are hundreds Of people
/ Who never get thanked az all. Plenty OF
severe criticism, plenty OF iault-hnding'
/ plenty Of misinterpretatiOn, plenty Of de-
| preciation, but az 20 gratitude-that ~ a
| market in which the supply does not equal
I the demand.
In the cultivation Of this habit d Chris
| tan courtesy let us abstain from joining
| in the work OF defamation. Every little
while society takes after man, and II
/ must have a victim.
There are two sides 20 every man cnar-
acter-a good side and an evil side. The
good see only the good and the evil only
the evil. and the probability Is that a me-
dum opinion - the right opinion. Most
OF the people whom i know are dong
about as well a. they can uhder the CIR
curnstances. When j see people who are
worse than am. ] conclude that II lshad
the same bad influences around me all my
life that they have had / would probably
have been wOrse than they now are. The
work of reform - the most important
work but many OF the reiormers, dwell.
ing on one evil, see nothing but evIl, and
~
the usefulness once III awhile OF bencdic-
tion. They get so accustomed 20 eXcor'
iAting public men that they do not realize
that never since John Hancock IN boldest
chirography signed the Declaration OF In,
dependence. never since Columbus picked
uD the floating land flowers that showed
him he was coming near some new coun.
try, have there been so many noble and
splendid and Christian men IN high places
in this country az now. You could 60 INTO
the Presidents Cabinet or the United
States Senate or the House OF Representa-
tves in this city and find plenty OF men
cauable of holding an old fashioned Metho-
dist prayer meeting, plenty OF Senators
and Representatives and Cabinet oihcers
10 start the tune and kncel with the pen
itents at the altar. In all these places
there are men who could, without looking
at the book Tecitc the sublime words. az
did Gladstone during vacation at Hawar-
den. II believe in God, the Father Al.
mighty. Maker Of heaven and earth. ana
IN Jesus Christ" and from the Senate aad
House Of Representatives and the Presi-
Dental Cabinet and from the surrounding
Offices and committee rooms. II they could
hear, would come many voices responding
"Amen and amen"
Christian courtesy especially commend
TO those who have subOTdinates. Almost
every pcrson has some one under him How
assistant, that employe? Do you accost
him in brusque terms and roughly command
him 10 do that which you might kindly
ask him 10 do? The first words that the
Duke OF Wellington uttered were, III you
please" That conqueror IN what was IN
some respects the greatest battle ever
fought i'm his last hours. asked by hls SER
want If he would take some tea, replied,
"If you please" his last words an express
sion of courtesy Beautiful characteristic
in any class The day lahorers in Sweden,
passing each other, take off their hats IN
reverence. There is 10 excuse for boorish-
ness in any circle. As complete a gentle
man as ever lived was the man who was
unhorsed on the road 10 Damascus and be-
headed on the road 10 Ostia-Paul, the
apostle. / know that he might be so char
acterized by the way he apolo2zed to Ana
Mas the high priest ! know IL from the
wav he complmented Felix as a Judge:
and from the wav he creets the king,
thank myself. King Agrippa, because L
thee touching all the things whereof ] am
accused OF tho Jews, especially because |
know thee to he expert in all customs and
questions which are among the Jews L
know that Paul was a gentleman from the
way he opened his sermon on Mars NIL,
not insulting his audience, as King lames's
translation implies but saving. eye men
of Athens. | perceive that in all things We
are very devout." ] know he was gen
tleman from the fact that when he with
others of a shipwreck, on the Island OF
Melita visited the governor of the island
he was most impressed with the courtesy
shown them and reported that visit IN
these words "In the same quarters were
possessions of the chief man of the island,
whose name was Pubius. who received us
and lodged us three days courteously."
And then see those words oi advice which
he gives: Bear ye one another : burdens
In honor preferring one another; Hon.
or all men
What a mighty means Of usefulness is
courtesy The lack of 1t brings 10 many
dead failure. while before those who pos.
sess It in large quantity all the doors OF
opportunity are open. Nou can tell that
urbanitv does not come from study of
books of etiquette. although such books
have their use, but from a mind full OF
thoughtfulness for Others and heart. IN
sympathy with the conditions of others.
II those conditions be prosperous, a
gladness for the success, or if the condi-
tions be depressing, n sorrow tor the un.
favorable circumstances. Al, this world
needs lighting up!
To those Of Us who are prosperous 1t is
no credit that we are in state of good
cheer hut in the lives of nnety-nine out
of a hundred there is a pathetic side,
taking off a deficit. an anxiety, a trouble.
Bv a genial look, by n kind word, by
helpful action, we may hit little OF the
burden and partly clear the way for the
stumbling foot Oh. what a glorious art
it is 10 say the right word in the right
wav at the right time!
If others lack courtesy, that is no rea.
son why YOU should lack IT, Respond to
rudeness bv utmost affabllity. Because
some one else is a hoor is no reason why
YOU should he a boor But how few show
urhanty when badly treated! Human ma
turc SAYS: "An eve for an eye. a tooth for
tooth. retort for retort. SANDER for Ian.
der, maltreatment for maltreatment.' But
there have been those you and | have
known who amid assault and caricature
and injustice have maintained the lowell
| ness of blossom week in springtime. Moth
| ing but divine grace in the heart can keep
such equilibrium. That is not human ma.
ture until il is transformed by supernal
| influences To nut II on the lowest ground
Won cannot afford 10 be revengeful and
malignant.
Hatred and high Indignation are stages
| OF unhealth They enlarge the spleen;
they weaken the nerves, they attack the
brain. Rage IN man is one form OF apo
plexy. Every time YOU get mad you dam
| age your body and mind and soul, and you
| have not such a surplus of yigor and en-.
ergy that you can afford To sacrifice them.
so | applaud Christian courtesy.
would put IL upon the throne OF every
| heart In all the world. The beauty OF IT
| - that you may extend Il TO others ana
nave just as much OF it-yea, more oi II
| lett i'm your own heart and life.
| |, is like the miracle OF the loaves and
fishes, which, by being divided. were mui
| t,plt.1 untI twelve baskets were hled