Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-01-17
A BEAUTIFUL GRACE.
Courtesy Extolled IN This Sermon
by DR.. Talmage.
ThoughtfuIness for Others Is Urged
How a Benfgnant Spirit May
BE Fostered What the
World Needs.



Washington, JAM IL.
In this discourse DR.. Talmage urges
thoughtfulness for others and shows
how such a benignant spirit may be
fostered; text, Peter 2:S: "Be cour-
teous.''
In an age when bluntness has been
canonized as virtue it may be use
full to extol one of the most beautiful
of all the royal family of graces-
courtesy. It is graciousness, defer
ence to the wishes of others, good man
ners, affability, Willingness to deny
ourselves somewhat for the advantage
of others, urbanity. But what is the
use of my defining the grace of cour-
tesy when we all know so well what it
is? The botanist might say some very
interesting things about a rose, and
the chemist might discourse a bout wa
ter or light, but without ever seeing
botanist or a chemist we know what
a rose is and what water and light
are. Do not take our time in telling
us what courtesy is. Only show us
how we may get more of it and avoid
what are it's counterfeits. Mark you,
1t cannot be put on or dramatized sue
cessfully for a long while. We may
be full of bows and genufections, and
smiles and complimentary phrase, and
have nothing of genuine courtesy
either in our makeup or in our de-
meanor. ',ackwoodsman who never
saw a draw groom or dancing mas
ter or a caterer or a fold of draPery
may with his big soul and hard hand
and awkward salut ton exercise the
grace, while one born under richest
upholstery and educated in foreign
schools, and bothered to know which
of ten garments he will take from $
royal wardrobe, may be as barren of
the spirit of courtesy as the great Sa-
hara desert is of green meadows and
tossing fountains.
Christians courtesy is born in the
heart by thespower of the Holy Ghost,
who has tran sformed and illumined
and glorified one'sanature. Mark you,
I am speaking of the highest kind of
courtesy, wbich1is Christian courtesy.
, Something like it-ordinary politeness
may grow up with us under the di-
rection of intelligent and watchful
parentage, but l am not speaking of
that which is merely agreea bleness of
conversation and behavior. All that
may be a matter of tutelage and fine
surrounding and show itself in lifting
the hat to passersby and in a graceful
way of asking about your health and
sending the right kind of acceptance
wheE you can go and the right kind of
regrets when you cannot go and under
standing all the laws of preference at
table and parlor door, all of which is
well. I am speaking of a principle of
coGrtesy soimplanted in ones nature
that his suavity of conversation and
- h.
he feels for the happiness and welfare
of others, a principle that will work
in the next world as we'll as in this
and will be as appropriate in the man
sions of Heaven as in earthly dwelling
places.
Now, you know as we'll as I 10 that
some of the most undesirable people
have been seeming incarnations of
courtesy. In our early American his
? tory there arose a man of wonderful
talent, an impersonation of all that
can charm drawing and cult
waited circles. Aged men who knew
him in their youth have told me that
he was the most irresistible man they
ever met, his voice silvery, his smile
bewitching, his glove immaculate, his
eye piercing, his high fore head
wreathed in curls, his attire a fascina-
ton. He became vice. president of the
United States and within one vote of
being president. Men threw away
their fortunes to help him in his polit-
ical aspira tons and to forward him in
conspiracy to overthrow the govern
ment of the United States, he trying to
do in America what Napoleon at that
very time was trying to do in Europe
@esta blish a throne for himself. But
he was immoral and corrupt. He was
the serpent that, wound its way into
many domestic paradise. He shot to
death one of the greatest of Americans
Alexander Hamilton. The world
found out long before he left it that
Jhe offender I speak of was an embodi-
ment Of dissoluteness and base am BIZ
ton. He was the best illustrat ton that
know of of the fact that man may
have the appearance of courtesy while
within he is all wrong.
Absalom, Bible character, was
specimen of a man of polish outside
and of rottenness inside. Beautiful,
brilliant and with such wealth of hair
that &hen it was cut in each Deem
Der as a matter of pride he had it
weighed, and it weighed 200 shekels.
He captured all who came near him.
But, oh, what a heart he had-full of
treachery and unfilial spirit and base
nessi
In the famous Athenian Alcibiades
history discourses of the same splen-
dor of manner covering utter deprav-
ity. Noble pedigree, transcendent abil-
tiles, radiant personality, eloquent
tongue, triumphant warrior, victor at
Olympic games, but a debauchee and