Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-05-31


law involved then were exactly the same
rs the legal points which presented to.
day. i went to Boston and bought
many books. They cost me hundreds of
dollars. spent four exhaustive months
in work upon that case. am receiving
today the reward of the mental labor
which | expended for my country
friend" Mr.. Webster was a twain
mile lawyer. He was willing to do
more than he was asked or paid to do.
The same facts which have been stated
In reference TO the clerk and the law
yer are true when applied to the sue
cessful physician, the minister or In
yentor, They can be applied to the true
temporal success Of all men In every
department of life.
Now, God in the same way is testing
the spiritual availability and the future
usefulness Of his servants He tests
them by their willingness to travel the
twain mile, to do more than they are
asked TO do. He tests them by the way
they 90 and hunt up the poor invalids
in the back alleys. He tests them by
the way they are willing to assist in
some mission work. He tests them by
the way they are ready to teach in the
Sunday school and by the way they
take part in the Christian Endeayor
prayer meetings. He tests them by the
way the mistresses try to upllft tho
spiritual welfare Of the kitchen and by
the conversations the merchant has
with the young clerk in reference to
the salvation of the boys soul
My friend. you think your spiritual
position in life is very humble, but you
have twain mile to travel. That
twain milo. whether 1t starts from the
nursery, the factory, the mechanics
bench, the labOrCr's ditch or the farm
er's plow, heads straight up to the
throne Of grace God Is spiritually
judging you today by what you are
spiritually willing Of your own accord
to do for him.
The Angel OF the Twain Mile.
The twain mile has for a guide the
angel Of inspiring hope. The man who
lives without ambition or without the
hopBsbf max hg something better out
Of AI8 life is Practically dead. lie is
llkeJklle branch Of tree in midwinter.
All Sis latent buds are frozen. Then
tho fAp Of llf6tie unable to flow, but
whefthe spring comes then the snow
falls melt awayy Then the air is redo
lent%1th incensG Then the tree takes
on 8,new life Eater on, If the tree is
an &Sple tree, its Branches are laden
wifi the golden ftpits.
u pathway offAertwaln mile is al
wasS warmed by &he life developing
suRz inc of hope. Hhe young man says
toV1snself: 81 ami fendy to work years
and@ ears II neceSstff intan inconspic-
uoua position. IaH ready to work
har9 9and do more !5hn { am asked to
do5ecause I knotxtlipt. at last my
.ekiplover will reYa. me With q higher
position" Tfi& fBdng college student
says, "I am ready to bury myself In
my books and work hard because
know that at last there will come
time when my industry will be recon-
pensed as well as recognized"
The young man IS led along the twain
mile OF sacrifice the more willingly be-
cause as he walks hand in hand with
the sweet angel of inspiring hope he
reads the lives Of the great men Of the
past. He finds that the position from
which some Of them started to climb
the mountain Of fame and usefulness
was often more humble than that
which he is filling. He sees a poor,
ignorant colored boy standing before
the Billboard poster trying to learn how
to spell. Then he sees the ignorant col
ored boy grow into the great orator.
until Frederick Douglass name be-
comes known over the civilized world
He sees a young man as q Sunday
school teacher gather his own class OF
rough boys by going into one of the
poorest and most depraved sections OF
Chicago. Then he hears CT that young
man, ID. L. Moody, who was the great
est evangelist of the last century. He
sees DR.. Barnardo called to his great
work by being led by the hand of
street urehin to where fifteen little
boys were spending a winter night In
n coal bin. There the great human
savior Of the London street arab saw
fifteen hungry urchlns who were on
their way, but for his rescue, toward
the eailows. the penltentary or the
poorhouse. When the young man
thinks Of these great men, he says: Il,
too. have Il mission in life. l, too, can
accomplish some good for my fellow
men if am ready to travel the twain
mile Of self sacrifice"
So the sweet faced angel OF hope
leads the disciple of Christ along the
self sacrificing pathway Of the twain
mile. She puts the Bible into the dis
ciple's hand and says: "Read, Chris
tian; read. That Bible Is the promise
God has given to you. God declares
that If you will do what he bids you
do you shall have your reward for
travelling the twain mile for him."
Learning to Fol re.
The twain mile is the place where the
Christian traveller upon life's journey
learns how to forgive an injustice as
well as to forget Forgiveness is one
Of the gospel fine arts. 1t Is the power
which CONES Into Christians life
which practically says: when have
Ak to do and only short time In
which to do it, l cannot afford to be
wasting my energies in foolishly at
lacking those people who are attacking
me. l cannot, as a general, be spending
most of my time in pursuing few for
aging parties when l ought to be
marching on toward the great city Of
Gospel Success" Besides that, the
Christian traveller says to himself:
perhaps I have not done my full
duty toward my enemies. Perhaps |
have not been kind and loving enough.
Perhaps | have not presented my
Jesus In Il clear, simple way. If
did. then | might change the foes