Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1902-01-25
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
THE BEAUTY OF CHRIS COURT
ESY POINTED OUT.
discourse Preached from the Words of
Peter: BE Courteous'-The Value of
Praise-G Giving ThoughtfuIness for
Others Spirit to Be Cultivated.


copyright. 1902. by Louis KIopsch, N W
washington, jan 12.-In this dis
course Dr. Talmage urges thoughtful
ness for others and shows how such
benignant spirit may be fostered;
text, l Peter ii. s, BE courteous"
In an age when bluntness has been
canonized as a virtue it may be use
tul to extol one of the most beautiful
Of all the royal family of graces-
courtesy. 1t is graciousness, Difference
to the wishes of others, good manners,
affability, Willingness to deny our
selves somewhat for the advantage of
others, arbanity- Mark you, it can
not be put on or dramatized sue
cessfully for long while. We may
be full of bows and genuf1ections, and
smiles and complimentary phrase, and
have nothing of genuine courtesy
efther in our makeup or in our de-
meanor. A backwoodsman who never
saw drawing room or a dancing mas
ter or caterer a fold of drapery
may with his big soul and hard hand
and awkward salutation exercise the
grace, while one born under richest
upholstery and educated in foreign
Of ten garments he will take from a
royal wardrobe, may be as barren of
the spirit of courtesy as the great Sa-
hara desert is of green meadows and
tossing fountains.
Now, you know as we'll as l do 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 rooms and culti-
waited circles. He became vice presi-
dent of the United States and within
one vote of being president. Men
threw away their fortunes to help him
in his political aspirations and to
forward him in conspiracy to over
throw the government of the United
States, he trying to do in America
what Napoleon at that very time was
trying to do in Europe-establish
throne for himself. But he was i'm
moral and corrupt. He was the ser
pent that wound it's way into many a
domestic paradise. He shot to death
one of the greatest of Americans
Alexander Hamilton. The world found
put long before he left it that the Of
tender l speak of was an embodiment
Of dissoluteness and base ambition. He
was the best illustration that 1
know of of the fact that man may
have the appearance of courtesy while
within he is all wrong.
Absalom, a Bible character was a
specimen of a man of polish outside
and of rottenness inside. He captur-
ed all who came near him. But, oh,
what a heart he had, full of treachery
and unfilial spirit and baseness, He
was as bad as he was alluring and
charming.
1 like what John Wesley said to a
man when their carriages met on the
road. The ruffian. knowing Mr.. Wes-
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 ruf1ian
said, st never turn out for FOOLS" and
MIR. Wesley said, Il always do"
like the reproof which a Chinaman in
San Francisco gave al American. The
American pushed him off the side
walk until he fell into the mud. The
Chinaman on rising began to brush off
the mud and said to the American:
You Christian; me heather. Good
by" A stranger entered church in
one of the 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 this2' The answer was, "Christ's
church. SIR rs he in?" said the
stranger The officer of the church
understood what was meant and gave
him seat We want more courtesy
in the churches. more courtesy in
places of business, more courtesy in
our homes
Let US all cultivate this grace of
Christian courtesy by indulging 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 and women who ought to be
chastised, but never let us allow the
opportunity of applauding good deeds
pass unimproved. The cd 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 ly-
ing things said about US to keep us
humble God approvingly recognizes
a system of rewards as well as of pun
ishments.
When you hear 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