The age-herald., 1902-03-03
THIS WORLD IS
 SHORT ON SYMPATHY
THE REV. H. W. sEARs DELIVERS LECTURE ON MORE TAFFY AND LEss EPITAPHY" AT FIRST CUMBERLAND CHURCH.

A large congregation heard the Rev. H. W. Sears of Lincoln. Ill. in his cele.. brated lecture. More Tafry and Less Epitaphy," at the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church last night.
 Dr. Sears took as his text I. Philippians xi., ?: Now I praise you. brethren" Dr. Sears stated that it had ever been the custom of people dwelling in com munities to talk about each other; that this custom had been in vogue since the famous afternoon call Of the serpent in the Garden of Eden.
 ''I do not believe In human perfection, !" said the minister q believe that no man ever reaches the state of perfection untlf he passes from this old world into heavenly existence. The trouble with hu- manity today is that we are prone to select some single incident from mans life and judge his whole character by that This is not just. nor ss It Christ like When we find a good trait in man or a woman we should tell them of it and praise them for it. We have the authority and practice of Jesus Christ and His apostles for this, and the world will all be happier and better for our doing it."
 pr. Sears advised all of the congrega- tion to read Paul's letters to the Philip plan brethren. He said that he asked a brother up in Southern Illinois once if he had ever read Paurs letters to the Philippian brethren. The brother replied that he had been reading about the Phil ippines for three years, but that he didn't know that Paul had written them a let ter Said that when he left his home In Jackson, Tenn, to come to Birming- ham, knowing he would be invited to visit in the palatial homes and minglo with the four hundred and tete-a-tete with the 'upper ten" of this city and realizing that he was little shy of the proper decorum to pursue when mingling with Birminghams flew select few" he ordered a book of etiquette from New York and this book contained SIP rules. He learned all of these, and congratu- lated himself that he was equal to any occasion of social propriety that might arise. He stated, however, that he hau been confronted by one circumstance Wn1cn none or the 0l6 TulSS CONSTeu IndI was when fair young girl slowly walked down the aisle after one of his lectures and told him that she would be charmed to know him and shake his hand. He held out his hand ana waited patiently for some time for her 70 take 1t. He finally, looked up and saw ner hand ex- tended about three feet above his head, the latest style in hand shaking Dr. Sears said that if there were any of those present who wanted to shake hands with him after the lec- ture, he wanted them to come up and take his hand in the old-fashioned way and give him -old-fashioned grip He believed in the religion of a hearty hand clasp.
 'The trouble with this old world" con tinued Dr. Sears, lis that we haven't enough sympathy for each other. When a man or a woman is doing a good work In their respective spheres and calling, we never go to them and tell them of it and praise them for their virtues and good works. We should not wait until they are dead and then pile flowers on their graves, but give words of praise and comfort and sympathy to the liv- ing"