Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-05-30


way the mistresses try TO uplift the
spiritual welfare Of the kitchen and by
the conversations the merchant has
with the young clerk I'm reference to
the salvation OF the boys soul.
My friend. you think your spiritual
position I'm life is very humble. but you
have twain mile to travel. That
twain mile. whether 1t starts from the
nursery, the factory. the mechanics
bench, the laborer's ditch or the farm
er's pillow, 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 guide the
angel Of inspiring hope. The man who
lives without ambition or without the
hope of making something better out
OF his life is practically dead. He is
like the branch of tree in midwinter.
All it's latent buds are frozen. Then
the sap of life is unable to flow, but
when the spring comes then the snow
fakes melt away. Then the air is redo
lent with incense. Then the tree takes
on new life. Later on, il the tree is
an apple tree. its branches are laden
with the golden fruits
The pathway of the twain mile is al
ways warmed by the life developing
sunshine of hope. The young man says
TO himself:"I am ready to work years
and years if necessary in an inconspic-
uous position. | am ready to work
L.. Il ~. \ -. A..
do because | know that at last my
employer will reward me with higher
position" The young college student
says, 81 am ready TO bury myself in
my books and work hard because ]
know that ut last there will come a
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 filing. 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 young man as a Sunday
school teacher gather his own class OF
rough boys by going into one of the
poorest and most depraved sections OF
Chicago. Then be bears of that young
man. ID. L. Moody, who was the great
est evangelist of the last century. He
sees DR.. Bernardo called to his great
work by being led by the hand of n
street urchin to where fifteen little
boys were spending winter night In
q coal bin. There the great human
savior OF the London street arab saw
fifteen hungry urchins who were on
their way. but for bis rescue. toward
the gallows, the penitentiary or the
poorhouse. When, the young man
thinks of these great men, be says: 81,
too have q mission in life. /, too. can
accomplish some good for my fellow
men II 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 IL you will do what he bids you
do you shall have your reward for
travelling the twain mile for him."
Learning to Forgive.
The twain mile is the place where the
Christian Traveller upon life's Journey
learns how to forgive an injustice rs
well as 10 forget. Forgiveness is one
OF the gospel fine arts. Ii is the power
which comes into q Christians If,
which practically says: when hav,
work to do and only a short time In
which TO do IL. I cannot afford to be
wasting my energies in foolishly at
tacking those people who are attacking
me. cannot, as Il general, be spendiny
most OF my time in pursuing few for
aging parties when / ought to bS
marching on toward the great city oi
Gospel Success" Besides that, In,
Christian traveller says to himself
Il
duty toward my enemies. Perhaps
have not been kind and loving enough
Perhaps / have not presented my
Jesus in clear, simple way. L
l did. then l might change the foe,
OF Christ into his loving disciples
will forgive as well as forget. Afte,
mine enemy has smitten me on ON,
cheek will turn to him the other also
After he has compelled me to go witt
him one mile I will go with hin
twain"
/ This is not On absurd Interpretation
TO make OF the Christians feelings fl
reference to his enemies when he &
trying to travel the twain mile OF for
| giyeness. Almost without exception
the truly great men who have conse
Grated their lives to temporal caus
have been able to drop the bitter per
]. sonaiities out OF their existence. The,
were able to forgive as well as forge
the personal injustices which had beer
practiced against them. When til
north German states We're being weld
ed into the great confederacy OF tn
German empire by the master states
man OF the last century, Prince Bis
marck said to friend during the dark
est days of the struggles: II must no
think of what mine enemies might sa,
or do. To attain this end I wouI,
brave all dangers-exile. indeed; tn
scafrold itself. What matter If the,
hang me providcd~the rope with whIcl
l am hanged binds this new German.
firm to the Prussian throner'
i During the last days OF the Southern
Confederacy the southern army wa
heeing toward Appomattox Cour,
house. On account of the. awful bonn
bardment 1t had dwindled into mer
handful. General Robert E. Lee, on
OF the grandest characters in history
summoned prominent general TO hi
side and asked him what he should do
Anything. General Lee,"sanswere,
the subordinate, except surrender
We do not want your enemies to sa.
that you had to give up your sword
| Bid the soldiers scatter, and we will