The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-14

ing lazarettos, .attired in vermilfon and
gold Perdition hanging out the BAN
ners OF heaven. As far as possible are
they removed from all genuine cour-
tesy.
Heart Courtesy.
1 Hike what John Wesley said to q
man when their carriages met on the
road. The %rufian. knowing Mr.. Yves
ley and disliking him. did not turn out,
but kept the middle Of the road. Mr..
Wesley cheerfully gave the man all the
road, himself riding into the ditch. AS
they passed each other the ruffian said,
Il never turn out for FOOLS" and Dir.
wesley said. Il always do" I like the
reproof which a Chinaman in San
francisco gave an American. The
American pushed him off the sidewalk
until be fell into the mud. The China
man on rising began to brush of the
mud and said to the Americana: You
Christian; me heather. Goodby." A
stranger entered a church in one of
he cities and was allowed TO stand a
long while. although there was plenty
OF room. No one offered a seat. The
stranger after awhile said to one of
the brethren, What church is this?'
The answer was. "Christ's church. sir"
rs he in?' said the stranger. The Of
hcer OF the church understood what
was meant and gave him a seat. We
want more courtesy in the churches,
more courtesy in places of business.
more courtesy in u homes.
But heart courtesy must precede
hand and head and foot courtesy. Cul-
tivation Of it should begin in the ia
theirs house. You often Lotice that
brothers and sisters are often gruff
and snappy and say things and do
things that they would not have the
outside world know about. Rough
things are sometimes said in house
holds which ought never to be said at
all teasing and recrimination and
faultfinding and harsh criticisms. which
will have their echo thirty and forty
and fifty years a~fterward. In the sleet
driven by that east wind no sweet
flowers of kindness and geniality will
grow. LET children heal their parents
picking at each other. and those chill
dren will be found picking at each
other, and far down the road of life
will be seen the same disposition to
pick at others. Better than this habit
of picking ut children. which 50 many
parents indulge in, would be one good,
healthy application Of the rod. Better
q shower that lasts 4 few minutes
than the cold driZZle of many days.
We never get over our first home, how
ever many homes we may have after
ward.
Cultivate Christian Grace.
Let us all cultivate this grace of
Christian courtesy by i~ndulging in the
habit of praise instead Of the habit of
blame. There are evils in the world
that we must denOunce. and there are
men n women who ought to be chas-
tiSed. but never let us allow the op-
%portunity Of applauding good deeds
| pass unimpr2ved. The old theory was
that you must never praise people lest
we make them vain. No danger of
that. Before any Of US get through
with life we will have enough mean
and ignoble and depreciating and ~
ing things said about us to keep US
humble. God approvingly recognizes
q system of rewards as we'll as of pun-
iShments.
When you hea a good sermon stop
after the benedictiOn and tell the pas
tor, though you never saw him before
that day, your sermon did me good"
| When a mechanic does n good piece of
| work, tell him it is we'll done. When
a physician brings you out of a peril
| Gus illness. stop him in the street n
say, doctor. you saved my life"
When you hear of a business man in
some heavy stress of financial weather
! helping Trailer craft into the harbor.
go into his counting room and say, Il
heal you have been helping your fell
low business man to Outride the tenn
pest of a panic. and | came in to thank
you for the good advice you ave and
to let you know that all good citizens
appreciate what you have been doing"
Go down the street tomorrow and
thank somebody. There are hundreds
Of people who never get thanked at all.
Plenty of severe criticism. plenty of
faultfinding. plenty Of misinterpreta-
ton. plenty of depreciation. but as to
gratitude-that is q market in which
the supply does not equal the demand.
In the cultivation of this habit of
Christian courtesy let us abstain from
joining in the work of defamation.
Every little while society takes after
a man. and it must have a victim. If
you had n roll of all the public men of
his generation or of any generation
who have been denounced and despoil-
ed of their good name. it would take
you Il long while to call the roll. 1t is
q bad streak in human nature that
there are so many who prefer to be
lieve evil instead of good concerning
any one under discussion. If n good
motive and n bad motive have been
possible in the case in hand. n man
will believe the conduct was inspired
by n good motive. and ten men will be-