The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-01-16

equal the demand.
In the cultivation of this habit of
CHRISTIAN courtesy let us abstain from
joining in the work of defamation.
1t is bad streak in human nature
that there are so many people who
prefer to believe evil instead of good
concerning any one under discussion.
The more faults man has of his own
the more wiling is he to ascribe faults
to others.
what curse of cynics and pessi-
mlsts afflicts our time, affiicts all time!
There are those who praise no one I'M
I'll he is dead. Now that he is clear
under ground and heavy stone is on
top of him there is no possibility of
MS ever coming up again as a rival.
some OF the epitaphs on tombstones
are so fulsome that on resurrection
day a man rising may, if be reads the
into the wrong grave
There are two sides to every mans
character--a good side and an evil
side. The good see only the good and
the evil only the evil, and the proba-
bll1ty is that a medium opinion is the
right opinion. Most of the people
whom know are doing about as well
as they can under the circumstances.
he work of reform is the most
important work, but many of the re-
formers, dwelling on one evil. see
nothing but evil, and they get so used
TO anathema they forget the usefulness
once in awhile of benediction. They
get SO accustomed to eXcoriating pub
Tic men that they do not realize that
never since John Hancock in boldest
chlrography signed the Declaration of
Independence, never since Columbus
picked up the floating land flowers
that showed him he was coming near
some new country, have there been
SO many noble and splendid and
| Christian men in high places in this
country as now. You could go into
the presidents cabinet or the United
States senate or the house of repre-
sentatives in this city and find plenty
OF men capable of holding an old
fashioned Methodist prayer meeting,
and cabinet officers to start the tune
and kneel with the penitents at the
altar In all these places there are
men who could, without looking at
the book, recite the sublime words,
as did Gladstone during vacation at
Hawarden, Il believe in God, the
Father Almighty, Maker of heaven
| and ip
| from the senate and house of repre-
sentatives and the presidential cabi-
net and from the surrounding offices
and committee rooms. if they could
hear, would come many voices re-
| spending amen and amen!''
Christian courtesy especially com
mend to those who have subordinates.
Almost every person has some one UNI
der him. How do you treat that clerk,
that servant. that assistant. that en-
ploye? Do you accost him in brusque
terms and roughly command him to dc
that which you might kindly ask him
to do? The last words that the Duke
of Wellington uttered were, "lf vol
please" That conqueror in what was
in some respects the greatest battle
ever fought, in his last hours. asked by
his servant if he would take some tea,
replied, eff you please" his last words
an expression of courtesy Beautiful
characteristic in any class. There is
no excuse for boorishness in any cir
Gle. AS complete a gentleman as ever
lived was the man who was endorsed
on the road to Damascus and beheaded
on the road to Ostia-Paul, the apostle.
l know that ne might be so character
lied by the way he epoligized to Ana
Mas, the high priest know it from
the way he complim ented Felix as a
judge and from the way he greets the
king, Il thank myself, King Agrippa,
because | shall answer for myself this;
day before thee touching all the things
| whereof | am accused of the Jews, es-
pecially because | know thee to be ex-
pert in all customs and questions
which are among the Jews And then
see those words of advice which he
gives: Bear We one anothers bur-
dens;" Gin honor preferring one an
other" "honor all men"
What mighty means of usefulness
is courtesy! The lack of it brings to
many a dead failure. while before
those who possess it in large quantity
all the doors of opportunity are open
You can tell that urbanity does not
come from study of books of etiquette
although such books have their use
but from mind full of thoughtful
ness for others and heart in SYM
pathy with the conditions of Others
All, this world needs lighting up, To
those Of lis who are prosperous it is no
credit that we are in a state of gow1
cheer, but in the lives of ninety-ni1s
out of hundred there is a patheti,
side, taking off, deficit, an anxiety,
trouble. By genial look, by kind
word, by helpful action. we may lift
little of the burden and partly clear
the way for the stumbling foot. Oh,
what glorious art it is to say the
right word in the right way at the