The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-21

found It's echo in the advice Of old Dr.
Thomas De Witt OF the Collegian
church of New York city. After my ia
Their had been a short time In the minis
try this great and good man, Dr. De
Witt, after whom my father was named.
sent this message to him: Tell my
namesake never to allow his sermons to
be published He may be able to preach,
but he certainly does not know how to
write" The effect of all this depressing
and depreciatlng advice was such that
my father was never fully able to shake
off the discouragements of his youth.
Ny mother had to urge him on and on,
or without doubt in those first years
Of struggle he would have given up the
fight and gone into the law. So, my
friends, l urge you never to discourage
a young man. You may be mistaken in
anticipating his failure. Rather cheer
him with commentator whenever It is
possible. Who can tell whether at the
end of his career his Divine Master may
not pronounce upon his service the well
done" with which he rewards his faith
full stewards?
Encouragement Wanted.
Some years ago by an explosion Of
firedamp four miners were entombed in
a coal mine near Scranton. Pa. Their
friends worked a whole night and day
trying to liberate the imprisoned men.
At last the rescuers were about to give
up in despair Just then the youngest
member of the firm drove up in a buggy
AS he leaped out he cried: Boys, you
have done well! 1t is only a little work
more Come on. boys, and in a short time
we will get those poor fellows free.' He
threw off his coat and grabbed pick and
began to strike the rock At the sound Of
his reassuring voice and example the
other men went to work with renewed en-
ergy. Tho entombed men were soon safe
In the arms of their wives and children
Today the vast majority of our relatives
! do not need words of depreciation. Like
those miners. digging for their entombed
companions they want words of encour-
agement. words of good cheer. words of
inspiration, words of assurance. that II
they only trust God and do right certain
success will come to every one of them.
Their success may not necessarily come
right away, but true success will surely
come In time.
Discouraging depreciation Is often
found In the dealings of employers with
their employees. Many men and women
who are at the head of large establish
ments do not like to commend their en-
even q little that clerk will get too good
an opinion of himself and will ask for an
increase of salary. Or, If you praise an
employe, some rival firm will hear of the
communication and come and steal your
man away, Thus some men never speak
kindly to those who are In their employ.
They chronically and systematically
growl and find fault with everybody and
everything. Their doctrine is that when
an employee is afraid of losing his posi-
ton he will work harder and more faith
fully than If the head of the firm COM
mended him for everything he did well.
Now, such a course as that is not hon
est or Just. The Bible distinctly says that
every laborer is worthy of his hire II
man is paid what he ought to be paid
for doing his work, there is no need to
fear that he will not do as good work
with a few words of commentator as
with the depressing effects of unjust and
systematic depreciation. l tell you can
didately and earnestly that chronic fault
finding has the same effect In a factory
or a store, as the cold. dark, drizzlng
days of November have upon the floral
world, while words of kindness and APP
probation have the same inspiration upon
the tagging energies of the employees as
the inspiring strains of the regimental
bands had upon the despairing spirits of
the French soldiers when they were
scaling the Alps for their great Italian
Victories. During the last days of that
awful ascent, when the French cannon
had to be dragged up by the ropes held
| In the soldiers bleeding hands, Napoleon
| Bonaparte commanded his musicians to
keep on playing the most inspiring pa
| triotic airs. So the employers word of
commentator sound in the ears of the
fr,rIrn IT, 4
| spring music, which will make the en-
ployes even sometimes double their en-
ergies TO merit the appreciation which
| their employers have expressed.
The Spirit of Depreciation.
| But though words of commentator
may have such benefcent results in the
employers dealings with employees, yet IL
is the settled policy of many a business
man not only to say nothing pleasant to
his employees, but also to make his clerks
| live upon as small a salary as possible
| until he is by force of circumstances
compelled to pay them more I am sorry
| to say. too, that this spirit of deprecia-
ton, this reluctance to recognize and re-
ward merit, is sometimes seen in the re-
| lation of a church to its minister. al
though, thank God, most congregations
are not selfish and are giving their pas
tors all the encouragement and financial
support that they can. A selfish congre-
| cation will start in with a system of
| fault-f1nding. 1t will grind the minister
down and down. 1t will make the pulpit
! a dumping ground for all its carping
and contemplate criticism. 1t will for
years keep its minister upon a starva-
ton salary. Then after awhile when
| that minister gets a call from sister
church in a neighboring city, with an in
crease Of $1,000 or $4,000 salary, that congre-
cation will act as though a bomb had
suddenly dropped among them. They
will gather around the minister to plead
with him with beseeching tears. The
board of the church will Immediately
meet and vote to raise the minister's sal
airy $1,000. Resolutions will be passed beg
ging the minister not to leave them. II
that minister Is so valuable to the con-
| gregation now, why was ne not appre-
| ciated before? If the congregation could
pass commendatory resolutions now. why
| not before? oh, no; that is not the