The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-22

worship,
 Hidden Talents.
 Yet to hear some slovens talk one might suppose it was a sign of mental degen- eracy for men and women to be careful of their personal appearance. They pre- tend to believe that a well groomed and neat man is essentially a weak man. Therefore they practically say that one of the signs of genius is disregard of the decencies of life. They cite the example of the Greek mathematician whose ap- pearance in dishabille son the streets shocked all the people who saw him. and the example of Napoleon and Samuel Johnson and Horace Greeley, all notorious for their indifference to ordinary neatness of attire, but such examples are not proofs of genius, but only of the power of genius to win its way in life in spite of disgusting habits. The genius of Alex ander Dumas triumphed in spite of the degradation of his birth and Henry Flaw cett became a statesman and successful administrator in spite of his blindness; so, personal uncleanness and sovenliness may fail to defeat the true genius, but they can never help him to victory. And yet. deuded by this idea that slovenliness and uncleanliness are signs of true great ness, many lawyer, a doctor, a mer- chant, has ruined his financial chances in life because he would not dress as a gen. tleman should dress. There are more ways than one of interpreting that pass age of Scripture which says in reference to the one talent maG, And l was afraid and went and hid thy talent In the earth" Some of the earth in which many men hide their talents of life Is to be found in the filthiness and in the unkempt condi- tons of their wardrobes.
 If it is necessary to be clean and neat in personal appearance in temporal work how much more is this neatness essential when we are consecratng our lives to the service of Jesus Christ? The dear Saviour wants us to go out and labor in his name in the same way as he used to work. He was taunted with many re- breaches during his earthly life. but those who hated him most never charged him with uncleaniness or slovenlness, and we may be sure that the Pharisee who in vited him to his house and the other hosts who entertained him would never have welcomed him as guest if he had been careless about his person or his dress The quality of his robe may have been poor. but we may be sure that there were no impurities upon it or upon him. So. Christian workers. if we go forth in Christs name, some of us must be more careful about our personal appearance Remember, O minister, when you ascend the pulpit that your clothes may not be expensive. but they should be neat. Re- member, Sunday school teacher. that when you expound the Bible lesson that your scholars are learning from you what it is to be a Christian. They are learning with their eyes as well as with their ears. Remember. O man of God. that wherever you go your clean skin and pure linen as well as your lips preach in Christ's name.
 Character Development.
 Small essential the text: The little kndnesses and courtesies which we should extend to those with whom we come in daily contact The little act of deference which we should show to la dies, such as taking off the hat when we stand with them in an elevator or allow ing them to precede us through an opened door. The Thank you sir" with which a lady should acknowledge a gentlemans S action when he rises in a street car to offer her seat. The little social calls by which we should welcome a new neigh bor or her friends into our community. The little gifts of deicacies which should be sent to the nvalids room of our neigh bor's house. All these little attentions and courtesies may not seem to be of much value at the time but they are mighty in the development or the deple- tion of human character. They are mighty in deciding whether man is to live selfish or an unselfsh life.
 How a selfish life? Simply enough. Here, for instance is a man who enters railroad car He places his satchel on one seat and his overcoat by his side. Then he stretches out his long legs. puts his feet upon the opposite seat and begins to read a newspaper After awhile the train fills up, but he does not remove his membranes. The man is an incarna- ton of selfshness. He cares only for his own comfort and is oblivlous to the rights otl, l,ae fo, hut ting. He has a right to occupy only half seat. Yet he Is monopolizing four sit tings. When the yoor old woman with heavy bundle comes down the aisle, timidly looking for a place to rest and to deposit her load, he buries his face yet farther in the newspaper and pretends not to see her The old lady hesitates lit- tie by his side. and then passes on. You say: That man is not polite man. He is not a gentleman" I say Christian courtesy means more than the two words "mere politeness" imply. That man is laying the foundations of an evil future For if he is discourteous to his fellow men, if he is willing to crowd his fellow passengers in a railroad train out of the seats which rightly belong to them he is developing a disposition which. if not checked, may lead him by and by to de- fraud his neighbor of the dollars and cents which by right belong to them | When Paul said Be courteous he meant more than to be merely polite. He meant "be honest, be fair, be noble in the little i duties and attentions which you should | show to your fellow men"
 Christian Courtesy.
 | Character is not born: it is developed | It springs not up in a night. as a Jonahs l gourd. Ii grows gradually. Lyman l Beecher once said "It took forty years" | when some one asked him the question, | How long did it take to write that ser-